The Pittsburgh Penguins have been by far the best team in the Eastern Conference this season. They have been running way with the Metropolitan Division and seems like it will only be a couple of weeks before they clinch it. They also are poised to lock up the number one seed in the East for the second season in a row.

There are a few teams in the East that could give them trouble and in this article we’ll see how the Penguins matchup against the top five teams in the East beneath them.

Boston Bruins

This is the team that can give Pittsburgh fits come playoff time. Their defense match up well and has a decisive edge on the Penguins. Offensively, Pittsburgh matches up a lot better because of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. No one on that team even comes close to their level of offensive production. Goaltending is very interesting. Marc-Andre Fleury and Tuukka Rask are two of the best goalies in the NHL this season as Fleury leads the league in wins with 32. Rask has been unbelievable this year and played great against the Penguins during the playoffs. Let’s hope we see this matchup in the playoffs so Pittsburgh can get another crack at Boston.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Pittsburgh matches up great against Tampa. On defense they have a distinct advantage as Tampa doesn’t really have the depth that the Pens boast on defense. Victor Hedman is having a nice year, but the talent drops off from there. On offense, Pittsburgh and Tampa are close to equal as Steven Stamkos and Crosby each always lead their team in points when healthy. Martin St. Louis is also very dangerous despite his age and rookies Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat have been phenomenal in their freshman campaign. Goaltending is about equal as Ben Bishop for Tampa has been outstanding this season and is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto has been an up and down team this season.  After a strong start they fell down the standings a bit. Pittsburgh matches up very well against the Leafs. Defensively and offensively they have the edge, as Pittsburgh’s defense is deeper than the Toronto blue line. It’s the same for the offense where Crosby and Malkin are too much for Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri. Toronto seems to go on extended scoring droughts and cannot get into a shootout with a team like Pittsburgh. Goaltending favors Pittsburgh, as Reimer and Bernier just haven’t been as consistent as expected. In spite of an impressive record and a big jump in the standings Toronto still has a goal differential of minus-4.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadians have also been an up and down team this year. They headed into the Olympic break riding a three-game win streak and can be dangerous if they can score. Former Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien came under fire this year and was rumored to be on the hot seat. The recent climb in the standings may save his job for now, but Montreal has high, if unrealistic, expectations for their club. Pittsburgh matches up very good offensively against the Canadiens too. The top scorer on Montreal is a defenseman, P.K Subban which is all you need to know. Defensively I’d lean to Montreal since they have arguably the best defenseman in the world in Subban. The goaltending edge I would give to Pittsburgh. Carey Price is having a fantastic year, but I would still take Fleury.

New York Rangers

This is the last team on my list and it’s one of the hardest to sort out. Goaltending is an advantage to New York. Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the world and Fleury isn’t quite there, yet. Offense favors Pittsburgh since Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan, and Brad Richards can’t seem to score with any consistency. Defense is very tough and I’d say they are equal. A Rangers-Penguins matchup in the playoffs would be the fantastic considering how the two teams stack up on paper.