The way the NHL standings currently sit, there’s a good chance the Penguins and Blue Jackets will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Game 1 of that series would take place next Wednesday or Thursday. But where that game is played could very well be determined this Thursday night.
Let’s call it Game 0.
The Penguins and Blue Jackets are tied on points in the Metropolitan Division standings (the Penguins hold the tiebreaker) and will face off Thursday night in Columbus. The winner, especially if one team can do it in regulation, would have a major inside track toward home-ice advantage in a potential first-round series.