Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby discusses sitting on the outside looking into the playoff picture entering the final week of the season. PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Penguins may be back in control of their own destiny, but that doesn’t guarantee their spot in the postseason. Now, the Penguins have to take two important wins in the final two games of the regular season. The odds of them succeeding enough to reach the postseason is at a new high according to moneypuck.com. [https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm] Thanks to a key loss from the New York Islanders, the Penguins now have a 60.7% chance of making the postseason. That’s a dramatic increase from the 42.2% chance they held just 24 hours ago. Not only do the Penguins have increased odds, they stand ahead of the Islanders who sit at 55.9%. The storyline around the Eastern Conference wild card race has long been centered around three teams. That final team is the Florida Panthers who are coming off of an overtime loss to the Toronto Maples Leafs. Thanks to receiving an OTL point, the Panthers remain in the top wild card spot, [https://www.nhl.com/standings/2022/wildcard] and have the best chances at the postseason. Money Puck gives the Panthers an 81.3% chance of making the playoffs. Don’t count out the Buffalo Sabres just yet either; they’re extreme longshots, but they’re coming off of a defeat of the New York Rangers and now have a 2.2% chance of making the dance. It was a three team race, but if the Sabres can pull off another unlikely victory over the New Jersey Devils, they can become real competitors. As for the Penguins, it’s up to them to win their final two matches against less than superior opponents. In their final two games, the Penguins play the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets, the two worst teams in their respective conferences. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Alex Nylander Yet Again Recalled by Penguins on Emergency Basis [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/alex-nylander-again-recalled-pittsburgh-penguins-emergency-basis] Penguins Control Own Destiny for Playoff Spot [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-control-own-destiny-playoff-spot] Penguins vs. Blackhawks: Biggest Game of the Year [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-chicago-blackhawks-biggest-game-year] Penguins Will Keep an Eye on Panthers/Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-keep-eye-florida-panthers-new-york-islanders] Penguins Hand Out Annual Player Awards [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-hand-annual-player-awards] * undefined * undefined
