Penguins, Flames On the Verge of Playoff Position

Both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames are on the verge of a playoff position as the holiday break approaches.

Nov 30, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Calgary Flames center Connor Zary (47) moves the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Drew O'Connor (10) during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Calgary Flames were two of the unlikeliest choices to be in the playoffs entering this season. But as the holiday break approaches, both organizations are in a position to enter the postseason race in their respective conferences.

With victories in their upcoming games, both the Penguins and Flames could jump into a Wild Card spot. For the Flames it would be a return to the playoff picture. They began the season as one of the hottest teams in the league, but cooled off after their impressive start and fell out of contenton.

Now the Flames, who are just one point out of a playoff spot, can jump over the Vancouver Canucks with a victory in their next game. And they have an excellent opportunity to earn two points because they are going against the Chicago Blackhawks, the last-place team in the Central Division.

What's even more impressive is that this team is doing it without scoring a ton of goals. Their leading goal and point scorer is Jonathan Huberdeau, who is having a bit of a bounce-back campaign. He has 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in 33 games. Thankfully their goaltending has been outstanding, led by rookie net minder Dustin Wolf.

One interesting note is that the team has 11 players with at least 10 points so far. The team only has 89 total goals scored in 33 games played, but the one positive is that they are spreading their scoring throughout their lineup. The balanced attack is working currently and it's improved their record to 15-11-7.

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, this recent hot streak for the Penguins was a far bigger surprise. The team's aging core is still quite productive, but there was and remains doubt about the strength of their overall lineup. Despite the earned criticism, the Pens have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games despite having a -22 goal differential.

With a win, they can temporarily claim the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The race is wide open in the East, with the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers also vying for the spots.

Leading the Penguins once again in scoring and setting the tone is their star center and captain, Sidney Crosby. Aiming to become the first NHL player to average a point-per-game for 20 straight seasons, he's on pace to accomplish the historic feat. He has nine goals and 26 assists for 35 points in 34 games.

One underrated statistic Crosby is excelling this season is in the face-off dot. He has the second highest face-off wins so far this campaign, trailing only New Jersey Devils' captan Nico Hischier. He also has the second-best face-off winning percentage this season, trailing just New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck. It might not seem important, but for a team that struggles to earn possession, starting the play with the puck due to Crosby's face-off win is huge for the Penguins.

The playoff race in both conferences is an exciting one. Aside from a few top teams, so much is up in the air. With victories in their next games, the Penguins and Flames can become the latest organizations to stake their claims in postseason contention.

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