A year ago, the Penguins had two meaningless games at the end of the regular season before they got their playoff run underway, a chance for their regulars to get some rest at the end of a long season.
That wasn’t the case this time around, as the Penguins’ went into their regular-season finale against Ottawa Friday needing a win to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs next week.
While resting some superstars that logged heavy minutes over the last five months certainly has its benefits, there may also be something to be said for playing competitive games all the way through.