Senators at Penguins
One day after gaining the upper hand for second place in the Metropolitan Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch the spot when they host the Ottawa Senators on Friday in their regular-season finale. Pittsburgh edged Columbus in overtime on Thursday to move one point ahead of both the Blue Jackets and New Jersey for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with one game remaining for each team.
Phil Kessel scored his second goal of the game 1:06 into the extra session and added an assist to increase his career-high point total to 90. The Penguins are 29-9-2 at PPG Paints Arena after having their seven-game home point streak (6-0-1) halted Sunday by Metropolitan champion Washington. Ottawa kicked off its season-ending three-game road trip Wednesday with a 4-2 triumph in Buffalo. Matt Duchene recorded his third goal in two contests in the victory to raise his season total to 27 - three shy of the career high he set in 2015-16 with Colorado.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN5, RDS (Ottawa), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
ABOUT THE SENATORS (28-41-11): Ottawa could be without Bobby Ryan as the 31-year-old right wing exited Wednesday's game in the first period with a lower-body injury. A four-time 30-goal scorer with Anaheim from 2008-12, Ryan has registered only 11 over 60 contests this season. Captain Erik Karlsson, who is tied with Mark Stone for the team scoring lead with 62 points, is not expected to play in the club's final two games as he remained home to be with his family after the tragic loss of his unborn child last month.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (46-29-6): Evgeni Malkin notched an assist against Columbus to increase his team-leading point total to 97. A three-point performance on Friday will give the 31-year-old Russian his fourth career 100-point season and first since 2011-12, when he collected 109 en route to his second Art Ross Trophy. Patric Hornqvist netted a tally and set up another on Thursday, extending his goal-scoring streak to four games and his point run to six contests (five goals, three assists).
OVERTIME
1. Senators LW Tom Pyatt is one point shy of 100 for his career.
2. Pittsburgh signed F Anthony Angello, a fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, to a two-year, entry-level contract and assigned him to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.
3. Ottawa RW Marian Gaborik, who has not played since March 22, underwent back surgery on Thursday and could begin training in eight weeks.