Pittsburgh's Three-Year Playoff Nightmare Ends With a Win Over New Jersey

The Penguins are going back to the postseason. After three brutal years watching from the couch, Pittsburgh clinched a playoff spot Thursday night by beating New Jersey, snapping a drought that felt way longer than it actually was. This is huge for a franchise that had made 16 straight postseason appearances before missing the cut in Crosby's rookie year back in 2005-06.

How They Got Here: From Long Shot to Clincher

Nobody gave Pittsburgh much of a chance at the start. They were 6-1 long shots to qualify for the playoffs before opening night even happened, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. But this season was messier than anyone expected. The team went through an eight-game skid in December that had everyone worried, followed by a pair of six-game winning streaks later in the winter. By late March, when the Eastern Conference was an absolute mess, they looked like they might miss again. Then something clicked. Since March 30, the Penguins won five of six games to punch their ticket.

"A couple weeks ago we realized it's really in our hands because we play a lot of the teams in it," defenseman Connor Clifton said. "We figured it was going to work itself out, and first and foremost it's about us and getting points and we've done that, so it's been good."

The Surprise Factor: New Coach, Old Stars, New Life

This was supposed to be one last run for the aging core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. These three have been teammates for 20 seasons, the longest-tenured trio in North American professional sports. But new coach Dan Muse changed the equation. He came from relative anonymity, five years as an assistant under Peter Laviolette with Nashville and the Rangers. Succeeding two-time Cup winner Mike Sullivan was no joke, but Muse nailed it in his first shot running an NHL bench.

"He's been great. Calm there behind the bench, and he's just a really personable guy, easy to talk to away from the rink," forward Justin Brazeau said. "Any time you create that atmosphere in here, it's not too tense or anything like that. I think guys are just willing to go out there and play free."

Crosby was a point-a-game player for a 21st consecutive season, even if an Olympic injury interrupted his run. Center Ben Kindel, picked 11th in last year's draft, made the team at 18. Defenseman Erik Karlsson thrived at 35. It all came together.

"That's why you play. That's the best time of year," Crosby said. "I know how hard it is. I think I understand that. We had some tough ones where it came down to the last day and didn't get in, and you don't ever know. But I thought right from camp, we've had those intentions and had that belief."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.