The nobody-wants-it Eastern Conference wild card chase has oscillated so frequently that today brings another set of targets, unlikely though they may be.
The Isles begin a back-to-back set with a game in Philadelphia tonight, where the Flyers (82 points) are in the second wild card spot and five points ahead of the Isles (77 points), though having played two more games. Between them are the Detroit Red Wings (80 points, one more game played than the Isles), who face the Lightning tonight in Tampa.
Saying things like the following sentence is tiring and borderline stupid, but it’s where we are: If the Isles can win in regulation tonight and then again tomorrow when the Blackhawks visit, they could be just a point behind the Flyers on Wednesday morning, still with a game in hand on Philly.