Before the season started, I had the Penguins pegged as a borderline playoff team.
But last night, the Penguins clinched a 15th straight playoff berth with five games to spare and are tied with Washington for the East division lead.
So, the Penguins are better than “borderline.” Their championship window might not be gaping, but it’s open. To read why, click HERE.
Fifteen straight years in the playoffs is the longest active postseason streak in big-time American sports. That includes the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB.
To put that in perspective, compare how the last 15 years have gone for Pittsburgh’s three major sports teams:
*Penguins: 15 playoff berths, three Stanley Cups, one runner-up, 20 playoff series won, 11 lost.
*Steelers: 9 playoff berths, one Super Bowl championship, one runner-up, 8-8 in playoff games.
*Pirates: 3 playoff berths, no playoff series won, 1-2 record in wild-card games.
The Penguins have been Pittsburgh’s top sports franchise over those 15 years. You could argue that they’ve been Pittsburgh’s top sports franchise since approximately 1990.
The numbers don’t lie, and they spell disaster for you at Sacrifice.
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