Only five nights worth of games remain before the tables are finalized and NHL teams start organizing their playoff strategies.
In this year's playoffs, look for the Pittsburgh Penguins to be the surprise team. The Penguins are currently ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference and, with only three games remaining, it's unlikely their place in the standings will change. With that positioning, Pittsburgh will earn the right to take on the third-ranked Washington Capitals.
This meeting poses some interesting offensive matchups. The Penguins will showcase their tandem of Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux. Jagr is on pace to win his fourth consecutive scoring title (116 points); he leads Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche by four points as of Tuesday afternoon. Lemieux, a team leader and powerful scoring threat, is averaging 1.73 points per game since his return from retirement on Dec. 27. The high-octane offense is key to a series victory for Pittsburgh because of the team's shoddy defense. The Penguins ranked 24th in penalty killing and 26th in goals allowed (last place among playoff bound teams).
On the other side, the Southeastern Division Champion Capitals have a strong duo of their own in Adam Oates and Peter Bondra, tied for 15th in the League in points. They are also hoping that Trevor Linden, acquired on March 13 from the Montreal Canadians, will help boost the Capitals' offense. Linden scored his first three points since the trade in last Wednesday's game.
The Capitals and Penguins split their season series, with Washington winning the last two. But in their March 3rd contest (a victory by the Capitals), Mario Lemieux decided to sit out the game, the first time he had done so since returning to the NHL. It was the Penguins' second game in as many days and Lemieux felt it a good opportunity to rest his back, the very ailment that forced him into retirement four years ago.
Since Lemieux returned from retirement, the Penguins have gone 25-14-3-1, which includes the two losses they suffered when he sat out. Prior to gaining Lemieux, who has scored 71 points over 41 games, the Penguins were only able to muster together a 15-14-6-1 record.
Without a doubt, Lemieux is the key to success for Pittsburgh. If his back holds up, the Penguins will be a force in the playoffs. The duo of Jagr and Lemieux is too powerful to contain, especially considering how the two feed off of one another.
The Penguins, who have an 8-5-2 March record, are looking to speed into their playoff encounter with the Capitals, who have a dismal 7-7 record this month. But on Monday, Lemieux sat out his second game of the season while resting his back for the playoffs. Without their star player and owner, the Penguins again suffered a loss. The New York Islanders won 4-1, halting the Pen's four-game winning streak.
Boston and Carolina going back and forth
On Sunday afternoon, the idle Boston Bruins held a one-point advantage over the Carolina Hurricanes for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
But that night, the Hurricanes made a huge push to pass the Bruins in the playoff race. Carolina defeated the then-number one Ottawa Senators on Rob Brindamour's crafty goal 1:18 into overtime. Carolina thus passed Boston and held a one-point advantage over the Bruins for that last seed.
Boston responded to the Hurricanes' blow with a win of its own. On Monday night, as Carolina took the evening off from play, the Bruins beat the Montreal Canadians in overtime by a 3-2 count. Andrei Kovalenko provided the extra period goal and gave the Bruins back their one-point lead over Carolina.
The Hurricanes once again had a chance to pass Boston last night as they traveled to Saint Louis to face the Blues. Tonight, both teams are again in action. The Bruins face off against the Buffalo Sabres on the road and the Hurricanes will end their three-game road trip against the New York Rangers before ending their season with matchups versus the Atlanta Thrashers and the Penguins. The Bruins finish up with showdowns against the New Jersey Devils and the Islanders.
