The Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t supposed to be here. They’re too old and too young. They’re rebuilding and still trying to shape their future in the aftermath of the greatest era in franchise history.r
Yet, here they are, in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2022. The last dance has arrived.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, a resurgent Erik Karlsson, a first-year coach, a teenager, a bunch of misfits and a transcendent general manager have lifted the Penguins from a presumed lottery team to one that could make a run in the Eastern Conference.
How did the Penguins, who were widely projected to be one of the NHL’s worst teams before the season began, defy all expectations to make the postseason?
Here’s a look back at the stories that explain the Penguins’ stunning rise this season.
Dan Who? Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas went off the grid with this choice.
Some fans applauded Dubas for not resorting to a recycled coach, which is common around the NHL. Still, Muse was a completely unexpected choice. His hiring also signaled a clear change, a not-so-subtle signal that the Penguins’ rebuild was in full motion, as Muse’s speciality is dealing with young players.
No one could have known how well Muse would subsequently unlock a higher gear for his aging superstars.
We live in a mock draft society, and absolutely no one — from the experts to the amateurs — had the Penguins selecting Kindel. In fact, Dubas was roundly mocked on social media for the “reach.”
Less than a year later, Kindel will be the Penguins’ third-line center in Game 1 of the playoffs, a can’t-miss standout who might have stardom in his future. Kindel’s hockey IQ made him impossible for the Penguins to bypass, and he has delivered to an almost unfathomable degree.
Most projections tabbed the Penguins to finish seventh or eighth in the Metropolitan Division. They signed a bunch of misfits in the summer, their stars were aging and they appeared well on their way to finding themselves in the mix for presumed No. 1 draft pick Gavin McKenna.
Very few people saw this surge coming, though it was clear in the early days of training camp that they were perhaps poised to exceed expectations.
From the very first game of the season, against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, something felt entirely different about this team.
The stars looked a little brighter than they had the year before, the Penguins were actually playing defense — this has never been in their DNA — and they were playing noticeably hard for Muse every evening.
What they did in October was a statement and set the tone for the rest of the season.
One of the most stunning trades in franchise history saw Dubas somehow unload the ever-disappointing Jarry to Edmonton in return for Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak and a second-round draft pick. It was larceny. Dubas’ ability to execute the trade without needing to retain any of Jarry’s salary remains perhaps the most astonishing part of all of this.
Kulak would later be flipped to Colorado for Sam Girard and yet another second-round pick.
All of Canada held its breath. Pittsburgh did, too.
Crosby, perhaps playing in his final Olympics, was injured on a Radko Gudas hit and didn’t return to action for a month. Canada never looked quite the same without its captain. Crosby didn’t look the same for quite a while following his return to the Penguins lineup.
The past few games, though, he has shown signs that he’s regaining his form.
From the day Muse took over, Karlsson looked like Karlsson again.
His offensive genius has been on display all season, particularly in the final couple of months, when he turned into “All-world Karlsson.” His defensive work was much improved. His resurgence is a hugely important part of the 2025-26 Penguins’ story. He gives them a different feel.
Karlsson was voted team MVP for good reason. His game has been nothing short of brilliant.
The Penguins clinched a playoff berth in New Jersey, which was quite fitting.
Pittsburgh played an imperfect game, but ultimately, its offense overwhelmed the Devils. That is a microcosm of who these Penguins are. Crosby looked a little emotional after the game. He was clearly feeling the significance of the four-year wait since his last playoff appearance.
However, the Penguins didn’t celebrate much that night. They knew how much work remained.
How perfect.
Spring is a special time for hockey in Pittsburgh. The city has fallen in love with its Penguins again as the Stanley Cup playoffs have arrived. Making it all the better is the opponent: the team that Pittsburgh loves to hate more than any other.
Crosby has a special dislike for the Philadelphia Flyers, and his teammates are suggesting he’s more than a little fired up for what will be one of the more anticipated series of the first round.
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