The Pittsburgh Penguins have risen in the standings in a season in which not much was expected of them, mainly owed to the efforts of 38-year-old Sidney Crosby.

The club's captain, leading scorer and do-everything center will lead the Penguins into a clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night in a contest that might show just how far the visitors have climbed above expectations.

The Lightning occupy the penthouse of the Atlantic Division thanks to a recent seven-game winning streak that began with a 5-1 win over New Jersey on Nov. 18.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Division side beat the rival Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 in its last game, with Crosby leading with two goals, including the deciding one to bring his season total for game-winning tallies to two.

The captain now has 18 g

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