The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 last night at PPG Paints Arena, and clinched a playoff spot. The Pens now have clinched a playoff spot for 13 years in a row, the longest streak in the NHL. If you enjoy sports betting then it might be worth putting some bets on the Pens using a website like Indiana Sports Betting. NHL is a popular sport to bet on and there’s no better time to have a go if you’re new to the betting world!
Phil Kessel scored twice for the Pens. He now has 27 goals this season, and 82 points in 81 games. Jake Guentzel scored his 39th goal of the season to tie the game in the first period. Sidney Crosby netted his 34th goal of the season on a third-period power play. He currently has 98 points this season.
Goaltender Matt Murray stopped 33 of 34 shots for his 29th victory of the season.
Center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang returned to the lineup from injuries last night. Defenseman Brian Dumoulin remained out with a “lower-body” injury. Many players suffer from injuries like this during the game but are not often out for as long as Dumoulin has been. He perhaps might want to look for alternative treatments for his injury if he wants to be ready to play the next game as the side is greatly missing him. The common treatment for an injury like the one he has sustained is light physical therapy or simply to rest himself. Some have said he should look to try medical marijuana as, surprisingly, there is no punishment for a positive marijuana test in the NHL. Whatever he chooses, let’s hope he’ll be ready to play in the next game.
The Pens host the New York Rangers Saturday at 7pm. WISR pre-game will be 6:30pm. The Pens need a victory over the Rangers, combined with a New York Islanders regulation loss at Washington to clinch home-ice advantage over the Islanders for the first Stanley Cup playoff series.
If the Pens lose in regulation, and Carolina wins in Philadelphia, the Pens could slip to a Wild Card spot, and would open the playoffs in Washington.