Faceoff Factor

Penguins Can Get The Best Of Both Worlds Against Philly

Jesse Marshall | Pittsburgh Penguins

Apr 2, 11:07 AM | Hype this story!

The playoff race in the Eastern Conference is air tight. Every point matters and players are scoreboard watching throughout every division.

For the Penguins, a chance to triumph is two-fold.

First, there’s the division and the conference. The Penguins are currently tied with Montreal atop the Eastern Conference, but hold the tiebreaker in the wins category by 1. Montreal would have to win out in order to even have a chance at clinching the east. The Penguins control their own fate in that regard; two more victories would solidify their position atop the division and the conference. The New Jersey Devils currently find themselves 5 points out of the division lead with 3 games remaining. Again, the Devils would have to win out in order to make a final push at the division title.

So, it’s easy enough: with 2 wins the Penguins can clinch the division and the conference. But wait, there’s more to it than that.

Outside of all the hoopla surrounding the division sits our cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Flyers sit 8th in the conference, in the final playoff spot, and their situation is less than comfortable. Their next 3 games are against rival teams. The Penguins, obviously, play them both tonight and Sunday, and the Devils face them in between. That isn’t exactly the easiest schedule a team could hope for at this point.

Behind the Flyers sit the red hot Washington Capitals. Last night the Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes to pull into a tie for the Southeast Division lead. Carolina owns the tiebreaker by 1. Behind the Capitals sit the Buffalo Sabres, 2 points out of 8th place in the conference.

The Flyers could finish as high as 4th or as low as 10th.

That being said, the Pittsburgh Penguins can do more than win the division, they can play spoiler. Yes, a first place team playing spoiler; it’s a rare opportunity.

There is no love loss between these two teams. And it would be extra sweet for the Penguins to send the Flyers to the golf links early and clinching a division title in the process.

That being said, the Flyers could certainly take the opportunity and pound the Penguins before the playoffs, not only taking the division and the conference from their grasp, but sending them into the post-season on a sour note.

Whatever the case, neither team will be going through the motions.

For us fans, it becomes a matter of who you want the Penguins to face in the first round. Boston? Washington? Philadelphia? Carolina? The possibilities are endless.

Stay tuned. It’s going to be a wild ride.