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Penguins playoff push isn’t the story anymore, now it’s how high Sidney Crosby can take them
Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby has the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoff race, and now the Metro Division has to treat this as a real problem.
Kelsey Surmacz nailed the vibe in her new Hockey News column: the story is not “surprise contender” anymore, it’s “how far can this go?”
This team hits the Olympic break at 29-15-12, sitting right in the thick of the Metropolitan fight.
That record matters because it was supposed to be teardown season, not scoreboard season.
Crosby’s production screams structure, not luck, 27-32-59 at the break, and he’s still dragging shifts into the offensive zone.
Evgeni Malkin sits at 13-31-44, and the assist total tells you the puck is moving through layers instead of dying on the wall.
Here’s the post that kicked the door in, and it’s worth reading with fresh eyes.
The real change is the standard. “Make the playoffs” feels like the floor, not the finish line.
Sidney Crosby gives the Pittsburgh Penguins real bite
Pens fans are excited, but also waiting for the other shoe, because we have seen hot stretches fade before.
If you want the “more than that” argument, start with how often Pittsburgh wins shifts, not just games.
Their top-six plays faster through the middle, and the man advantage does not look like a five-man debate club.
On the blue line, the puck exits cleaner, which means fewer panic clears and fewer long nights between the pipes.
Kyle Dubas also has leverage now. He can shop from strength instead of selling out of fear.
The next test is simple: can they keep the edge when the games tighten and the whistles disappear.
If they do, this season stops being a cute surprise and starts looking like a straight-up threat.
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