It has been an eventful week in the world of sports, so there were many topics about which I could have written today. The Pirates are 8-2 after back-to-back 2-1 series wins against the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles, and will commence a series against the Detroit Tigers tonight. While Mitch Keller and David Bednar continue to struggle, and Henry Davis cannot put the ball in play, the rest of the team is picking up the slack, executing wins in both comeback and dominant fashion. Liverpool dropped points against Manchester United yesterday, adding an extra layer of chaos to the Premier League title race: only one point separates 1st-place Arsenal and 3rd-place Manchester City, making the run-in extremely intriguing. Legendary Kentucky head coach John Calipari accepted the head coaching job at University of Arkansas overnight, a complete shock to most. Also, we are only 17 days removed from the NFL draft, my favorite three days of the year. 

However, today’s entry will focus on the insanity that is the NHL’s Eastern Conference wild-card race. It was not too long ago that the Penguins were 9 points behind the Washington Capitals for the final playoff spot—this was as recent as March 27th, a mere 12 days ago. How did the Pens go from 9 points out to being in a position where, if they win their final five games, they will clinch a playoff spot? To be honest, it has been a combination of good hockey by the Penguins and complete ineptitude by the other teams vying for the last spot. 

Let us begin with the good. Since March 26th (one day before the last instance of the Penguins being 9 points out), the team has amassed a 6-0-1 record, accumulating 13 of 14 possible points. This includes wins against the Carolina Hurricanes (4-1), New York Rangers (5-2), and Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4), all of whom have clinched playoff spots and are contenders for the Stanley Cup. This run has been spurred by Sidney Crosby’s 40-goal season, Evgeni Malkin’s parents returning to Pittsburgh, and Swiss Army Knife Bryan Rust’s impressive run of form. 

Sidney Crosby has 16 points in his last 8 games and 21 points in his last 13. He has surpassed the point-per-game plateau for the 19th-consecutive season, tying Wayne Gretzky for the longest streak ever. He has been the catalyst for this team being taken off of the ventilator and being taught to walk again. 

Evgeni Malkin, who has not been up to his usual hall-of-fame standards this season, suddenly has 11 points in his last 6 games, complete with multi-goal efforts against Columbus, New Jersey, and Tampa Bay. The latter two also featured him assisting on a goal in each, making that 8 points over those 3 contests. This remarkable turn-around has coincided with Geno’s parents showing up to games for the first time in a while, and they were seen crying tears of joy after his second goal against the Bolts. 

Bryan Rust is arguably the most underrated two-way player in the league. Rusty has 10 points in his last 8 games and 15 points in his last 13, as well as playing an important role on the penalty kill. He is averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game in his last 13 games, allowing him to make a larger impact on the outcomes of the games. 

Now, let us talk about the real reason that the Penguins are in this position: the lack of impetus for other teams to get a stranglehold on the last playoff spots. The Washington Capitals, who you will recall were 9 points ahead of the Pens just 12 days ago, are mired in a 6-game losing streak that has seen them drop back to being tied with the Penguins. The Philadelphia Flyers, who were a point ahead of the Capitals on 3/27, are now tied with both the Pens and Caps while having played an extra game, as they currently hold the league’s longest active losing streak of 7 games. The Detroit Red Wings, who were 7 points ahead of us while having played an extra game, are now only 2 points ahead, as they have gone 2-3-2 in their last 7 games, accumulating only 6 of the possible 14 points. To put it bluntly, it does not seem as though anyone actually wants to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. 

As I mentioned, the Penguins are in a position where they will clinch a playoff spot if they win their remaining five games. This will be very difficult. Their last five contests are as follows: at the Maple Leafs (97 points, clinched), home against the Red Wings (two points ahead of the Penguins), home against the Bruins (107 points, clinched, the likely winners of the Atlantic division), home against the Predators (94 points, holding a 7-point playoff cushion with 4 games remaining in the western conference), and finally closing out the season in Belmont Park against the Islanders (two points ahead of the Penguins). The schedule is extremely difficult—each game will be against a team who, as of today, April 8th, holds a playoff spot. 

It is highly unlikely that the Penguins will win all five of those games. However, with the horrible hockey that their competitors for the final spots are playing, why would it be surprising for those teams to make it easier for the Pens to qualify? They certainly have not done themselves any favors in recent weeks. I may be delusional, and I may be holding on to false hope by thinking that the dominos could fall in a manner such that the black and gold can sneak in, but one thing is for certain—the team that was on life support just a dozen days ago is not dead yet.