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Pittsburgh Penguins gaining belief as Mike Rupp sees perfect playoff setup
Photo credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Mike Rupp says the Pittsburgh Penguins finally look ready, and the Metropolitan Division path feels wide open.
Rupp told King Jemison he’s seeing a team that can actually put it together at the right time.
That quote lands harder because Pittsburgh has spent so much of this season flirting with “almost” hockey.
Now the Penguins are stacking points, and the standings match the vibe.
They sit at 29-15-12, and that’s the kind of record that keeps you dreaming past April.
"It just seems like that perfect season for them to be putting it together. And man, if you can play your first round or two in the Metro, who knows after that?"
- Mike Rupp
- Mike Rupp
Rupp’s line about getting your first round or two inside the Metro is the real tell, it’s a bracket conversation, not a survival one.
At the moment, the Metro is crowded, but Pittsburgh is right in the mix near the top.
Mike Rupp thinks the Pittsburgh Penguins can rise
And yeah, Penguins fans have been burned before, so the optimism comes with a clenched jaw.
What’s different is the special teams bite, that power play is humming at 25.9%, and the penalty kill is sitting at 84.0%.
When those two units travel, you stop needing perfect five-on-five every night.
Sidney Crosby is driving it, with 27-32-59 so far, and it’s showing up in the big moments, not just the box score.
If Pittsburgh draws a Metro opponent early, the game plan is simple: win the man advantage, protect the slot, and let the veterans dictate pace.
That’s why Rupp’s “who knows after that” hits, because once you’re through the division knife fight, confidence becomes its own weapon.
The full Rupp conversation runs through the same theme, the Penguins are acting like a playoff team again.
Next up is making sure this surge survives the grind back from the Olympic pause, because the standings tighten fast in March.
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