Pittsburgh Penguins hit a crucial Thanksgiving benchmark

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed a boost, and they received just that on Wednesday night with a 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, upping their record to 11-6-5 and 27 points, just enough to be in the final spot in the playoffs after Thanksgiving, a spot that means much more than it may initially seem.

According to statistics, since the 2005-06 season, 77% of teams with a playoff spot on Thanksgiving have made it into the playoffs. Even just last year, 12 out of 16 teams that were in a playoff spot as of Thanksgiving made it to the playoffs.

This is definitely a good indication for a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins that is trying to rebuild itself after an inconsistent November.

But health will be a big factor in what promises to be a crucial period leading up to December, where they will face a tough schedule with many games against teams who are serious Cup contenders.

The Pens will be trying to get as healthy as they can heading into what promises to be a tough stretch of games.

Before this tough month comes, Pittsburgh has some remaining games left in November with a pair of games against Columbus and Toronto this weekend, both of which will be held on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

A strong finish to the month may be just what the Penguins need in order to continue this Thanksgiving-themed trend well into the spring.