Pittsburgh Penguins: Top Playoff Matchups We Want to See

NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 11: Sidney Crosby
NASHVILLE, TN - JUNE 11: Sidney Crosby
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The Pittsburgh Penguins have worked their way up the standings and sit second in the Metropolitan Division.

If the Pittsburgh Penguins keep their play up, a playoff spot is basically secured for the boys in yellow and black. But who knows where we’ll end up in the standings.

The Eastern Conference is as close as ever amongst playoff teams. A matter of a couple of points separate wild card teams and divisional spots. The Penguins will have to keep up their strong play if they wanna finish with a high seed.

With the instability in the standings right now, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the possible match ups that can happen for the Penguins throughout our playoff run. Now take note, I won’t be doing match ups just for the first round, but rather the whole playoffs. So let’s take a look at four of the team’s I would like to see us match up with in the playoffs.

PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 26: Sidney Crosby
PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 26: Sidney Crosby /

4) Penguins vs. Lightning

This match up being last on our list means that it would be fun to watch, but I wouldn’t want to have to face the Lightning realistically.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins /

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the top team in the league and they have been absolutely dominating. With two potential MVP candidates in Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, a likely Norris trophy winner in Victor Hedman and a likely Vezina trophy winner in Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning have it going in all aspects.

This series would be fast-paced and very skillful, resulting in some great hockey being played. And the Penguins have their own superstars though, so I’m not too worried. It’s just a match up I’d rather not see.

PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 09: Sidney Crosby
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 09: Sidney Crosby /

3) Penguins vs. Leafs

Let’s be honest here, the Toronto Maple Leafs are young and skillful, but the Penguins can definitely take them. They may have beaten us in our first match up of the season, but we can easily take them on in a seven-game series. They’re young and inexperienced with many flaws. They’ll be dangerous in a couple of years, but we can still reign.

Still, the excitement surrounding the young Leafs against an experienced Penguins team would make this an interesting match up.

NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 03: Ian Cole
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 03: Ian Cole /

2) Penguins vs. Devils

If the playoffs started today, we’d face off against the New Jersey Devils. We’ve been going back and forth in the standings all season and the competition would only reach it’s peak in the playoffs.

This match up would be very interesting and I would love to have Taylor Hall’s first playoff game be against us.

WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 10: Alex Ovechkin
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 10: Alex Ovechkin /

1) Penguins vs. Capitals

Our biggest rivals are the Washington Capitals, so no wonder they make this list. But on top of that, we have always been able to eliminate them! So this serves a fun match up and an easy one! Of course this will take the number one spot then.

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