Huge Playoff Implications for Pittsburgh Penguins Tonight

Starting tonight, the Pittsburgh Penguins have their most important two game stretch of the entire season, as they take on Columbus both times.

Recently, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing how fans would want them to. It started with a victory in Montreal, where the Pens found a way to bully the Canadiens on their way to a victory by four goals. It then continues when they defeated a pesky Florida Panthers team in overtime. It was a game that saw two goals by Jake Guentzel. Guentzel combined for four goals in those two games, and he will be looking to continue the solid production tonight.

His buddy on the line, Crosby, has been doing Sidney Crosby type things as well over the past few weeks. He recorded three points against the Panthers, which put him over the 1,200 career point mark for the Penguins superstar. Over his last five games, Crosby has put up monster numbers, as he has five goals and eight assists in that stretch. When he and Guentzel are at this level at the same time, the first line is virtually unstoppable.

Columbus is the team sitting right behind the Penguins currently in the standings. It almost feels like it has been this way throughout the entire season. Nonetheless, the Penguins have an opportunity these next two games to really pull away from the Blue Jackets in the standings. That being said, Columbus is looking to do that exact same thing, only reversed. The importance of these two game can not be understated, there are huge playoff implications at stake.

The teams have played two other times this season, as the Penguins would end up pulling out the victory on both occasions. The Blue Jackets are coming off a close victory over New Jersey, so both teams are coming off victories, and both teams will be wanting to continue those winning ways.

Winning in these next two games is vitally important for both teams in the playoff race. If the Penguins can play like they have in the past two games, they will be in great shape. But, with the inconsistency we have seen with the Pens, that is a big if.