Penguins star Evgeni Malkin injured, out for Colorado game Tuesday night

A DOZEN GAMES LEFT IN THE REGULAR SEASON. TIGHT RACE RIGHT NOW. SO LET ME ASK YOU, IS THIS TEAM GOOD ENOUGH TO CLINCH HOME ICE FOR AN OPENING ROUND PLAYOFF? THEY’RE GOOD ENOUGH. I DO THINK THAT IF YOU TRY TO PARSE BETWEEN WHO THEY ARE, WHO THE ISLANDERS ARE, WHO THE BLUE JACKETS ARE, THOSE THREE TEAMS IN THE METRO VYING FOR THE TOP THREE SLOTS, ALONG WITH CAROLINA. ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO BE LEFT OUT AND VYING FOR A WILD CARD SPOT. YOU’RE GOING TO BE DOING EXACTLY THAT. YOU’RE GOING TO BE PARSING. AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE THE GENERAL OPINION. I THINK THAT A LOT OF HOCKEY FANS DO, AT LEAST BASED ON SOME WEB POLLS I’VE PUT OUT THERE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME FEEDBACK I’VE GOTTEN FROM PEOPLE REALLY KNOW THE GAME OF HOCKEY THAT I THINK THE ISLANDERS HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VARIANCE TO WHO THEY ARE. I THINK THAT THE ISLANDERS ARE PROBABLY MOST REPRESENTATIVE OF WHO THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, BASED ON THE SCHEDULE THEY PLAYED, BASED ON WHAT THEY’VE GOT LEFT. THERE’S STILL SOME WOBBLE THERE WITH THE PENGUINS, ESPECIALLY NOW THE ONE POSITIVE SIDE, YOU GET GINO AND SID BACK, HEALTHY AS THEY HAVE BEEN, BUT THE GOALTENDING I THINK HAS SOME VARIANCE TO IT. AND AT SOME POINT YOU FEEL LIKE THE BLUE JACKETS HAVE TO SLOW DOWN. SO MY HUNCH RIGHT NOW, IF YOU MADE ME CHO