NHL playoff race: What's at stake Friday

[IE]

The Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch a playoff berth Friday if they win their home game against the New York Islanders.

A win also would move them past the idle Ottawa Senators for the first wild-card seed. With a non-shootout win, the Penguins could tie the third-place Islanders with 98 points and 39 regulation-overtime wins, but New York holds the second tiebreaker of head-to-head competition.

The Islanders could use the win in their long-shot bid to catch the Washington Capitals for home-ice advantage in the first round.

 

[IE]

D Derrick Pouliot (upper body) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the New York Islanders.

Because of Pittsburgh's cap situation, the Penguins can't call up a replacement defensemen. Consequently, they will only dress five blueliners Friday night. That's a rough situation for the team, especially given that a loss tonight would significantly hurt Pittsburgh's chances of making the playoffs.

 

[Dirty Sanchez]

The Penguins have dropped four straight while being outscored 17-8.