Penguins prepare for 12th consecutive postseason appearance

As the Penguins prepare for their franchise-record 12th consecutive postseason appearance, head coach Mike Sullivan says their day-to-day goal is simply to get better.

The start of the first playoff series is only one week away, but the Stanley Cup picture is very much up in the air. With two regular-season games remaining, the Pens could play any one of a handful of teams in the first round.

Sullivan knows the importance of these games has increased, saying, "They're as close to a playoff atmosphere as you'll get because the stakes are so high."

TRENDING NOW:

• 2 dead after shooting, police incident in Ohio Township
• Man hit, killed by truck on McKnight Road in Ross Township
• Who was Nasim Najafi Aghdam, YouTube shooting suspect?
• VIDEO: Bride Who Died Weeks Before Wedding Lives On Through Organ Donation

Two likely first-round opponents for the Pens are the Blue Jackets and Devils, which makes tomorrow night's game at Columbus even more significant.

"It's an important game to both teams," Sullivan said. "They're fighting for every bit as much as we're fighting for. Anytime you play divisional rivals like this, this heightened emotion, they tend to be exciting games to be a part of. These are the most fun, and I know that our guys are looking forward to the challenge."

As he has all season, Sullivan continued to stress defense. "I think we have to be stingier defensively, and this is a conversation we've had with our team for a while now. It's hard to score your way to championships. It doesn't matter how much firepower you have. You have to have the ability to keep it out of your net," he said.

Cox Media Group