There have been several teams in the NHL that have had shocking jumps in the standings this season. The Buffalo Sabres have not been to the playoffs since 2011, but they have risen to first place in the Atlantic Division and they are chasing the Carolina Hurricanes for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Anaheim Ducks have risen from years of obscurity to first place in the Pacific Division. There are others that have risen this season — most notably the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Utah Mammoth — but nobody talks about the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins are in second place to the Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division, and that's a remarkable development. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins had failed to make the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and preseason predictions had the team in the division's cellar. Most of the talk concerned possibly trading Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson, and it appeared the team's glory years were nothing but ancient history.
The Penguins have had a great regular season to this point, but they still need to perform well in the last 12 games of the season to make sure they earn a playoff spot. They have 86 points and they are one point ahead of the Blue Jackets and New York Islanders. The Philadelphia Flyers may still be in the picture with 80 points.
Their spot inside the top three is clearly in question, and there are no guarantees they would come away with one of the Eastern Conference wild-card spots if they lose any traction. However, the Penguins have won 7 of their last 8 games and there are no signs that the Pens are about to turn into pumpkins.
They have a challenging run to the finish line, but little-known head coach Dan Muse has the Penguins playing winning hockey.
Holding on to second place and home-ice advantage is best scenario
The Penguins have a core group of superstars that they have depended on for years. Instead of falling by the wayside, as expected, Crosby would not let that happen. He leads the Penguins with 28 goals and 35 assists for 63 points in 59 games. He played a key role for Team Canada in the Milan Olympics, and if he had not suffered a lower-body injury in the tournament Canada might have taken home the gold medal.
After missing the playoffs for three years, look for a maximum effort from Crosby and his key teammates. Malkin, Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Kris Letang are all capable of giving the Penguins a lift in the playoffs.
If they hold on to second place, they will line up against the Blue Jackets, Islanders or Flyers. The Blue Jackets have been among the hottest teams in the league and they could push the Penguins to the limit, and the Islanders are close to that level. Their most winnable matchup would come against their in-state rivals, the Flyers. However, that's a long shot at best.
While most hockey fans don't know much about Muse, he has done an outstanding job of organizing his team and giving his players the best chance to win. He offers a fresh voice in the locker room and the Penguins have displayed more speed, hustle and competitiveness than they had shown in past years.
Their ability to fight through adversity is the biggest difference in this year's edition of the Penguins, and that's why they will have a chance to win a first-round playoff series and advance.
Penguins could surprise as wild-card team
Since the race in the Metropolitan Division and the full Eastern Conference is so close, the Penguins could lose their spot in the top three of the division and fall into a wild-card spot.
If they ended up facing the Metropolitan-leading Carolina Hurricanes, that would be a big problem. The Hurricanes regularly beat the Penguins every time the two teams meet. It doesn't matter if the games are in Pittsburgh or Charlotte, the Hurricanes have their number. Carolina has won 10 of the last 11 meetings between the two teams.
However, the Penguins could also match up with the Sabres. Buffalo has been a sensational story this year and they have bypassed the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. They are just a point behind the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference.
The Sabres look powerful with Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch leading the way. However, regular-season success does not carry over to the playoffs. The Sabres will start the Stanley Cup playoffs with an 0-0 record and they have no postseason experience to lean on.
Handling adversity could prove to be their undoing against an experienced team like the Penguins. If the Sabres came out on fire and blew out the Penguins in the first game of the series, that would not intimidate Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson. The Penguins could eke out a one-goal win in Game 2 in Buffalo, and that could spook the inexperienced Sabres.
It would be a major challenge to beat the Sabres, but they would have a much better chance of succeeding in that series than they would against the Hurricanes.
