Stone Mountain: Sens rookie sensation Mark Stone is pumped after scoring the overtime winner to stun the Pens. Ottawa rallied from 3-0 down to win 4-3.
The Canadian Press by Justin Tang AP

While the Rangers wrapped up the President’s Trophy last night, a wild Tuesday around the league set up a frantic finish. With playoff spots still up for grabs in both conferences, there’s plenty to follow as the regular season nears conclusion this weekend.

In the East, only four teams have clinched playoff berths. We know the winner of the Atlantic Division will be either Montreal or Tampa Bay. We also know Washington is a playoff team with 99 points. The rest is uncertain. The top three spots in each division guarantee themselves. In the Metro, the Islanders and Penguins are battling for the final spot with a wildcard likely going down to the wire. In the Atlantic, the Red Wings got a big win holding off Carolina 3-2 to move two points up on Boston and Ottawa.

What transpired Tuesday between 9:30 and 10:30 EST was unbelievable. Entering their match at Philadelphia, the Islanders needed one point to clinch the playoffs. However, they fell behind the Flyers 4-1 early in the third. A frantic rally allowed them to tie it. Anders Lee started the comeback by rifling home his 24th from Josh Bailey.

Still trailing by two late, coach Jack Capuano pulled Jaroslav Halak for an extra attacker. After Johnny Boychuk scored from John Tavares, the Flyers blew a few chances at an empty net. An icing led directly to Tavares outsmarting Claude Giroux on an offensive draw, setting up Lee’s tying marker with under 28 seconds left. All they needed was to get to overtime. But the unthinkable happened. With Brayden Schenn tightly guarded by Travis Hamonic, he got off a prayer through Hamonic’s legs that Halak muffed allowing the Flyers to win the game 5-4 with three seconds left.

While that bizarre conclusion happened, the Senators were rallying back from a 3-0 deficit against the Penguins. Pittsburgh started well with captain Sidney Crosby scoring 10 seconds in. Beau Bennett and Patric Hornqvist added goals in a lopsided first that had the Pens in total control leading by three. Needing the game, the Sens never gave up. A Jean-Gabriel Pageau shorthanded goal at 14:41 of the second got them back in it.

When red hot rookie Mark Stone scored his 23rd only 34 seconds into the third, Ottawa fans were back in it. A game they once trailed by three was down to one. Part of the reason was the play of the Hamburglar. Andrew Hammond made several key saves in the second to keep his team in it. He didn’t need to do much in the third. The Pens only took three shots. They were outshot 18-3.

With Pittsburgh nursing a one-goal lead, it came down to the final two minutes of regulation. After several close calls with only Marc-Andre Fleury preventing the inevitable, rookie Mike Hoffman’s seeing eye shot beat the Pittsburgh netminder shortside from Mike Zibanejad. Canadian Tire Centre went wild. After the Pens took a mind boggling bench minor. the Sens nearly won it before the end of regulation but a sprawling Fleury save forced extras.

In overtime, they wouldn’t be denied. A couple of days removed from a gut wrenching shootout loss at Toronto, the Sens made sure to get it done in OT. After Pittsburgh killed a 4-on-3 power play, Erik Karlsson made the biggest play breaking up a pass for Crosby at his own blueline. Earlier, he was on for all three Pens goals against. This time, the former Norris winner came up big making the key defensive play and then setting up Stone’s winner with 2:17 left setting off a celebration.

Had the Pens held on to beat the Sens in regulation, the Islanders would’ve clinched. Instead, the Sens have 95 points and are tied with the Bruins. Boston is locked into a wildcard due to two more regulation and overtime wins (37) and one extra game remaining. They make that up tonight at Washington. With only three games on Wednesday’s schedule, that is the only one with playoff significance. Boston can inch closer to clinching with a win. Washington can close in on second place in the Metro and home ice for the first round.

Whatever happens, Ottawa is still alive with two left. They have the fewest ROW (35) and don’t have the tiebreaker. That means they need to win and get help. They can still finish with more points than the Red Wings, Bruins, Islanders and Penguins. They can get to 99 but can’t be tied because they’ll lose on the first tiebreaker. Their remaining two games are tomorrow at the Rangers and Saturday at the Flyers. In an odd twist, Islander and Penguin fans will be pulling for the Rangers to beat Ottawa Thursday.

If the Sens are able to win tomorrow, that puts them at 97. The Islanders and Pens each have two games remaining. However, they meet Friday in Pittsburgh. A Senators victory would put an enormous amount of pressure on the Isles and Pens. The loser would go into their final game knowing they’ll probably have to win. The Islanders finish with Columbus at Nassau Coliseum Saturday. The Pens finish at Buffalo. Facing a team chasing last overall to give them the highest odds to win the lottery for McEichel. Buffalo needs one more loss or a Coyotes win to clinch 30th.

With so much still at stake, here are the remaining schedules for the five teams broken down further with points and ROW.

Islanders 98 Pts 39 ROW 4/10 @ Pens 4/11 vs Blue Jackets

Penguins 96 Pts 38 ROW 4/10 vs Isles 4/11 @ Sabres

Red Wings 97 Pts 38 ROW 4/9 @ Habs 4/11 @ Canes

Bruins 95 Pts 37 ROW 4/8 @ Caps 4/9 @ Panthers 4/11 @ Bolts

Senators 95 Pts 35 ROW 4/9 @ NYR 4/11 @ Flyers