The issue is not whether the Pittsburgh Penguins have control over whether they qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring.

They do.

The question is whether they have the talent and intangibles that will be required to secure the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff field.

Or, for that matter, the first.

Getting the No. 1 wild card became viable again Sunday, when the Penguins defeated Philadelphia, 4-2, at PPG Paints Arena while the New York Islanders were losing, 2-1, at Carolina.

Those results mean the Penguins, who moved back in front of Florida by one point for the second wild card, trail the Islanders, who hold the first, by only one point. They also have a game in hand on New York.

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