Pittsburgh Penguins clinch a playoff spot, ending their 3-year drought

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — For the first time in four years, it will soon be a great day for playoff hockey in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins clinched a playoff spot Thursday night by beating New Jersey, ending their postseason drought that lasted three seasons. They had made 16 postseason appearances in a row before that, last missing in Sidney Crosby's rookie year in 2005-06, with that stretch including three Stanley Cup titles.

"That’s why you play — that’s the best time of year," Crosby said. “I know how hard it is. I think I understand that. We had some tough ones where it came down to the last day and didn’t get in, and you don’t ever know. But I thought right from camp, we’ve had those intentions and had that belief."

It was an up-and-down season that included an eight-game skid in December and a pair of six-game winning streaks later in the winter. Far from assured a place in the field in late March when the Eastern Conference race was a crowded mess, they've won five of six games since March 30 to get in.

“A couple weeks ago (we realized) it’s really in our hands (because we) play a lot of the teams in it,” defenseman Connor Clifton said. “We figured it was going to work itself out, and first and foremost it’s about us and getting points and we’ve done that, so it’s been good.”

It has also been a surprise. Pittsburgh was a 6-1 long shot to qualify before the puck dropped on opening night, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. This looked like one last kick at it together for an aging core of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, who at 20 seasons together are the longest-tenured trio of teammates in North American professional sports.

Instead, new coach Dan Muse has made general manager Kyle Dubas look brilliant for hiring him from relative anonymity: five years as an assistant under Peter Laviolette with Nashville and the New York Rangers. Succeeding two-time Cup-winner Mike Sullivan was not an easy task, but Muse aced the test in his first chance to run an NHL bench.

“He’s been great: Calm there behind the bench, and he’s just a really personable guy, easy to talk to away from the rink,” forward Justin Brazeau said. "Any time you create that atmosphere in here, it’s not too tense or anything like that. I think guys are just willing to go out there and play free.”

Center Ben Kindel, picked 11th in the draft last year, made the team at 18. Defenseman Erik Karlsson thrived at 35. Crosby was a point-a-game player for a 21st consecutive season, even if it was interrupted by the injury that knocked him out of the Olympics.

“It takes everybody,” Crosby said. "Everybody has had a part in this. Obviously it’s a team game, but especially with this group: With the injuries and all the different guys in and out, everybody’s contributed to us getting there.”

Muse, like Crosby, saw evidence in training camp that this was a playoff-caliber team.

“I just saw the competitive nature of the group,” Muse said. "There’s ebbs and flows in every season, but I think this group has just continued to grow. Enjoy it for a little bit, a minute, and then it’s just continuing that preparation. It’s a big step for the group. I’m really proud of these guys, happy for these guys, the staff, everybody involved. The players have done a great job with it throughout the year. We talked about earning things at the beginning of the year. This group earned it.”

AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

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New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) defends against a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner makes a save against the New Jersey Devils during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak skates with the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

Pittsburgh Penguins right wings Bryan Rust (17) celebrates with Egor Chinakhov (59) after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A man fatally shot a central California sheriff’s deputy Thursday morning while authorities were serving an eviction notice and was killed by officers after an hourslong standoff.

Tulare County deputies were serving the eviction notice at a home in Porterville when a 60-year-old man opened fire on them, the sheriff's department wrote on Facebook. Porterville is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles in the state’s Central Valley.

The man was barricaded inside the home with a rifle for several hours. At one point, authorities deployed gas into the home as the man continued to fire at law enforcement. The standoff ended around 6 p.m. when the man left the home and moved through the yards of nearby homes, Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said at an evening news conference.

Boudreaux said a Kern County SWAT team drove an armored car into the yard where the man was laying on the ground and he started firing at them. The team drove the car over the man, killing him.

Bystander video shot from a driveway and posted by the Visalia Times-Delta shows several armed deputies crouched on the ground in the road when a series of shots ring out and some of the deputies run away. The gunman cannot be seen from the video. Additional video shows someone being carried into an emergency medical vehicle.

Boudreaux said the man had failed to pay rent for 35 days and had been expecting law enforcement to arrive to serve a final notice for eviction. Boudreaux said he “laid in wait” and immediately shot at officers when they arrived.

The man's family was in contact with him and urged him to come out peacefully, but he refused, Boudreaux said.

The deputy was killed was part of a group of officers that arrived to help after gunfire began, Boudreaux said.

He was later identified as Detective Randy Hoppert, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who joined the sheriff's department in 2020.

“This is senseless,” Boudreaux said.

Residents in the neighborhood were evacuated by SWAT teams or urged to shelter in place for several hours Thursday afternoon. Nearby schools were on lockdown.

Miguel Ibarra, whose 82-year-old mother lives across the street from the gunman, said it was surreal to see his parents' house on TV in what is normally a quiet, boring neighborhood.

“The police did a really good job keeping us informed and keeping us in the know of what’s going on,” he said.

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, right, speaks to media after a sheriff's deputy was shot and killed Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Porterville, Calif. (Tulare County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux, center, attends a news conference after a sheriff's deputy was shot and killed Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Porterville, Calif. (Tulare County Sheriff's Office via AP)