NHL playoff standings: The implications of Penguins-Capitals

Gone are the days when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals were battling atop the Metropolitan Division.

But believe it or not, with the Capitals clinging to the East’s second wild-card spot, the Penguins aren’t entirely out of the running to make the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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Heading into Thursday’s clash between the clubs (7 p.m. ET, NHL Power Play on ESPN+), the Penguins are three points behind the Capitals in the standings, with one more regulation win. Notably, Washington has a game in hand on Pittsburgh (and the other teams vying for the wild card).

After the game against the Capitals, the Penguins will face teams currently in playoff position in four of their final six contests — and the two teams that aren’t currently in playoff position are in the aforementioned “vying for the wild card” cohort: the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders, both of whom are currently ahead of the Pens.

Washington’s post-Pittsburgh schedule includes dates against four current playoff teams in its final seven, as well as games against the Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres (who remain mathematically in the wild-card race as well), and the nearly eliminated Ottawa Senators.

Stathletes gives the Capitals a 52.9% chance of earning a playoff spot of any variety (whether as a wild card or the No. 3 seed in the Metro), while the Penguins are at 10.2%. It appears there is some juice left in the Alex Ovechkin vs. Sidney Crosby rivalry!

As we traverse the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2024 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Thursday’s schedule
Wednesday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Boston Bruins vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
A2 Florida Panthers vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 New York Rangers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
M2 Carolina Hurricanes…

Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39867317/nhl-playoffs-bracket-standings-2024-penguins-capitals-wild-card

Author : ESPN staff

Publish date : 2024-04-04 11:13:11

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