Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Penguins can take first place in Metropolitan

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2018 NHL postseason. There are 20 days left in the regular season and the races in each conference are wide open.
Here is a look at the NHL Standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

What's on tap

It's a busy Tuesday schedule, one with plenty of playoff implications:
-- The Penguins are two points behind the Washington Capitals in the Metropolitan Division, but can move into first place with a victory and a regulation-time loss by the Capitals against the Dallas Stars. The teams have played the same number of games, but the Penguins hold the tiebreaker with more regulation/overtime wins (39-38). The Islanders have 70 points, 12 behind the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Penguins are in the first game of a back-to-back against teams out of playoff contention (Islanders, Montreal Canadiens), then play two at home against the Devils and Philadelphia Flyers.
-- The Blue Jackets are coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the Boston Bruins on Monday, getting two points despite not playing their best, and now play the Rangers looking for their ninth consecutive win. The Blue Jackets are tied with the Flyers with 85 points, but the Flyers hold the regulation/overtime win tiebreaker (35-34), leaving the Blue Jackets with the first wild card and fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers are 10 points behind the Devils for the second wild card in the East.
-- The Stars are two points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card from the Western Conference. They are 0-3-2 on their six-game road trip, which ends Tuesday. The Stars need points before heading home, but it won't be easy against the Capitals, who hold the top spot in the tight Metropolitan with 89 points, two more than the second-place Penguins.
-- The Hurricanes are 2-5-0 in their past seven and have dropped to nine points behind the Devils for the second wild card from the East. The Oilers are 19 points behind the Ducks for the second wild card from the West.
-- The Panthers have won seven of their past 10 games (7-2-1) and are three points behind the Devils for the second wild card from the East, with two games in hand. They're coming off a 2-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, and have shutouts in two of their past three games. The Senators are 19 points behind the Devils for the second wild card from the East.
-- With the Blue Jackets pushing hard, the Flyers need a win to remain in third place in the Metropolitan. They're tied with Columbus with 85 points but hold the regulation/overtime win tiebreaker (35-34). They scored 10 goals in a weekend sweep of back-to-back games against the Hurricanes (4-2) and Capitals (6-3). The Red Wings, have lost 10 straight games (0-9-1) and are 19 points behind the Devils for the second wild card from the East.
-- This could be an Eastern Conference First Round preview. The Lightning, who have clinched a playoff berth, are three points ahead of the Boston Bruins atop the Atlantic Division, and the Bruins have one game in hand. The Maple Leafs, who have won four straight, six points behind the second-place Bruins.
-- The Kings play for the second straight night after their 4-3 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild. That win put the Kings in third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points, the same as the Anaheim Ducks, but the Kings have the regulation/overtime win tiebreaker (38-33). The Jets are second in the Central Division, 10 points behind the first-place Nashville Predators.
-- The Avalanche have points in nine of their past 10 games (6-1-3) and have the first wild card from the Western Conference. They also are fourth in the Central Division, four points behind the third-place Wild. The Blackhawks are 17 points behind the Ducks for the second wild card from the West.
-- The Golden Knights, who finish a four-game homestand Tuesday, have an eight-point lead on the second-place San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division. The Canucks are 27 points behind the Ducks for the second wild card from the West.
New Jersey Devils at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN1, SNE, SNO, SNW, NBCSCA, MSG+, NHL.TV) -- Since the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 26, when they acquired forward Evander Kane in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres, the Sharks have gone 7-2-0 and moved into second place in the Pacific Division, three points ahead of the third-place Kings. The Devils, who are 2-1-0 during a five-game road trip, have the second wild card from the East, three points ahead of the Panthers. They're also fifth in the Metropolitan Division but three points behind the third-place Flyers.

Need to know

Nashville Predators: Who has been the biggest steadying influence during a regular season for the ages by the Predators? Goalie Pekka Rinne, say his teammates,
who believe he should win the Vezina
.
Columbus Blue Jackets: What's behind the finishing kick the Blue Jackets are showing? Monday, it was
a healthy dose of grit
, says NHL.com Staff Writer Amalie Benjamin.
Colorado Avalanche: What does GM Joe Sakic think about the
turnaround the Avalanche have engineered
this season? NHL. com Senior Writer Dan Rosen asked him.
Boston Bruins:Rene Rancourt is an institution at TD Garden, having sung the national anthem at Bruins games for more than four decades. He will retire at the end of the season, whenever that comes. NHL.com Columnist Dave Stubbs
caught up with Rancourt
in the latest edition of Five Questions With..."
NHL: The top five goal scorers in the League each are having huge impacts on the playoff race. Find out how in the
latest Rocket Richard Trophy Tracker
.

Thought of the day

It has seemed to be a magical season for the Boston Bruins. Instead of being a bubble playoff team, like many expected, they have become one of the best in the NHL. And everything seems to just work for them, including the NHL debut of forward Ryan Donato, who had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.
The Bruins haven't been slowed despite injuries to forwards Patrice Bergeron, Rick Nash, Jake DeBrusk and David Backes, and defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy.
While some are trying to spin those absences in a positive way -- those players are getting extra rest heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- there's a point at which it becomes worrisome.
The good news is Bergeron seems close to returning after he practiced Monday for the first time since the Feb. 27 announcement of him having a fractured right foot. But they're 8-2-1 since that day.
Their upcoming four-game road trip, which starts against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, TVAS, NHL.TV), and includes games against the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets, will test them.
The Bruins are in a good spot, second in the Atlantic, three points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning with a game in hand. But it's hard to forget what happened last season, when injuries throughout the defense likely cost the Bruins a first-round win against the Ottawa Senators, who went on to the Eastern Conference Final. -- Amalie Benjamin, NHL.com Staff Writer

If playoffs started Tuesday

Here is a look at the matchups for the first round as they stand entering games Tuesday:
Eastern Conference
(1A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (WC2) New Jersey Devils
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets
(2M) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3M) Philadelphia Flyers
(2A) Boston Bruins vs. (3A) Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference
(1C) Nashville Predators vs. (WC2) Anaheim Ducks
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Colorado Avalanche
(2C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3C) Minnesota Wild
(2P) San Jose Sharks vs. (3P) Los Angeles Kings

About last night

There were five games Monday and each of them had playoff implications.
-- The Blue Jackets won their eighth in a row to take a three-point lead on the New Jersey Devils for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. They also matched the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points, but the Flyers have the regulation/overtime wins tiebreaker (35-34). The Bruins moved within three points of the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.
Nashville Predators 4, Buffalo Sabres 0 -- The Predators, who have clinched a playoff berth, are 14-0-1 in their past 15 games to open a 10-point lead on the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division and a four-point lead on the Lightning for first in the League. The Sabres have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Florida Panthers 2, Montreal Canadiens 0 -- Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season and the Panthers closed within three points of the Devils for the second wild card; they have played two fewer games.
-- Jeff Carter scored with 34 seconds left in overtime to move the Kings into third place in the Pacific Division. The Kings are tied in points with the Anaheim Ducks, but are third because they have five more regulation/overtime wins (38-33). The Wild moved within six points of the second-place Jets in the Central.
Arizona Coyotes 5, Calgary Flames 2 -- The Flames lost for the fourth time in their past five games (1-4-0) and are six points behind the Ducks for the second wild card in the West with eight games to play.