Better matchup? (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Better matchup? (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

After last night’s loss to the Islanders, the Rangers no longer control their own destiny for playoff opponent. The Isles are now tied with the Rangers in points, but have a game in hand. The Rangers hold the tiebreaker (regulation/OT wins), so the Isles will need to finish ahead of the Rangers in points to take third in the division.

Since the Isles have the game in hand, they need three points in those final two games to ensure they finish ahead of the Rangers in the standings. If that happens, then the Rangers are going to drop to the first wild card spot and move to the Atlantic for the playoffs. That means a first round date with the Atlantic Division champion Florida Panthers.

If the Rangers lose their game against Detroit, then the Isles just need one point in their two games. Long story short: How ever many points the Rangers get on Saturday, the Isles will need one additional point to finish ahead of them. If that doesn’t happen, the Rangers stay in the Metro for the playoffs and draw the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Courtesy of corsica.hockey

Courtesy of corsica.hockey

There are pros and cons of playing either team. Starting with the Panthers, the Rangers would be getting a team that isn’t a strong possession team (48.72% CF) and has some very exploitable holes on defense and on the fourth line. These are usually the kinds of teams the Rangers feast upon with their tremendous forward depth. The one caveat here is that the Panthers have been trending up in possession since the trade deadline (image above).

Courtesy of corsica.hockey

Courtesy of corsica.hockey

Another reason why the Panthers may be a good target is the above season-long performance of Roberto Luongo. Lu has been phenomenal all year, but has seen a big drop in 5v5 SV% over the past month. He’s starting to crawl out of it, but he’s nowhere near as hot as he was through February. Exploitable depth and defense with declining goaltending could be a recipe for disaster for the Cats.

Then there’s Pittsbugh, who is pretty much trending up in every facet of the game. The main concerns for Pittsburgh aren’t on the ice, they are off the ice. Specifically who is off the ice for them come playoff time.

Evgeni Malkin isn’t due back for a first round series. That’s a huge loss, as Matt Cullen has to play on the second line. Olli Maata hasn’t played since March 24. Marc-Andre Fleury has a concussion with no timetable for return. Those are three top players that may not be 100% for the playoffs.

But even with those injuries, the Penguins surged to second place in the Metro and what would be second in the Eastern Conference. They have the fourth-most points in the league. This is a strong, deep, and talented team.

Florida is likely the better matchup for the Rangers. However the Rangers shouldn’t be actively trying to secure a date with them. Last night’s game was a solid example of good overall play (minus two gaffes that wound up in their net). With one game remaining, you want to see the Rangers perform well on the ice. This doesn’t mean a win or a loss, it means playing well and playing with the proper process. Proper process wins out in the end. That and the best goalie in the world.

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