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Penguins keep playoff hopes alive, 5-1; Crosby hits 1,500

Penguins keep playoff hopes alive, 5-1; Crosby hits 1,500 Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 8, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) (Paul Sancya/AP)

DETROIT — The Pittsburgh Penguins climbed back into the Eastern Conference playoff field Saturday afternoon.

For at least a few hours, anyway.

Their 5-1 victory against Detroit at Little Caesars Arena lifted them over Florida and the New York Islanders and into the first wild-card spot in the East.

However, the Panthers and Islanders, both of whom slipped one point behind the Penguins, were scheduled to play later in the day and needed just a loss in overtime or a shootout to reclaim a wild-card berth, because they own the regulation victories tiebreaker over the Penguins.

The victory was the Penguins’ second in a row, just the second time since March 2 they have won consecutive games.

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