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Tonight’s games: Something for everyone

Sergei Gonchar

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar (55), of Russia, is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal to put the Penguins ahead of the Detroit Red Wings in the third period of Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, June 2, 2009. At left is Red Wings right wing Dan Cleary. The Penguins won 4-2. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

AP

There may only be three games tonight, but every single one of them is intriguing. If you’re a hockey fan, you should find at least something to like even if your team isn’t suiting up in one of these matches. Let’s get right to them. Pittsburgh Penguins (42-24-6, 90 pts) at Detroit Red Wings (35-23-13, 83 pts) 7:00 pm ET

Isn’t it always a big game when these two teams play? The added bonus is that both are peaking heading into the playoffs, with the Red Wings on fire in particular. Detroit has very little breathing room ahead of Calgary for the eighth spot while Pittsburgh is holding a slim lead over New Jersey for the Atlantic division title and Buffalo for the second seed. This should be as combative as a regular season inter-conference game can get.

Ottawa Senators (37-30-5, 79 pts) at Montreal Canadiens (36-29-7, 79 pts) 7:30 pm ET

Before their shootout loss to the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens were quietly one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Meanwhile, Ottawa is one of the coldest squads in the league, currently on a five game losing streak. This game has serious playoff seeding impact because the winner will be seated in fifth place in the East. For a day, at least.

Colorado Avalanche (40-25-6, 86 pts) at Los Angeles Kings (41-24-5, 87 pts) 10:30 pm ET

Both of these young, up and coming teams are struggling a little bit right now. They both better be careful, too, because they aren’t guaranteed to make the playoffs. At the same time, each team can climb nicely up the playoff ladder because fifth-place Nashville only has nine games remaining (while LA has 12 and Colorado has 11)