NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored as part of his two-point game, Sidney Crosby set up two goals and Kris Letang had an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff spot by defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday night.
The Penguins are playoff-bound for the first time since 2022, ending a three-year drought that followed a streak of qualifying 16 seasons in a row. Crosby, Malkin and Letang have been around for all of it, including Stanley Cup runs in 2009, ‘16 and ’17.
Bryan Rust, who was part of the back-to-back championships, scored his 29th goal of the season on Pittsburgh's first shot of the game.
Newcomers helped make the latest bid possible, including winger Egor Chinakov, who had a goal and two assists, and netminder Stuart Skinner, who made 19 saves and was serenated by “STUUUU” chants from visiting fans in attendance. Each player was acquired by trade in December.
Skinner stopped all seven shots he faced and got a fortunate break with a puck off the post before Rust gave the Penguins the lead. He turned aside former Edmonton teammate Connor Brown later in the first, before allowing a pair of goals in the second.
Tommy Novak also had a goal for the Penguins, and Erik Karlsson sealed it with an empty-netter.
U.S. Olympic hero Jack Hughes scored, and Jake Allen made 26 saves in net for the Devils. The team announced earlier Thursday the decision to shut down young defenseman Luke Hughes for the remainder of the season so he could undergo a procedure to address a lingering undisclosed injury and be ready for training camp in September.
Devils: Visit Detroit on Saturday in another crucial game for the Red Wings in their playoff chase.
Penguins: Host the Capitals on Saturday in the first half of a home-and-home series that could be the final two games between Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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)
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 center Evgeni Malkin (71) shoots against New Jersey Devils centers Cody Glass (12) and Nick Bjugstad (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
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.
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.
Asked where his team's resilience came from, Muse said: “I ascribe it to the locker room, our leadership, our captain. I think it’s these guys. I think you need to have that in order to find success. I think that stems from this locker room.”
AP Sports Writer Will Graves in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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)
