Penguins earn 16th straight playoff berth by beating Islanders

This is not the ultimate goal.

And it’s never guaranteed, though it’s certainly a fair expectation.

But most certainly, it’s always worth making a note of the significance.

For the past decade and a half, the Penguins have qualified for the playoffs.

Through four head coaches, three general managers, two arenas, 243 players and one captain, the Penguins have finished the previous 15 regular seasons with an “x” affixed to their entry in the standings.

On Thursday, they extended that streak to 16 with a 6-3 win against the Islanders at PPG Paints Arena.

“It means a lot,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “Because these guys want to win, they want to win the Stanley Cup. The only way you do that is you’ve got to give yourself a chance by making the playoffs.”

The Penguins gave themselves a chance to claim victory Thursday by taking the first lead and never surrendering it.

Defenseman Kris Letang, a participant in most of those postseason appearances, opened the scoring 4:59 into regulation with his eighth goal this season.

Driving the puck into the offensive zone on the right wing, Penguins forward Jake Guentzel swooped behind the net, fended off Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson on the end boards and fed the puck to Letang at the left point. Surveying for a shooting lane, Letang released a wrister from above the left circle that beat goaltender Ilya Sorokin’s blocker on the near side. Guentzel, who provided a screen on the shot, recorded an assist along with linemate Sidney Crosby.

A breakaway goal by forward Danton Heinen put the Penguins up, 2-0, at 8:52 of the first period.

In the penalty box for a slashing infraction at the 6:46 mark against Islanders forward Matt Martin that potentially denied Martin of a goal, Heinen escaped custody after his penalty expired. Penguins forward Brian Boyle recognized Heinen’s liberation and swatted a stretch pass to the Islanders’ blue line for Heinen. Attacking down the slot, Heinen snapped a wrister through Sorokin’s five hole for his 16th goal. Boyle and forward Teddy Blueger tallied assists.

The Islanders got on the scoreboard 5:51 into the second period.

After Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel broke his stick and lost the puck in front of his bench, Islanders forward Mathew Barzal chased it down in the neutral zone and generated a two-on-one rush with linemate Kiefer Bellows against defenseman Mark Friedman. As Ruhwedel hustled back to essentially tackle Bellows to the ice, Barzal made a nifty deke past Friedman in the left circle, hesitated for a moment then fed a pass to the right circle for onrushing forward Zach Parise, who whacked a one-timer past goaltender Tristan Jarry’s left skate on the near side for his 14th goal. Barzal had the lone assist.

Guentzel restored a two-goal lead for the Penguins at 12:10 of the second period. After Islanders forward Ross Johnston failed to accept a pass at the right point of the offensive zone, Crosby chased down the loose puck in the neutral zone, creating a two-on-one rush with Guentzel against defenseman Zdeno Chara. Despite Chara leaning his 6-foot-9 frame down to prevent a pass, Crosby was able to deal the puck from the left circle to the right circle for Guentzel, who pumped a wrister to the far side past Sorokin’s blocker for his 36th goal. The only assist went to Crosby.

Crosby’s 29th goal at 10:44 of the third period proved to be the game-winning score. Pushing play out of his zone, Dobson lost the puck at the center red line thanks to a poke check by Penguins defenseman Mike Matheson. With the Islanders in the midst of a line change, Matheson then swatted the puck up ice to the offensive blue line. Guentzel accepted the puck and led the charge on a two-on-none rush with Crosby. After three passes between the linemates, Crosby buried a one-timer past a helpless Varlamov’s left shoulder on the near side. Guentzel and Matheson netted assists.

The Islanders persisted as forward Anders Lee claimed his 26th goal at 17:23 of the third. From the neutral zone, Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock chipped the puck up the left wing into the Penguins’ zone. Letang failed to corral the puck and allowed Islanders forward Brock Nelson to claim possession. Swooping the cage from the left circle, Nelson flicked the puck into the crease from the right of the net. Lee beat backchecking forward Jason Zucker to the puck and jabbed a forehand shot over Jarry’s right leg. The only assist was netted by Nelson.

An empty net goal by Penguins forward Brock McGinn, his 12th, at 17:59 of the third period put his team up 5-2.

Chara scored his first goal of the season at 18:52 of the third period. After Penguins forward Jeff Carter lost a draw in his own left circle to Nelson, Chara settled the puck at the left point, found a shooting lane and teed up a slapper to the far side past Jarry’s glove that rang off the post and bounced into the cage. Once again, Nelson had the lone assist.

The scoring was finally capped at 19:50 of the final frame when Guentzel scored into an empty net. There were no assists.

Jarry made 36 saves on 39 shots as his record was boosted to 34-18-6.

The Penguins certainly seemed boosted by qualifying for the postseason for a 16th consecutive occasion.

“Every year is a challenge,” Crosby said. “You need so many things to go right to give yourself an opportunity to play in the playoffs. It’s not given to you. You see how tight the league is. It’s not easy. You appreciate those opportunities. Everybody works hard to give ourselves a chance to do that. Whether it’s guys in (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton), there’s so many people that contribute to your team having success.”

This group certainly seems confident that it will have success beyond simply being in the postseason.

“We want to get as far as possible, win another Stanley Cup (championship),” Letang said. “The goal is just to get into the playoffs like we did today and build our game, make sure we get in (the playoffs) confident and try to get another championship.

“We have so many game-changers in our team – when you see (forward Evgeni Malkin), Sid, (Guentzel) – we have a chance.”

Notes:

• The Penguins’ streak of 16 consecutive playoff appearances is tied for the ninth longest streak in NHL history. All other streaks that preceded the Penguins’ took place or began before the implementation of the salary cap in 2005.

• During the 2006-07 season, the first season of this streak, the Penguins clinched a playoff appearance with a 4-3 road win against the Washington Capitals at what was then called the Verizon Center. Defenseman Ryan Whitney scored two goals, including the game-winner, in that contest.

• Crosby tied Malkin and former forward Jaromir Jagr (78 each) for the most career game-winning goals in franchise history.

• The Penguins (21) hopped over the Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues (20 each) for the league lead in empty netters this season.

The NHL record of 24 was established by the 2015-16 Dallas Stars.

• The Penguins scratched Malkin (suspension) and defenseman Marcus Pettersson (healthy).

• Chara, 45, played in what was potentially his final game against the Penguins. In 84 games all-time against the Penguins – the most among any active player – Chara has 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists).

• Chara scored his first goal as a member of the Islanders since Jan. 12, 2001. (He spent several seasons as a member of the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins as well as one season with the Washignton Capitals between stints with the Islanders. That goal in 2001 came during a 4-3 road loss to the Penguins at the Mellon Arena Chara beat goaltender Jean-Sebastien Aubin for that score.

• Chara also got into a fight with former Penguins forward/antagonist Matthew Barnaby in that contest.

• Chara became the second-oldest man to ever score a goal against the Penguins. Only the legendary Gordie Howe exceeded him.

Twice.

As a member of the Hartford Whalers, Howe, then 51, scored in two different games against the Penguins during the 1979-80 season.

Howe’s first goal came in a 3-3 tie at the Civic Arena against goaltender Greg Millen on Oct. 13, 1979. He then followed that up with a score in a 7-5 home win at the Springfield Civic Center against goaltender Rob Holland on Nov. 30, 1979.

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