Penguins' 16-Year Playoff Streak Nothing Short of Remarkable

Players, coaches and management throughout the hockey world all talk about how hard it is to win, but that phrase isn't just used in the NHL.
Those in the NFL, the NBA, the MLB, the MLS, you name it - they all understand the difficulty of being on the right side of that fine line in the pinnacles of their respective sports.
So for the Penguins to have done that the most consistently out of all the major North American professional sports leagues, extending the longest-active postseason streak to 16 straight seasons on Thursday night, is nothing short of remarkable.

Pittsburgh's current run ranks ahead of the MLS' Seattle Sounders (13); the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx (11); the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers (9); the NBA's Boston Celtics (8); and the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs (7).
This dominant stretch has come with four trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and three Stanley Cup Championships (2009, '16, '17). Pittsburgh's three Stanley Cups during this 16-year stretch is tied with the Chicago Blackhawks for most in the NHL during that span.
The Penguins' 725 wins, .639 points percentage and 3,860 goals scored during the regular season all rank first in the league over that time, while no NHL team has more playoff victories than Pittsburgh's 100.
"It's a credit to the organization, the culture that has been built here," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said. "It's a credit to the core players that have been here during that time. These guys are driven athletes, and they have an insatiable appetite to win. That's how I feel about it."

The streak began with the 2006-07 season, and it's no coincidence that it's the first year Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin played together. Malkin captured the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, while Crosby became the youngest player in NHL history to win a scoring title by recording a career-high 120 points at 19 years and 241 days.
They led the Penguins to their first playoff appearance since 2001, managing to surprise everyone by orchestrating a dramatic turnaround from a season where Pittsburgh had finished 29th in the league with a 22-46-14 record. From there, the exception quickly became the norm.
"At the beginning, you work for it, and it's a big accomplishment," Kris Letang said. "But once you're in it, it's expected from our group. The ownership, the people that we have in place every year, try to make the best team possible on the ice. It's our duty to get us into playoffs as players."
There's actually been such an incredible partnership between the Penguins over the years, starting with co-owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, and the players, specifically that core group. Sullivan often talks about establishing a certain standard while also understanding the individuality of each person on the roster and creating an environment that they can thrive. Striking that balance to the best of their abilities is a big reason for the organization's success.
"I think I always see the Penguins as having my best interests at heart. They're looking for the same goal as me. They want to win championships," Letang explained at the start of the year. "So if they put me in the best situation where I can help the team to do that, it's advantageous for both sides. And I've said I think for the last 15 years, when you have a guy like Sid or a guy like Geno on your team, it's pretty hard not to think that you're a Cup contender."
No NHL player has more regular-season (1,303) or playoff points (191) than Crosby since the playoff streak began in 2006-07. Meanwhile, Malkin's regular-season point total (1,141) is fourth in the league, while his 174 playoff points rank second only to the captain. Fittingly enough, they've combined for 16 major individual awards over these 16 years.
Letang - the only other current player who has been with the organization that whole time - has 645 regular-season points during that stretch, which is third among NHL defenseman. No blueliner has more playoff goals than his 22.
Sullivan marvels at how that trio has been able to sustain an elite level of play for such a long period of time, saying it's a testament to their character, their drive, and their willingness to put the time in to keep themselves in the best physical condition. But perhaps most importantly, they also have a healthy respect for, again, how hard it is to win, which motivates them to do whatever it takes to continually get back to this point. They set the tone, and everyone follows.
"Every year is a challenge," Crosby said following Pittsburgh's clinching win over the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena. "You need so many things to go right to give yourself an opportunity to play in the playoffs. It's not given to you. You see how tight the league is, it's not easy. So you appreciate those opportunities, you work hard - everybody works hard to give ourselves a chance to do that."

All of that being said, it really is hard to wrap one's mind around just how long this run has lasted. Penguins defenseman John Marino was 9 years old the last time that the team wasn't involved in the playoffs! The standard has been so high for so long that Sullivan admitted it can sometimes be taken for granted, but ultimately, the Penguins know how special it is. They're going to celebrate it, and then get back to work making the most of the opportunity they now have in front of them.
"We have high expectations in Pittsburgh, and we have high expectations inside of our locker room, for good reason," he said. "We believe we have a good team, and we're capable of excellence. But the fact that this organization has been able to sustain the level of excellence that it has year in and year out for as long as it has, in my mind, is a remarkable accomplishment."