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Penguins become fourth team to clinch playoffs; Caps keep Metro lead

Pittsburgh Penguins v Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 21: Robin Lehner #40 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save on Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at the KeyBank Center on March 21, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)

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Injuries continue to assail the Pittsburgh Penguins, yet they keep battling. Perhaps clinching a playoff berth will soothe some of those wounds, then.

They punched their ticket after beating the Buffalo Sabres in a spirited 3-1 bout on Tuesday, becoming the fourth NHL team to do so in 2016-17. As the latest example of how ridiculous the Metropolitan Division is, consider that the Penguins are the third Metro team to clinch.

Speaking of that stout division, Pittsburgh didn’t get to go to first place tonight, as the Washington Capitals rode a great Alex Ovechkin performance to a 4-2 win against the Calgary Flames.

Let’s take a look at the three-team race for the top spot in the Central after Tuesday’s proceedings:

Capitals - 102 points in 72 games
Penguins - 101 points in 72 GP
Blue Jackets - 100 points in 71 GP

(Those lagging Rangers would merely lead the Atlantic Division. Slackers.)

You can check out some of the nastiness from Penguins - Sabres here and a mixture of Sidney Crosby’s brilliance and saltiness here.