The Pittsburgh Penguins escaped their latest matchup despite several major errors.

The Pittsburgh Penguins woke up this morning in a playoff position. They earned that spot by narrowly defeating the Detroit Red Wings in a game that featured multiple egregious mistakes from their top defensemen.

Kris Letang began the game in a hectic fashion for the Penguins. Both Red Wings goals in the first period happened directly after a Letang turnover and ended with the veteran defender getting beat in front of the Penguins net.

Letang redeemed himself midway through the period, jumping into the rush and scoring one of three go-ahead goals for the Penguins in this matchup. Fortunately, he settled in a bit as the game went on, but the Penguins other future Hall of Fame defender went in the opposite direction.

Erik Karlsson was putting together one of his finest performances as a member of the Penguins through two periods. He was creating offensive chances, but more importantly, remaining defensively sound and battling hard in front of goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

But when the final frame began, it was as if Karlsson's controller disconnected in the defensive zone. He inexplicably followed an already-covered puck carrier behind the net, leaving Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin alone in front for their fourth goal of the evening. A few minutes later, an ill-advised pinch by Karlsson led to a 2-on-1 breakout and the game-tying goal.

Karlsson made up for his gaffs by scoring what currently stands as the biggest goal of the season in overtime. However, both Penguins defensemen nearly cost the team a pivotal game, which would've sunk their playoff chances to 17%, according to Moneypuck.com.

With three games remaining, the Penguins need their top defenders to avoid costly errors or, at the very least, limit them to less than was committed against Detroit.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4FesjZ15Sw[/embed]

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

Penguins on Verge of Securing Playoff Spot

Penguins React to Sidney Crosby's Historic Night

Penguins Back in Playoff Spot After Big Win

Penguins Prospect Making Noise in NCAA Tournament

Penguins' Sidney Crosby Tallies 1,000th Assist

• undefined
• undefined