Couldn't be a bigger surprise than Penguins making playoffs

I know, right?

Three points out. With seven games to go, and the very next one head-to-head with those same Capitals, Thursday night in D.C. Sidney Crosby vs. Alexander Ovechkin with a season on the line and both still soaring into their mid-30s.

Also, not to be forgotten, the Penguins are now four points behind the fast-fading Flyers, the current third-place team in the Metro:

Either position would suffice, I'm guessing.

And to do what the Penguins did by turning a two-goal, third-period deficit into one ... two ... three ... four ... FIVE consecutive goals:

Yeah, I'm speechless. I'll just shut up and listen to the smartest man in the room from here on.

• Our on-location coverage from Newark, N.J.

• Never mind the actual playoffs. These already are the playoffs, for all intents and purposes. And as such, Alex Nedeljkovic needs to play till he drops. He can get a rest this summer.

• But only after he's signed to an extension.

• I've been tough on Kyle Dubas in his first year, and I'll take none of that back. He's made some abysmal additions to this roster, and he received an awful return for Jake Guentzel. But I'm also at the head of the line to give credit for signing both Nedeljkovic and Eller.

• Who or what was keeping Jack St. Ivany in Wilkes-Barre all winter? Couldn't have been Chad Ruhwedel. What poise this kid's shown to date. Through the figurative roof at times.

• It won't be easy, and I'm not pretending otherwise: Capitals, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Bruins, Predators, Islanders. Not a negative record in the pack. But it's not like any of them are better than the Canes or Rangers, right?

• Not sure which might be more exciting for the Pirates' faithful toward the home opener Friday: Jim Leyland throwing the ceremonial first pitch, or Jared Jones throwing the real first pitch. 

And I'm not kidding, for anyone who remembers the epic ovation the locals gave Leyland before the 1994 All-Star Game at Three Rivers Stadium:

Uh-huh. That. Should be fun.

And there couldn't be an individual more deserving than our city's newest Hall of Famer.

• To assess that the Pirates aren't as good as their 5-0 start is to assess the insultingly obvious, since they aren't about to embark on Major League Baseball's first 162-0 season. Just like Michael A. Taylor won't bat .471, Ryder Ryan won't lead the bullpen in strikeouts, and the defense won't keep turning a handful of double plays per game. 

But if there's one above-the-norm performance I'm embracing, it's that of Connor Joe.

Of course he's benefited from the team facing all lefty starters so far, matched by Derek Shelton's decision to bat him at leadoff throughout, but he's also an honest 8 for 23 with four doubles in that half of those hits and half of those doubles have come against right-handers late in games. He's been smart, patient and aggressive when he's seen his pitch.

In other words, he's been nothing more than the best version of what he's long been.

“It’s really early," he was telling the other day with characteristic realism. "But I’m just confident in my approach and the type of at-bats I’m putting together. Productive outs. Finding the barrel. Helping the team."

• Plus, if Joe stays there, that might create the excuse needed to keep Oneil Cruz lower in the order, where his power would do that much more damage.

• Our on-location coverage from Washington.

• I've booked my own trip to D.C. for the suddenly seismic event Thursday night. Which absolutely had not been anticipated.

• My son Marko's flight just landed in Japan as I get to the final couple of bullets here. All's well ... except for the part where he's over there for four months. But he's happy, so I'm happy, right?

• Thanks for reading.

• And for listening: