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.