from Neil Best of Newsday,

The Maple Leafs have 93 points and the Islanders 90 with two games apiece remaining. The Lightning also has 90 points with two left.

One road requires the Islanders to beat the Devils on Saturday and the Senators Sunday while the Maple Leafs lose both to the Penguins and Blue Jackets, with at least one of those losses coming in regulation time.

But for that math to work out, the Islanders would need to win both of their games in regulation or overtime, enabling them to pass the Maple Leafs in the regulation-and-overtime-wins tiebreaker if both finish with 94 points.

That reality could make for some complicated strategizing for Weight. In theory, it might benefit the Islanders to pull their goalie in overtime to secure a win before the shootout for tiebreaker purposes.

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from Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times,

Making the playoffs is still a long shot, but the quest should make for a fun final 72 hours of the regular season. Tampa Bay needs to win its final two games, tonight in Montreal and Sunday at home against Buffalo, in regulation or overtime. Toronto must lose its final two games, both at home, Saturday against Pittsburgh and Sunday against Columbus; the Maple Leafs can't pick up more than one point.

Tampa Bay also needs the Islanders, tied with it in points but who hold the tiebreaker, to lose one of its final two games, Saturday at New Jersey or Sunday at home against Ottawa, or win one of them in a shootout.

"At this point, all we can do is put a little pressure on," defenseman Anton Stralman said. "And obviously hope that Pittsburgh and Columbus to do their jobs (beat Toronto). That's all we can ask for."

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