Pittsburgh fans are lucky right now. March Madness odds have Pittsburgh as as one of the top contenders to win a national title, the Steelers are reigning Super Bowl champs, and now the Penguins are back in a big way among NHL betting juggernauts.

It’s amazing what a few astute moves can do to a team’s online betting prospects. The Penguins were a joke just a month ago, flirting with 11th place alongside the friggin’ Leafs. Now, they’re surging toward home-ice advantage in the playoffs.  What’s the secret to their success? Here’s a little timeline.

February 15: Penguins fire head coach Michel Therrien, promote Dan Bylsma. Their record with their new coach: 10-1-3. You can always bet at the sportsbook that a team will play better with a new coach, at least temporarily, but that “novelty” phase has passed and the Pens are still dominating.

February 27: New acquisition Chris Kunitz scores in his first game as a Penguin. Now playing with Sidney Crosby, he has 11 points in nine games with Pittsburgh. The Pens’ record with Kunitz: 8-0-2. See a trend, online betting fans?

March 4: Pittsburgh acquires Bill Guerin at the trade deadline and inserts him among the top six forwards. He has eight points in six games with the team and their record is 4-0-2 in that time.

The Penguins have clearly restocked their cupboard and suddenly look like a team no one wants to face in the first round of Stanley Cup betting.