Penguins Are Back in the Saddle Again

While I always enjoy the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the last three years have been, well, a tad incomplete. Something was missing. Not just something--someone was missing. A group of someones missing. As amazing as the Stanley Cup Playoffs always are, there seemed to be a bit of a void during the last three seasons.

However, in 2026, the void has been filled. All is right in the world.

It's been a tough few seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This team once made the playoffs for 16 straight seasons. It was a very impressive streak that saw the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final four times, and winning three of those times. Though the last years of that streak were tough, at least it continued, with the last year of that streak ending in heartbreak in Game Seven. Then, it happened. A tough loss to the sputtering Chicago Blackhawks in Game 81 eliminated the Penguins from playoff contention in 2023. That was the first time they missed the playoffs since the 2005-06 season, which was Sidney Crosby's rookie year.

The two seasons that followed saw no playoffs, and their longtime coach, Mike Sullivan, gone. This year, the Penguins looked pretty good in the start, but would it hold up? It would. The Penguins continued to stay afloat, even with Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missing games, setting up this "win and in" chance for the Pens. Egor Chinakhov's three-point performance led the Penguins to a 5-2 win over the already eliminated New Jersey Devils, and that win officially brought playoff hockey back to Steel City.

I've literally said everything humanly possible when it comes to Sidney Crosby. What else is there? We know he's extra special. We know he's a legend. We know he's amazing as hell. But we can add one more word about Crosby: ageless. The guy's 38 years old, but he sure as hell isn't playing like it. This is Year Twenty-One for Crosby. I still can't believe it. It seems like yesterday that Sid was drafted and I heard all of the hype about how he could be "The Next One." Crosby's also fought through some recent pain, but that is nothing new for him. He's still doing it. 74 points (29G/45A) in 67 games played, and that total leads the team.

Another ageless wonder on the team is Erik Karlsson. At 35, Karlsson's still playing like that top defensemen he was in his prime in Ottawa and San Jose. His 66 points (15G/51A) are second on the team, and one point ahead of Bryan Rust, who is tied with Crosby for second on the team in goals with 29. The goal scoring leader: Anthony Mantha with 31 this season. And it also helped that they traded Tristan Jarry to Edmonton for Stuart Skinner; Jarry had been a hindrance on that team for a long time.

Playoff hockey is back in Pittsburgh, folks. And even better for the Penguins, they have officially clinched 2nd place in the Metro, so Game One of the Metropolitan Semifinals will be in Pittsburgh, but they have no clue who they'll face. It could be a Battle of PA with the Flyers. It could be the Islanders. It could be the Blue Jackets. Hell, it even could be the Capitals. We could get Crosby vs Ovechkin in the playoffs for possibly the final time! In any event, this is going to be an amazing playoffs this year! I repeat: playoff hockey is back in Pittsburgh, and I am absolutely ready to see how the Penguins will fare. I'll be honest, I want that Penguins/Flyers series!