Penguins Get No Help in Playoff Push

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their playoff odds hit a new low after a brutal loss to the New Jersey Devils. As a team, however, the Penguins plan on fighting tooth and nail until they are officially mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

Currently sitting seven points out of a playoff spot with 14 games remaining, the Penguins have about a 2% chance of reaching the postseason. Their hopes are still alive, but just barely, and the road is about to get much more challenging.

According to tankathon.com, the Penguins have the fifth-hardest remaining schedule in the NHL. Much of that ranking is thanks to the Penguins’ next three contests against legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, two of which are on the road.

The Penguins will embark out west to take on the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche before returning home to take on the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Stars and Avalanche have passed 40 wins on the year and are hunting down the top spot in the Central Division. The Hurricanes are on a four-game winning streak, with a lot of help from former Penguins star Jake Guentzel.

After those three contests, the Penguins will still have games against the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs to look forward to.

With their odds already extremely low and some of the league’s most formidable opponents still on the docket, it would take a minor miracle for the Penguins to make the playoffs.