Losing to the Chicago Blackhawks may have been the fatal blow to the Pittsburgh Penguins' playoff hopes.

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins may have lost a must-win contest against the Chicago Blackhawks, but there is still one more beacon of hope to reach the postseason.

It may take a minor miracle, but according to moneypuck.com, the Penguins still have a 9.4% chance at making the playoffs.

That’s the lowest the odds have looked all season, and with only one game remaining, only the Montreal Canadiens have the ability to help.

For the Penguins to have one last chance at sealing their own fate, they need the Canadiens to steal a regulation victory over the New York Islanders.

The Penguins have been in a three-way fight with the Islanders and Florida Panthers over the two Eastern Conference wild card spots.

With the Penguins taking another worst loss of the season, the Panthers punched their ticket to the playoffs.

As for the Islanders, they now have a 90.6% chance to reach the playoffs; all they need to do is win, or even lose in overtime and they’re set.

It all comes down to game 82 for the Penguins, but it’s not even up to them.

If the Islanders close the deal, the Penguins will play a truly meaningless hockey game for the first time since 2006, ending one of the greatest runs in NHL history.

The Islanders and the Penguins are the final two teams still fighting for their chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.

The stage is set in the Western Conference, and there is one spot remaining in the East.

Do the Penguins have another run in their near future? Or are the odds too long and the Penguins are missing postseason hockey for the first time since the George Bush Administration?

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