Even though teams like the Buffalo Sabres, the Ottawa Senators, the Detroit Red Wings, and even the Washington Capitals have not been as numerous as they initially appeared to be, the Eastern Conference wild card race has been entertaining in recent weeks.
Three games remain on the schedules of the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Florida Panthers, and all three teams are within a point of each other. On Thursday night, all three competitors competed, and all three were victorious with victories that kept them in contention.
Matt Larkin and Steven Ellis discussed which of these three victories was more significant and other aspects of this playoff race.
Steven Ellis: Pittsburgh, simply from a statistical standpoint, because they are marginally lower in the standings. When the playoffs begin, however, I believe the Islanders will pose a challenge to the top teams. This is because the Islanders are a team that we’ve discussed and that we’ve deemed to be formidable. It’s a team that can shut you down and has excellent goaltending, and if one of those two teams makes the playoffs, I’m more confident in the Islanders advancing, and a lot of that has to do with goaltending, and earlier in the week, there was a discussion about Pittsburgh’s goaltending being a problem.
The fact that the Islanders were able to defeat Tampa Bay in such a manner demonstrates that the Lightning are a formidable playoff opponent, or at least one that they will have to face if they are to advance far in the postseason. I believe that was an accurate measuring tool, but if you look at Pittsburgh, they need to win every game at this juncture, as do both teams. This season has been a difficult one for the Penguins, and this could be their last true opportunity.
I know that from a “who makes it to being competitive” standpoint, that was a solid measuring measure for the Islanders, and they needed that, so I feel more confident.
Matt Larkin: Yes, I believe that we are on the same page. It was a huge statement for the Islanders, particularly considering that this team has a reputation for being dull and struggling to score, so the fact that they were able to put up six goals against Tampa Bay is encouraging. As you stated, the Penguins are in dire straits with one less point; they must win out.
Interestingly, the remainder of the schedules for both teams are extremely light. The Islanders host Philadelphia, travel to Washington, and host Montreal, while the Penguins host Detroit, travel to Chicago, and host Columbus, so it is difficult to determine which team will have the simpler schedule. There, they are both in excellent health.
However, I concur that the Penguins do not appear to be a particularly thrilling Wild Card team. I simply lack confidence, particularly in that goaltending. It’s interesting, a lot of Penguins fans have said to me, “Hey, who knows where we could have gone if Tristan Jarry was healthy last year?” and my response is, “Did you see Tristan Jarry in the semifinals against the Islanders the year before?” I wouldn’t call him dependable, so regardless of who is in net for the Penguins, Jarry (assuming he can remain healthy) or Casey DeSmith, the situation is precarious. I find it significantly more intriguing if the Islanders do make the playoffs because of Ilya Sorokin.