PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins are getting used to frenzied finishes.

Just about every minute of hockey for the Penguins over the last five weeks has carried great meaning.

Thirteen of the team's last 14 games have been decided by a goal, and four of the Pens' last five games have been decided via shootout, including a 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Devils Thursday night.

"It's stressful, more than anything," forward Erik Christensen said. "It's pressure, yeah. But you enjoy it."

The team is finding that its better to be part of games that have meaning — and you're winning. Pittsburgh is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and has won nine of its last 13 one-goal games.

Heading into Saturday's game against the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh has been in a shootout in three straight games.

"It's just the way it goes sometimes," center Sidney Crosby said. "It's just the way hockey is right now. I don't look at games any different, if it's close or not.

"That means you're in every game, so that's a good sign. A lot of times, we get a one-goal lead. Two would be nice, or three maybe. But that's just the way it's been going."

No team in the Eastern Conference has had more games decided in a shootout than the Penguins, who have had 14. That's just behind the Minnesota Wild's league-leading 16.

Pittsburgh is 8-6 in shootouts and had its stretch of seven straight wins snapped Thursday against the Devils.

The Penguins also have played in five games decided in the five-minute overtime period since Jan. 7.

Still, the player who is a veteran of more NHL games than any Penguin, Mark Recchi, said being involved in so many tight battles isn't that hard on a team.

"When you're on the bench, it doesn't really faze you," Recchi said. "It's probably harder on (the fans) to watch it than us to play it. You just go do your thing, and you worry about what you have to do and focus on what you have to do. It's not a really big deal for us."

Still, the players talk about the character-building aspects of one-goal games. And, with a team as young as the Penguins, the close games might pay dividends in the postseason.

Heading into Friday's games, Pittsburgh was fifth in the conference, two points behind Ottawa and two ahead of Tampa Bay.

The points earned in one-goal games have been a big boost to a team that had the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season and not qualified for the playoffs since 2001.

"A couple years ago, we were losing those one-goal games," forward Ryan Malone said. "And now, we are winning them."