First thing’s first. Take a second to soak this feeling in before you start clenching your butthole for dear life every other night for the next few weeks (hopefully!). This is the 12th (TWELFTH!) consecutive year the Pittsburgh Penguins will be competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs – their longest consecutive playoff streak in the franchise’s 51-year history. It’s absurd when you really think about it. I mean, take the Jets, for instance. This is their seventh season in Winnipeg, and this year will be their time they’ve played in the postseason since 2007 back when they played in Atlanta in front of approximately 12 fans. Meanwhile, here we are punching our ticket into the postseason just about every year since Nam and contemplating about diving off the Clemente Bridge every single time two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray gets burned by a puck on his glove hand.
We’re spoiled as fuck, and we don’t even realize it.
Speaking of which, this will be the tenth postseason out of the last 12 years that the Penguins have secured home ice advantage through at least the first round of the playoffs. It’s basically the norm around here nowadays. Get through the hell that is winter (which apparently today was only January 87th since mother nature seems to have come down with a strong case of CTE this year), then it’s time to bust out the jorts and wear ’em at Consol PPG Paints Arena the second Wednesday in April when bonus hockey season begins.
Anyways, you might be wondering who the Pens will be hosting next week for Game 1 at the Paint Can Wednesday (or possibly Thursday) night.
Without going into every scenario, I think it’s safe to put your money on Columbus being the Pens first round opponent. Here’s why: the Blue Jackets finish their season up tomorrow night in Nashville. With the Preds wrapping up the Presidents’ Trophy last night, there’s absolutely zero chance they play any other of their studs against the Blue Jackets. After all, the game doesn’t mean dick to them. As for Columbus, if they lose in regulation to the Preds, then there’s a very real possibility they find themselves in the 2nd Wild Card position before the night’s all set and done if both Jersey and Philly win tomorrow. So the real question comes down to who’d you rather play if you’re CBJ – Tampa/Boston or Pittsburgh? I’d say they’re fucked either way, but there’s no way they wanna run into one of those buzz saws out of the Atlantic division versus Pittsburgh when you have Ian Cole on your team to show you how to not block shots on the penalty kill.
Well, five more days until the real fun starts. Buckle up, ladies and gents.
Oh and stay tuned for the real recap in the morning from G.
Go Pens.
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Follow Peep on Twitter: @PeepsBurgh
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