A closer look at the Eastern Conference playoff race
Frank Seravalli was joined by Mike McKenna to discuss how the Eastern Conference playoff race is shaping up on the latest episode of the Daily Faceoff Show.
Frank Seravalli: Let’s get an update on the Eastern Conference playoff race. Because things took a turn south for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not only did the Florida Panthers pick up a much needed win over the Buffalo Sabres, which essentially extinguished the Sabres’ playoff hopes, if not officially. Well, in this case on paper it certainly seems they’re out of the race as you take a look at the latest Eastern Conference standings.
But for the Penguins, they get their doors blown off against the New Jersey Devils in a game that was not even close. I said on the DFO Rundown with Jason Gregor on Monday Mike, that I would not want to be the next team to face the Devils because they got their doors blown off in Winnipeg on Sunday, that’s going to be an ugly matchup for whoever gets them next. And hey it was the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that had a very middling weekend but did enough to hang on in the playoff picture.
And now they wake up on Wednesday outside the playoffs and they are one point back of both the Islanders and the Panthers. They’ve all played the same number of games at 78, what do you make of the race?
Mike McKenna: How can you guess, honestly? I thought the Penguins were going to hold on all year, but at the stage now with the vibe of the Panthers have going Matthew Tkachuk is the reason why they are doing what they’re doing. And it goes with Barkov too, but Tkachuk last night scores his 39th goal of the season, he’s got 103 points on the year and its because he’s working. He goes to the corner, he creates separation, big hit goes to the front of the net and deflects the puck in.
Barkov’s got points in 14 of 15 games but the problem is that the Panthers just suck defensively like they’re just still bad defensively, they gave up 25 high-danger chances last night but Alex Lyon the goaltender has now won four games in a row for the Panthers with Sergei Bovrovsky unavailable. Frank, my question is does Paul Maurice stick with Alex Lyon in the net when Bobrovsky becomes available again when he comes off this sickness for the last year.
Let’s say you ride Lyon, he’s playing well for the Panthers and if he can guide them to the playoffs, what a story. But they’ve got to tighten up defensively and Pittsburgh has the ability to rebound so I’m going to say Panthers but this is going to be tight right down to the last day.
Frank Seravalli: Okay, so if you’re saying Panthers in, which of the Islanders or Penguins are out?
Mike McKenna: Penguins, because the Islanders will rebound after losing a couple in a row and you just don’t love three or four in a row they’re going to rebound and win the next couple of games.
Frank Seravalli: The Penguins are such a tough team to predict, we had Rob Rossi on Daily Faceoff Live earlier this week from The Athletic and he was saying that the Penguins are a period by period team and I certainly understand that approach. It seems like night to night you never know what you’re getting next from the Penguins.