PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It didn’t end their playoff chances, although they fell behind Florida for the final spot.
The reality is they are still four games left and two of them are against the last place teams in each conference. But man did they get their tails kicked in New Jersey Tuesday night, final 5-1.
There were parts of the first period where you wondered if the team had vacations planned for mid-April. It’s not just an effort thing, but the takeaways they allowed. The mental mistakes, like the delay of game by Jeff Petry after clearing a puck into the stands. The ensuing five-on-three goal made it 3-0 early in the second period.
Tristan Jarry could have been better, stopping 31 of 36 shots, but the five-spot is more on the team as a whole than on the goaltender.
Updated Wild Card standings
Islanders-78 games 87 points
Florida-78 games 87 points
Pens-78 games 86 points
Buffalo-76 games 81 points
Ottawa-78 games 81 points
4 remaining games
· Minnesota at home Thursday-Wild have clinched a playoff birth and tied for first in the Central Division. No team in the West allowed fewer goals than the Wild.
· At Detroit Saturday at 1p-the Red Wings are not mathematically, but realistically out of playoff contention, but hammered the Pens on March 28. Detroit also has blowout wins over Toronto and Montreal this week.
· Chicago at home Tuesday-the Blackhawks appear to have packed it in losing the last seven games of March and April 1 against New Jersey.
· Thursday, March 13 at Columbus-over the last few weeks the Blue Jackets have wins over the Islanders, Washington, Ottawa and taken the Pens and Bruins to overtime.