The Pittsburgh Penguins are standing at the crossroads. I believe they’re sinking down.

The Penguins aren’t among the cream of the NHL crop. If they think that, they’re lying to themselves.

If they believe they’re faster than the New York Rangers, that’s another whopper.

If the Penguins feel they can rebound from three straight regular-season losses to the Rangers and beat them in a playoff series, that seems like wishful thinking.

It’s not 2016 or ’17. The Penguins can’t flip a switch. They’re not that team anymore.

If the Penguins lose to visiting Washington on Saturday, the Capitals might catch them for third place in the Metropolitan Division. That would put the Penguins in a wild-card spot and a first-round matchup with Carolina or Florida, both juggernauts.

That currently seems a better option than playing the Rangers. (Who might yet catch Carolina for first in the Metro.)

The Penguins have endured injuries and bad circumstance in three straight defeats to the Rangers, not least being without Sidney Crosby in Thursday’s 3-0 loss at New York.

But the Penguins have scored just four goals in four games vs. the Rangers. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves to pitch a zero Thursday, but it was a pedestrian shutout. (Nine of those shots were off the stick of Evan Rodrigues. Let’s face it, those just aren’t going in.)

The Penguins play a speed game. The Rangers are faster. Despite being outskated by the Rangers in all four regular-season meetings, the Penguins will continue to play a speed game in the playoffs. How did Einstein define insanity again?

The Penguins refuse to see themselves as they are. They see themselves as they were, or as they want to be. They want to be the fastest team in hockey.

They’re not. They used to be. But the Penguins only know one way to play.

If the series started today, I’d pick the Rangers in six.

But the series doesn’t start today. A lot can happen between now and the playoffs. It needs to. But I’m not sure what.

Evgeni Malkin needs to play better than he did Thursday.

Crosby was out. Malkin centered Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust. Malkin needed to step up.

He didn’t: No points, no shots, minus-1.

A former NHL player texted me this: “His ‘don’t give a (expletive)’ level without the puck is mind-boggling.”

To be fair, no Penguins covered themselves in glory.

It was a bad effort marred by a familiar flaw: The Penguins conceded the game’s first goal 24 seconds into the second period. A lazy forecheck by Malkin, Guentzel and Rust gifted the Rangers an easy breakout that led to that goal. The Penguins are rotten in the first and last minutes of periods, and right after they score. That’s lack of focus. That’s undeniable.

But the Penguins probably think they’re focused, much like they think they’re the NHL’s fastest.

Can the Penguins rally? Yes. Can the Penguins find another gear? Maybe. Can the Penguins beat the Rangers in a best-of-seven? Of course. But which way would you bet?

The Penguins weren’t overly displeased by Thursday’s loss or about losing to the Rangers for a third straight time.

“I thought we played hard,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I thought it was an even game.”

That’s whistling past the graveyard.

If the Penguins are eliminated in the playoffs’ first round for a fourth consecutive season, there’s no point in bringing back any of their free agents. That includes Malkin, Rust and Kris Letang. It will be time to rebuild. The window will have closed.

There’s no shame in that. The Penguins are aging out. It happens to every great team.

Truth be told, the window closed in 2018. But the Penguins haven’t yet figured that out. They’re in the dark on a lot.

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