Like the Blanche DuBois character in the play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the Penguins find themselves depending on the kindness of strangers, at least as far as their Stanley Cup playoff hopes are concerned.
Ironically, DuBois speaks the line “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” to the doctor who arrives to take her to a mental institution, ostensibly to have a lobotomy.
Considering the rabid nature of too many Penguins fans – one of whom once offered to let me cut off his leg in lieu of money if he lost a bet he wanted to make with me on the Penguins – a failure again to reach the playoffs might crowd area psych wards.
Washington and Detroit each enter NHL play tonight with 89 points, tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, although Washington is ahead on a tiebreaker. The Penguins are a point back at 88 points. All three teams have one game remaining.
The kindness of strangers referred to earlier entails depending on other teams to beat playoff rivals.
Specifically, the Penguins need both Philadelphia to defeat Washington and Montreal to down Detroit Tuesday night to give meaning to the Penguins’ season finale Wednesday night vs. the New York Islanders.
The Penguins and their supporters had to watch helplessly as Washington buckled down defensively and beat the Boston Bruins 2-0 Monday, a 1-0 game until a last-minute, empty-net goal provided a misleading final margin. Boston had beaten the Penguins 6-4 over the past weekend.
Even more painful emotionally for Penguins interests, Montreal had jumped on Detroit 4-1 Monday. But the Red Wings rallied to tie the game late in regulation and win, 5-4, even later in overtime.
The Penguins recently had blown a two-goal late lead vs. the Red Wings and the point Detroit salvaged by losing in overtime makes part of our current drama possible.
Philadelphia at 87 points also technically is alive in the wild-card chase, but needs a lot of stuff to happen to get into the playoffs, beginning with beating Washington tonight in regulation.
If either Washington or Detroit wins tonight, the Penguins cannot make the playoffs, despite a heroic rally from being 10 points out a playoff spot on March 4 and going 8-1-3 in the past 12 games.
Penguins fans suffered playoff trauma about this time last year, ending a 16-season playoff run by losing, inexplicably, at home, to the largely hapless Chicago Blackhawks.
It would be ironic in the extreme if both Washington and Detroit lost, but the Penguins came up short vs. the Islanders Wednesday. By the way, the Islanders figure to be less than motivated having clinched their playoff seeding. They might rest some key players, and other players might not be as interested in giving 100 percent as they would be were there something to be gained. That should be a huge advantage for the Penguins.
The people at moneypuck.com give Washington a 42.8 percent shot at making the playoffs. Detroit is next at 36.8 percent. The Penguins are rated at 14.6 percent and the Flyers, 5.9.
Let’s drop the puck and find out.
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