Pittsburgh Penguins: Consistency the key for making a deep playoffs run

The 2019 Pittsburgh Penguins are not the Penguins of recent memories. They are not the typical juggernaut which has fans in Pittsburgh feeling confident in their chances in the playoffs. In fact, the fans in Pittsburgh are not even sure if the Penguins will reach the postseason for the NHL.

There is one not so simple key to success for these 2019 Penguins. It's the one thing that they have not done well. That would be remaining consistent. The Penguins are, however, consistently inconsistent. That has not boded well for them or their playoff chances as of late.

While I do feel that the NHL's Stadium Series games do not mean much and are merely just a gimmick, the Penguins' match-up against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stadium Series game was a big game for them. It also resulted in a big loss. The Penguins essentially had the game won, leading 3-1 for most of the third period. However, goaltender Matt Murray, as well as the defense in front of him, crumbled in the waning moments of the cross-state clash.

The Penguins did bounce back nicely with a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday night on the road. Matt Murray also played solid, as he helped lead the Penguins to a 5-2 victory over Columbus. But that is exactly the problem with the Penguins right now. That type of inconsistency will get them bounced early on in the NHL postseason, assuming they end up making it there.

The Penguins currently sit in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. While they are just a point ahead of Columbus for that spot, they also trail the New York Islanders by just five points at the moment for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

In order for the Penguins to make the playoffs, and enjoy any sort of success if they get there, they need to be consistent. Injuries are one thing entirely out of their control. That is one issue the Penguins are facing right now that they will have to overcome. However, Matt Murray needs to be more consistent in net.

The defense in front of Murray needs to be more consistent in order to keep him upright and prevent him from getting hung out to dry constantly. As for others, they have to limit their turnovers to prevent Murray from getting hosed constantly. Again, this is a factor they totally can control.

All of this is easier said than done. The injuries are entirely uncontrollable for Pittsburgh as well. However, the aspects of their game that they can control can help make them the dominant team that just hoisted Stanley Cups in back-to-back years (2016 and 2017). This is still a great franchise and one that, along with a team like the Chicago Blackhawks, has been impressive in this modern era of hockey.

I also feel like the Penguins' window is not closed like Chicago's has. Chicago is a lot older all around and there is nothing about them that convinces me they can win multiple Stanley Cups in years to come. The Penguins, however, still give me that feeling.

It's safe to assume Pittsburgh will find a way to make the playoffs considering the talent they do have. However, if they continue this inconsistent play, those playoff hopes will disappear. The key moving forward? Be consistently good rather than consistently inconsistent.