A 2-1 Capitals win over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday Night that saw Alex Ovechkin hit the 30-goal plateau for the 18th time, has the Capitals back in position to control their own destiny, yet, was Washington winning in regulation still a better outcome for the Penguins despite the math?

With four games remaining Washington’s max points total is 93 points, Pittsburgh and Detroit at 92 Points.

Remaining Four games:

Capitals @ Buf, vs TBL, vs Bos, @ Phi

Penguins vs DET, vs Bos, vs Nas, @ Nyi

Red Wings @ PIT, @ Tor, vs MTL, @ MTL

There is no evidence the Capitals have a 4-0 finish run in them. Bet on a 2-2 finish from them? I still keep coming back to that 89 point mark of where the Penguins need to at least get to. With the regulation wins tiebreaker on their side, the table has now been set for the Penguins to essentially jump three points (due to tiebreaker) ahead of the Red Wings with a regulation win Thursday night on home ice. They could put a real dagger in Detroit with a regulation win and on the flip side, Pittsburgh could be in a world of trouble with a regulation loss against a Detroit and a Capitals win against Buffalo Thursday night. That would put the Penguins three points behind the Capitals with three games to play. It’s a huge night for all three clubs.

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MORE BUZZ

Bad News for the Penguins Tuesday Night: The New York Islanders (87 points) have won five straight and is Pittsburgh’s door closing for having two options to get in? Not yet with the clubs meeting face to face in the season finale but Pittsburgh will need to at least gain a point over the Islanders through the next three games to still be in position to jump them for third in the Metro. Pittsburgh again would win any tiebreaker over the Islanders due to ‘RW’.

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Was the Sidney Crosby skate issue an excuse or actual reason Crosby did not start overtime vs the Leafs Tuesday Night? Lars Eller starting OT in the Leafs loss was a choice just like Eller starting the previous overtime in Columbus on March 30th was also a choice where the Penguins started Eller and Reilly Smith. Since the Colorado OT loss, Penguins coaches have believed in this direction of going with a defensive minded presence to start OT.

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Pittsburgh played the third period vs Toronto with basically nine forwards. Jesse Puljujarvi, Emil Bemstrom and Valtteri Puustinen each saw just two shifts and under two minutes of ice time in the third. Is that Jansen Harkins’ music I hear? Won’t be a surprise if we see a personnel change To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

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There was a lot of buzz among pundits leading into the Toronto game that Tristan Jarry was in play to start to give Ned a break? Indications are Jarry got no consideration and the Tampa game at home was a much stronger consideration by the staff To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

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