Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel lead Penguins past Islanders, back to playoffs

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a model of consistency, yet understand the difficulty of qualifying for the playoffs.

It’s still certainly a yearly expectation for an organization that prides itself on trying to win the Stanley Cup each season.

Jake Guentzel scored twice, Sidney Crosby also had a goal and the Penguins earned a playoff berth for the 16th straight season with a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

"You expect it," Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. "The ownership, every year they try to make the best team as possible on the ice and it’s our duty to get us in the playoffs, as players."

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Pittsburgh Penguins' Jake Guentzel (59) tries to get the puck past New York Islanders' Andy Greene (4) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, April 14, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Guentzel scored his 36th and 37th goals and Crosby his 29th as the Penguins extended the longest active postseason streak among teams in major North American professional sports.

"Every year is a challenge," Crosby said. "You need so many things to go right to give yourself an opportunity to play in the playoffs. It’s not given to you. It’s not easy. You appreciate those opportunities and everybody works hard to give us a chance to do that."

Danton Heinen equaled a career high with his 16th goal, while Letang and Brock McGinn also scored for Pittsburgh, which tied Calgary for the seventh-longest playoff streak in the NHL since 1967. Tristan Jarry made 36 saves for the Penguins, who have won two of three overall. Pittsburgh has 11 wins and points in 15 of