Sidney Crosby and the Penguins' Realistic Chances of Making the Playoffs Emerges

It wasn't long ago that Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins were essentially left for dead in the Eastern Conference standings, and appearing well on the way to missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive year.

But with 13 games remaining in their schedule, they're currently only 4 points out of the final Wild Card berth in the Eastern Conference; they're tied with the New York Islanders at 66 total points, and the Islanders happen to be their next opponent in what will be a massive game with heavy implications in the standings.

They've won 4 straight games, including 3 over opponents that are far above them in the standings, including the Vegas Golden Knights, the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild.

Over this stretch, they've outscored their opposition 18-9; the bulk of the scoring came in Saturday's 7-3 drubbing of the Devils at PPG Paints Arena in which they scored twice in 22 seconds:

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan noted that his team is well aware of where they are in the standings and where their recent push has gotten them.

Last year, the Penguins were grouped in a handful of teams competing until the last days of the schedule for a playoff spot. It's just as tightly packed this time around, and while Pittsburgh has their work cut out for them if they want to qualify, they've given themselves a good sporting chance thanks to their winning streak.