For the second consecutive day the Pittsburgh Penguins playoff chances increased despite not playing a game. Their probability of making the playoffs is now up to 95.9%.due to the model created by Micah Black McCurdy:
Their probability of playing the Montreal Canadiens has also gone up.
So how can this thing end with a Penguins playoff berth?
Get two points. It doesn’t matter how. If the Penguins get two points in the next two games they are in. So that means if they beat the Islanders tonight they are in. If they beat the Sabres in Buffalo they are in. The other option is the Bruins losing in regulation to Tampa Bay on Saturday. But forget looking for help from others, get it done yourself.
Most people probably thought Ottawa was going to be the team to catch (Penguins can still catch them) but it is the Boston Bruins who are the easiest prey right now. They lost to the #FancyCats last night by a score of 4-2 and that places them one point behind the Penguins with only one game left to play.
An old friend actually played a big role in the Penguins increased odds
"After 15 years, someone in Pittsburgh may like me." -Jaromir Jagr post game after #FlaPanthers beat Boston tonight, 4-2.
— Steve Goldstein (@goldieonice) April 10, 2015
Jaromir Jagr had two assists and that places him with 1,800 career points. He is now #4 overall on the all-time leading scorers list.
Jaromir Jagr has done more to increase the Penguins playoff odds while playing for Florida than Max Lapierre has done by playing for the Penguins.
As for the Penguins game against the Islanders they may be down to five defensemen, yet again.
Coach Johnston on Derrick Pouliot: “It’s day-to-day with him. Upper body. We will see if he is available tomorrow."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 9, 2015
If the Penguins do fall on the sword this dynamic of only five defensemen will be one of the main catalysts for coming up short. If Pouliot can’t go this will be the fifth time they have gone with only five defensemen, totally unacceptable.
As for the forward lines in practice from yesterday there looks to be some changes:
Winnik-Crosby-Hornqvist Kunitz-Malkin-Perron Downie-Sutter-Bennett Adams-Lapierre-Comeau
Some much needed change. David Perron can’t be a third liner with Brandon Sutter to get the most out of him. He has yet to see time with Evgeni Malkin. That appears to be changing. Blake Comeau has not been effective in that spot and I think it was past due to try somebody else there.
Nick Spaling was given a maintenance day yesterday so you could more than likely slot him into the Craig Adams spot. So as far as the forwards are concerned this is probably the best the unit can look.
The Penguins haven’t earned a lot of desirable results on the scoreboard lately but neither have the New York Islanders. Both teams are an identical 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Some good news for the Penguins is that maybe, just maybe, their PDO woes are starting to climb back to normal levels:
Outside of the obvious playoff implications I think that Sidney Crosby and John Tavares going head to head tonight while they are tied atop the league in points is a pretty cool matchup.
Since being acquired by Pittsburgh Ben Lovejoy has an average time on ice per game of 21:00. Ian Cole is at 17:34. This needs to be reversed.
Rutherford had this to say about the Lovejoy/Despres trade:
0_o http://t.co/a7lQTC51ab pic.twitter.com/2I29d58naX
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) April 9, 2015
Woof, perhaps keep that one to yourself.
Three of the last five games Rob Scuderi has topped 25 minutes. This is not fair to the player as he is not that type of player. Below is Rob Scuderi’s Fenwick +/- from the past five games, underneath is the ice time he logged in that game.
His best two games coincided with the two games he played the least.
You know Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are going to bring it tonight. Is anybody going to join them?
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If the Bruins miss the playoffs they should probably trade Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seg…. Whoops. I guess trading superstar centers isn’t a great idea.
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