Don’t Look Now, But Here Come Pens

They look like a different team now, with Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr once again scoring goals and Ron Francis setting them up. They look like the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lemieux’s 610th career goal tied Bobby Hull for sixth place on the NHL’s all-time list, and Jagr scored his first goal in six weeks as the on-the-rebound Penguins held off Florida 4-3 Monday night.

The Penguins, apparently headed for their worst regular-season record during the 1990s until a few days ago, have won two straight to tie the New York Rangers for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They have three games left, all against losing-record teams, on a five-game homestand.

The No. 5 team meets the No. 4 in the first round of the playoffs - and, right now, the Panthers are fourth. Florida beat Pittsburgh in the seven-game conference finals last season.

“I hope we play them again. It would be a great series,” Panthers coach Doug MacLean said. “It would be fun.”