The Skinny on the Playoff Race: Pens cement hold on 2nd place with 5-0 win over Isles and Sabre win over Rangers

The Skinny on the Playoff Race

(Through games on April 2)

Metropolitan Division Standings (Top 5)

xy Washington 55-17-6=116 points / 78 games (51 ROW) Lost 3-0 to Arizona

x Pittsburgh     45-25-8=98 points / 78 games (42 ROW) Beat ISLES 5-0

NY Rangers     43-26-9=95 points / 78 games (40 ROW) Lost to Buffalo 4-3

ISLES              42-26-9=93 points / 77 games (37 ROW) Lost to Pittsburgh 5-0

Philadelphia     39-25-13=91 points/ 77 games (36 ROW) Beat Ottawa 3-2

Atlantic Teams in Wild Card Race

Detroit             40-28-11=91 points/ 79 games (38 ROW) Beat Toronto 3-2

Boston             41-29-8=90 points/ 78 games (37 ROW) Idle

x Clinched Playoff Spot

y Clinched Division Title, Conference Title and President's Trophy

Best They Can Do (By Winning Every Game in Regulation or Overtime)

Pittsburgh      106 points/ 45 ROW

NY Rangers   103 points/ 44 ROW

ISLES             103 points/ 42 ROW

Philadelphia    101 points/ 41 ROW

Boston            98 points/41 ROW

Detroit             97 points/41 ROW

Remaining Schedule:

Washington:  4/5 vs. ISLES, 4/7 vs. Pittsburgh, 4/9 at St. Louis, 4/10 vs. Anaheim

NY Rangers: 4/4 @ Columbus, 4/5 vs. Tampa Bay, 4/7 vs. ISLES, 4/9 vs. Detroit    

Pittsburgh: 4/3 vs. Philadelphia, 4/5 @ Ottawa, 4/7 @ Washington, 4/9 @ Philadelphia

ISLES: 4/4 vs. Tampa Bay, 4/5 @ Washington, 4/7 @ NY Rangers, 4/9 vs. Buffalo, 4/10 vs. Philadelphia

Philadelphia: 4/3 @ Pittsburgh, 4/6 at Detroit, 4/7 vs. Toronto, 4/9 vs Pittsburgh, 4/10 @ ISLES

Boston:  4/3 @ Chicago, 4/5 vs. Carolina, 4/7 vs. Detroit, 4/9 vs Ottawa

Detroit:  4/6 vs. Philadelphia, 4/7 at Boston, 4/9 @ NY Rangers

On Their Own

If the Isles go 2-2-1 they will clinch a playoff spot regardless of what everyone else does.

If the Isles win their last five, they will finish no lower than third regardless of what everyone else does.

Magic Number

The Isles' magic number is clinch a playoff berth is 5 over Detroit, 6 over Boston, 9 over Philadelphia, 11 against the Rangers and 14 against Pittsburgh.  Any combination of Islander points gained and Red Wings points lost totaling 5 will guarantee that the Isles finish ahead of Detroit.

The Isles have clinched at least a 9th place finish in the East.  The Isles also need to finish ahead of Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, the Rangers OR Pittsburgh in order to clinch a playoff berth.

(Top 3 in each division, plus next two teams make the playoffs)

Sunday's Games

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (5pm)

Boston at Chicago (12:30pm)

The Isles magic number will fall to 4 unless Boston beats Chicago.  

(If Boston loses in regulation the magic number will be 4 vs. Boston and 5 vs. Detroit; if Boston loses in overtime or a shootout, the magic number will be 5 against both Boston and Detroit but since they play each other on Wednesday, one of the teams will finish with 96 points or fewer,  reducing the magic number to 4)