Phil Kessel scored twice and had an assist Thursday, and the host Pittsburgh Penguins clinched a playoff spot with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, who had won six straight games.

Sidney Crosby added a goal and two assists to reach 98 points, and Jake Guentzel scored his 39th goal for Pittsburgh (44-26-11, 99 points). The Penguins increased their run of playoff appearances to 13 seasons, the longest current streak in the NHL and the longest in Penguins history.

Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray, in his career-high 10th straight start, made 33 saves.

Matt Puempel scored for Detroit (32-39-10, 74 points), which beat Pittsburgh 4-1 on Tuesday.

Jimmy Howard stopped 43 of 47 Penguins shots.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead at 7:35 of the first. The Red Wings struggled to get set up during most of a power play, but when they finally did in the last 20 seconds, Filip Hronek let loose a shot from the top of the slot into a crowd, and Puempel tipped it in.

Guentzel evened it 1-1 at 10:43 of the first on a one-timer from the lower part of the left circle off a feed from deep by Olli Maatta.

Kessel's first goal came on a power play with 1:42 left in the first. Crosby got two attempts, and Kessel got the second rebound and whisked it between Howard and the right post to for a 2-1 Penguins lead.

Kessel struck again at 15:32 of the second to make it 3-1. Evgeni Malkin, who returned after missing eight games because of a suspected rib injury, won a faceoff to Howard's right by sweeping it backward to Kessel at the top of the circle. Kessel took two strides toward the slot and blasted it past the goalie's glove.

Crosby ended a 10-game goal drought to make it 4-1 during a power play at 6:36 of the third. Kessel's shot hit the post. The puck landed behind Howard, and Crosby reached behind the goalie to tap it in.

--Field Level Media