Phil Kessel's 2 goals help Penguins clinch playoff spot

There are plenty of reasons Phil Kessel has developed untouchable cult-hero status with the Pittsburgh Penguins fanbase over the past four seasons.

His sizzling wrist shot. His everyman appeal. His penchant for scoring goals during a two-minute stretch of the game when every fan in attendance receives a free Big Mac when the home team lights the lamp.

There’s one Kessel quality that just might top the list, though, and it was on display in spades Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena.

He scores big goals in big games.

Staring down the possibility of going into the last game of the regular season without a playoff berth secured, Kessel scored a pair of goals to lead the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

It’s the 13th consecutive playoff appearance for the Penguins, the longest active streak in the league and the longest in franchise history.

“You needed to win,” Kessel said. “We want to solidify it for sure and not have to go in the last game and have to win a game. So it was a good win for us. Move on and prepare for the next game.”

The next game will help determine the road the Penguins will travel in the playoffs.

Thursday’s win ensured they won’t finish eighth in the conference and face a first-round matchup with top-seeded Tampa Bay. Beyond that, it’s still up in the air.

The Penguins are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the New York Islanders and two points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes. A win over the New York Rangers in Saturday night’s finale will mean a date with the Islanders. A loss opens the door for a first-round meeting with the Washington Capitals.

The Penguins can worry about seeding once they arrive in Cranberry for Friday’s practice. Thursday night was for celebrating a 12-4-3 run since the trade deadline that finally earned the Penguins an “X” next to their name in the standings.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries here over the last month, key guys not in the lineup, and yet guys continue to find ways to win,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “That’s what I love about this group of players. They’re a committed group. They love playing at this time of year, and they deserve a lot of credit.”

The Penguins welcomed back Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang from upper-body injuries Thursday night, but they fell behind on a Matt Puempel power-play goal less than eight minutes in. The Red Wings had won their previous six games, including a 4-1 victory over the Penguins on Tuesday night.

Like their rocky, season-long road to a playoff berth, this one wasn’t going to be easy.

After Jake Guentzel converted on a pass from Olli Maatta to tie the score in the middle of the first period, Kessel stepped into the spotlight.

First, he scored a power-play goal to give the Penguins the lead for good, cleaning up a loose puck at the left post. Later, Kessel scored on a blistering wrister from the top of the left circle off an offensive-zone faceoff win by Malkin.

Since snapping a 16-game goal drought March 7, Kessel has six goals and 16 points in his last 15 games.

“I was cold. Whenever you’re ice cold like that, your confidence has to dip a little bit,” Kessel said. “It was nice to get a couple. Hopefully they can keep going in.”

It wouldn’t surprise Sullivan if they did.

“I think he’s played a lot better over this last stretch of games,” Sullivan said. “I think his confidence has to be growing because he’s had the puck on his stick a lot more. He’s getting chances, and now they’re starting to go in the net for him, which is a great sign.”

Matt Murray played a sensational second period, stopping all 13 shots he faced as the Red Wings turned up the pressure, and Crosby ended a 10-game goal drought when he cashed in on the rebound of a Kessel shot off the post for a power-play insurance goal in the third.

“It’s not easy. You can see it comes down to Game 81,” Crosby said. “There’s a lot of things that happen over the course of the year. It’s difficult. It’s a tough league. You’ve got to earn it.”