Everyone knows that it is way more beneficial for the Penguins now and into the future to get a top 5 draft pick and tank the rest of the year. But tank is not a word in the Penguins vocabulary recently as they have won 4 straight games and suddenly sit only 6 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
It is also the fact that there are a ton of teams are ahead of them at the moment, but the Penguins needed this exact scenario last season and almost got it. Who is to say it cannot happen this season and the Penguins can sneak in the second wildcard spot?
Jarry is a key to the playoff push
Every Penguins fan that has been watching the team all season likely knows that they are going to need to continue to rely on their goaltending if this playoff push is serious.
They are going to need to continue to get those timely saves that they have been seeing from him in the last four games. They are going to need to continue to see his attention to detail and ability to track pucks and make sure he is taking the right angles in goal.
In the last four games, the Penguins have gotten a way different Tristan Jarry than they are used to and it is a welcome sight. If the Penguins are serious about this, they are going to need their goalie to continue to be up to the task.
Dewar and Timmins are another key to a playoff push
Kyle Dubas brought in two of his former Toronto Maple Leaf players at the end of the Trade Deadline and really did not give up anything to get them over to Pittsburgh.
They have been quite the additions to the team as Connor Dewar has 3 goals in 4 games with the club, 2 in the recent victory against the New Jersey Devils. Timmins has a goal and 2 assists in 4 games and looks really defensively sound on the Penguins bottom pairing.
They have been really fun to watch out on the ice the last few games and if the Penguins want this playoff push to work, they are going to need to continue to get contributions from them as they are key depth pieces to keep the wins coming.