Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Pittsburgh Penguins' regulation wins should be the playoff plan, stop chasing OT points
Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Jim Rixner's numbers have the Pittsburgh Penguins at 81 points with 28 regulation wins, and the Eastern Conference wild-card race is pure survival mode.
That 28 RW detail matters because it is the first tiebreaker, and Pittsburgh is leading the bubble in the one column you can actually "bank."
Right now, Pittsburgh (33-18-15) is sitting level with the New York Islanders at 81 points, while the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings are right behind at 80.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are the real pressure team at 79, because they are stacking loser points and forcing everyone else to keep pace.
Rixner framed it best as "musical chairs", five teams inside two points chasing four spots, and one club will be the miserable one left standing.
Here's the strategic part: after the March 6 trade deadline, there are no more roster saves coming, only lineup execution.
Pittsburgh's path is basically a tiebreaker bet plus health luck, because Sidney Crosby's injury and Evgeni Malkin's suspension already tilted the margins.
If Malkin is back next game and Crosby is close, the Penguins can win "clean" games again instead of living in overtime roulette.
Sidney Crosby return could swing Pittsburgh Penguins math
Pens fans are exhausted by nightly standings refreshes, but the RW cushion is the one thing that should calm the nerves.
Boston and Detroit can match points, but Pittsburgh can beat them in regulation and effectively steal two outcomes at once.
Columbus is the wildcard because their heater can turn your "tie is fine" logic into a chase overnight.
So the Penguins' mandate is simple: play for 60-minute wins, not "get it to extras."
That means cleaner exits for the blue line and fewer risky changes that gift odd-man rushes.
Keep grabbing regulation wins now, and April becomes less about praying and more about controlling the bracket.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Stuart Skinner's resilience quote proves the Penguins can still win without Sidney Crosby
Stuart Skinner's resilience quote proves the Penguins can still win without Sidney Crosby
| POLL | ||
MARS 15|110 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins' regulation wins should be the playoff plan, stop chasing OT points Will the Pittsburgh Penguins clinch a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference race? | ||
| Yes | 103 | 93.6 % |
| No | 7 | 6.4 % |
| List of polls | ||