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Penguins Get Even Bigger Playoff Boost With Win Vs. Red Wings

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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 31: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the first period during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins have positioned themselves nicely for a potential playoff spot with their back-to-back big wins against the New York Islanders and the Detroit Red Wings.

On consecutive nights, the Penguins blew past their opponents to give themselves a much better chance of making the playoffs now than they had just 48 hours prior.

As of Wednesday morning, the Penguins have a 95% chance of making the playoffs.

Going into Monday’s game against the Islanders, the Penguins were sitting with a 79% chance of making the playoffs, according to HockeyViz.

With their big 8-3 win on the road in New York, Pittsburgh’s chances jumped to around 90% with another pivotal game against the Red Wings at home the following day.

With the win against Detroit, it was another day, another win, and another boost in the playoff chances.

As the Penguins took care of their own business, their playoff chances jumped to 95%, according to HockeyViz and then scoreboard watching did them some favors, as well.

Other teams in the playoff hunt like the Senators, islanders, Blue Jackets, and Flyers all came up on the losing end on Tuesday night.

MoneyPuck currently also lists the Penguins as a 95% chance of making the postseason for the first time since 2022.

According to HockeyStats.com, the Penguins’ most likely playoff opponent will be the Blue Jackets or the Islanders.