The NHL’s 2022-23 regular season hasn’t officially wrapped up, but there are no more playoff spots up for grabs after Wednesday night. The New York Islanders got the last postseason ticket with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. They have also eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from playoff contention, ending their impressive streak of 16 consecutive postseason trips.
The Penguins will finish 5th in the Metropolitan Division behind the Islanders regardless of the outcome of their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. 2022-23 will be the first season since 2005-06 that Pittsburgh isn’t in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It was a wild week for both the Islanders and the Penguins, with each team being in the driver’s seat for the last wild-card spot at one point. The New York team lost to Washington Capitals on Monday, which meant that Pittsburgh could get into the playoffs if they won out. However, the Penguins shockingly lost to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, giving the Islanders another chance to get the job done.
The Penguins’ 16-year playoff streak was the longest active across NHL, NFL, MLB, and NBA. Its 16 consecutive playoff appearances were also the most ever by a franchise in all of the history of American major sports. During that time, Pittsburgh reached the Stanley Cup Finals four times and won the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
