The Eastern Conference field for the Stanley Cup playoffs is set.
The matchups for the opening round are not.
Not even close, really.
The Penguins, for example, realistically could finish as high as third in the Metropolitan Division, or as low as eighth in the conference.
That means their Round 1 opponent could be the No. 2 team in the Metro, or the first-place finisher in their division or the Atlantic.
It makes sense, then, that players are closely monitoring the standings as the NHL's regular season winds down.
"I think everybody's paying attention to the standings at this point in the year," Mike Matheson said after practice Wednesday at PPG Paints Arena. "Regardless of what situation you're in."
Indeed, when the Penguins went through that workout, they were No. 3 in the Metro, but also were keenly aware that they would drop to eighth in the East if the Capitals win in Las Vegas Wednesday night.
The Penguins do not control their destiny -- Washington would be assured of finishing ahead of them if it wins its remaining games -- which likely is part of the reason they aren't thinking much about potential matchups just yet.
"The only thing we can really worry about is these last five games and trying to get on a roll and rack up some points here," Jeff Carter said. "Then, wherever it falls, it falls."
Players rarely, if ever, acknowledge that they believe a particular matchup is especially favorable or unfavorable for their team -- the truism about being careful what you wish for applies here -- but Matheson pointed out that no Eastern playoff club will be out of place in the postseason.
"Especially this year, it seems like every team is so good, coming down the stretch here," he said. "I think every team that's in the playoffs -- and even some that are not making the playoffs -- are really good hockey teams."
The first of the Penguins' final five games is Thursday against Boston at 7:08 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena. The Bruins are two points ahead of the Penguins, but only fourth in the Atlantic.
After going 2-5-1 in their past eight, a victory against a quality opponent could give the Penguins a boost as they approach a relatively soft stretch to close the season, as three of their final four opponents will not be in the playoffs.
"The last five are big for our team," Carter said. "Obviously, you want to be going at full speed when that first (playoff) game starts. Over these next five games is a good time for us to really fine-tune our game. Hopefully, get a full lineup and get some continuity in lines."
The Penguins are relatively healthy, with only Tristan Jarry and Nathan Beaulieu unavailable, but have lost 267 man-games to injury and illness in their first 77 games.
That's compelled Mike Sullivan and his staff to do a lot of mixing-and-matching with their personnel, particularly the forwards, but Carter suggested that all of that movement between lines and roles since last fall could be a plus for the Penguins in coming weeks.
"Playoffs are funny," he said. "Sometimes, things just don't click and you have to change things up, so if you're comfortable with other guys, it makes things a lot easier."
MORE FROM THE PRACTICE
• The Penguins took their annual team photo before the workout. Jarry, who has a broken bone in his foot, participated in the photo, but was pushed to and from his seat on a folding chair. Sullivan reiterated that Jarry is considered "week to week," but did not rule out him being ready to return for the start of the playoffs in about two weeks. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sullivan said. "We still have five games left in the regular season. Tristan is going through a rehab process right now. .... We're not sure what that picture will look like."
• Much of the practice was devoted to special-teams work, which was no surprise because the power play is 1-for-20 in the past eight games. "Power plays are weird," Carter said. "They're getting a lot of good looks. They're moving it around well. Sometimes, it doesn't go in for you and sometimes, you get a couple of easy ones, a couple of backdoor tap-ins or whatnot and it kind of gets you back to where you need to be."
• Sullivan said the coaching staff has been seeking "consistency" when it has reconfigured its defense pairings multiple times in recent weeks. "We're looking for consistency of play," he said. "We're looking for reliable, conscientious, trustworthy play. And when we get that throughout our three pairs, it exponentially improves our team's ability to have success."
• Predictably, Casey DeSmith's teammates are expressing unwavering confidence in his ability to fill in for Jarry, if needed. "He's worked extremely hard this year to fine-tune his game, round his game out," Carter said. "Over this last stretch of games, he's been great for us. He's given us a chance to win every night. That's all you can ask for."
• Personnel combinations:
Guentzel-Crosby-Rakell
Zucker-Carter-Rust
Heinen-Blueger-McGinn
Rodrigues-Boyle-Kapanen
Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Marino
Matheson-Ruhwedel
Beaulieu-Friedman
• The Penguins named Amanda Kessel the first member of their new executive management program. Taylor Haase has more on that here.