It’s that simple. After a very big shutout win last night over the Flyers in Detroit, the Red Wings go on the road tonight in Boston with the opportunity to extend the longest active playoff streak in all of professional sports.

The Bruins, Flyers, and Red Wings are fighting for the Eastern Conference’s two remaining playoff spots. Detroit and Boston each have two games left, including one against each other, while Philadelphia has three games remaining. The Eastern Conference standings currently look like this:  

Detroit has moved into position to capture a playoff berth by virtue of controlling the third-place position in the Atlantic Division. In even better news, second place is within reach, because the wings are only two points behind Tampa Bay, which is reeling after the team recently lost its captain and leading scorer, Steven Stamkos, along with three other players, to injuries. Surpassing the Lightning would reward the Red Wings with home-ice advantage in the first playoff round.

The odds favor Detroit and Philadelphia capturing the East’s final two playoff slots, and even if the Red Wings lose tonight in Boston and on Saturday in New York against the Rangers, Sports Club Stats still gives them a better-than-fifty-percent probability of making it into the postseason. Still, if Detroit finishes the season in that fashion, they would need the Senators to beat the Bruins on Saturday to keep Boston out of the playoffs.

As you mull the various possibilities the final moments of the regular season present, feel free to enjoy this nifty goal Kyle Quincey scored last night to seal the Red Wings’ win over the Flyers. If you’ve got time for one more, have at this short video essay by J.P. Morosi, a Michigan native new to NHL Network by way of MLB Network.