Playoff picture still blurry in the East

In as of now:         The Bruins, Flyers and Canadiens all have 82 points and 5 games remaining. Conventional wisdom would say that the higher seed you get, the better off you are. I will admit that, at the present moment, I would rather finish with the 7^th seed than the 6^th seed and play Buffalo instead of Pittsburgh, given each team’s recent playoff history. At this point, you can’t look at things like that though, as it is a matter of just getting in. Here’s a look at the remaining schedules of each of the three gridlocked teams:

• Philadelphia Flyers (82 points, 5 games remaining)
  • Fri, April 2^nd– vs. Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
  • Sun, April 4^th– vs. Detroit Red Wings, 12:30 p.m.
  • Tues, April 6^th– @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
  • Fri, April 9^th– @ New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
  • Sun, April 11^th– vs. New York Rangers, 3 p.m.
• Montreal Canadiens (82 points, 5 games remaining)
  • Fri, April 2^nd– @ Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
  • Sat, April 3^rd– vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
  • Tues, April 6^th– @ New York Islanders, 7 p.m.
  • Thurs, April 8^th– @ Carolina Hurricanes, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sat, April 10^th– vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
• Boston Bruins (82 points, 5 games remaining)
  • Sat, April 3^rd– @ Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
  • Mon, April 5^th– @ Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
  • Thurs, April 8^th– vs. Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
  • Sat, April 10^th– vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 1 p.m.
  • Sun, April 11^th– @ Washington Capitals, 12 p.m.

Outside looking in:         The two teams that have the best shot at overtaking the before-mentioned teams are the Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Rangers. The Thrashers have 80 points, 4 games remaining, and currently occupy the 9^th seed. The Rangers have 78 points, 6 games remaining, and currently occupy the 10^th seed. Personally, I like the Rangers’ chances more than the Thrashers at this point. The Rangers have arguably the more talented team, especially in terms of goaltending, and arguably the more favorable schedule. They don’t have to face the likes of Washington, Pittsburgh, and New Jersey, although those three teams may elect to rest players given their already secure playoff status. The extra game for the Rangers is what could ultimately be the determining factor. Here’s a look at each team’s remaining schedule:

• Atlanta Thrashers (80 points, 4 games remaining)
  • Sat, April 3^rd– @ Pittsburgh Penguins, 1 p.m.
  • Tues, April 6^th– vs. New Jersey Devils, 7 p.m.
  • Fri, April 6^th– @ Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
  • Sat, April 10^th– vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
• New York Rangers (78 points, 6 games remaining)
  • Fri, April 2^nd– @ Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sat, April 3^rd– @ Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
  • Tues, April 6^th– @ Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m.
  • Wed, April 7^th– vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
  • Fri, April 9^th– vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 7 p.m.
  • Sun, April 11^th– @ Philadelphia Flyers, 3 p.m.