Penguins beat Predators to stay alive

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are playing like a playoff team.

They’re only too aware it still might not be enough to reach the postseason.

Sidney Crosby scored his 42nd goal and added an assist as the Penguins preserved their playoff hopes with a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night.

Pittsburgh improved to 8-1-3 in its last 12 games to remain one point behind Washington and Detroit with one game remaining in the race for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card.

The Capitals and Red Wings need to lose today for the Penguins’ regular season finale against the New York Islanders on Wednesday to carry any meaning. If Washington and Detroit fall in regulation or overtime, Pittsburgh can earn the NHL’s final open playoff spot by beating the Islanders, who clinched a playoff spot on Monday.

“Obviously, we need some help but given the position we were in a few weeks ago I think we would have taken this opportunity,” said Crosby, who has 23 points during his team’s late surge. “So hopefully we get some help.”

Erik Karlsson also had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, and Reilly Smith and Emil Bemstrom also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves while making his 12th straight start for Pittsburgh.

Filip Forsberg scored his franchise-record 48th goal and Gustav Nyquist added his 23rd but playoff-bound Nashville let a chance to lock up the Western Conference’s top wild card slip away.

Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots but the Predators finished just shy of the seventh 100-point season in the franchise’s 25 seasons. Las Vegas can pass Nashville for the seventh seed in the West by winning its final two games against Chicago and Anaheim later this week.

“We know we’re in, but at the same time, it’s about being ready,” Forsberg said. “I think the first period was not ‘ready’ hockey, but the second and third were.”

The Predators put themselves in the postseason thanks to a 16-0-2 stretch from Feb. 17-March 26. Pittsburgh waited until the last possible moment to give itself a chance to do the same.

The Penguins were nine points out of a postseason position in late March and appeared relegated to playing out the string. Then came a push that has them looking like the team they thought they’d be all along.

They only hope it’s not too late.

“I tell you before, this team is amazing,” Pittsburgh centre Evgeni Malkin said. “If we play like this all year, probably, we clinch the playoffs.”