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The urgent reason the Pittsburgh Penguins must bank points immediately
Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby wants points fast after the NHL Olympic break, because the Pittsburgh Penguins have no runway left in a playoff race that never waits.
Dave Molinari framed it perfectly in his new Substack series, the Penguins are back Tuesday to prep for their final 26 games, and the first week matters.
The league calendar makes it feel even sharper, Pittsburgh last played Feb. 5 and does not return until Feb. 25.
That is a long pause for a team that finally found traction.
Right now, the Penguins sit 29-15-12, good for 70 points and second in the Metro.
Crosby has driven a lot of it with 27-32-59, and the bar stays unfairly high because that is still the standard here.
This is why Molinari’s old “bank points early” idea still hits, even when the season is already deep into its back nine.
Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins need urgency now
Pens fans feel this one in their stomach, because we have all seen “pretty good” hockey turn into a brutal points math problem by mid-March.
The simple truth is that every overtime loss you take in February becomes a must-win later.
Early out of a break, details get sloppy, line changes get messy, and the legs are half there.
That is where Pittsburgh has to lean on its habits, especially the man advantage and the pace through the neutral zone.
The good news is the front office has room to add, with meaningful projected cap space sitting there if Kyle Dubas wants to shop.
So this stretch is not just about surviving, it is about proving what kind of buyer you deserve to be.
If they come out flat after Feb. 25, the “final 26” becomes a countdown instead of an opportunity.
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