NHL Playoffs 2012: How Panthers vs. Devils Tuesday night impacts the Flyers

The Ottawa Senators couldn't help us out last night, as they fell to the New York Rangers in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series. That result pushes that series to a Game 7 on Thursday night, and thus we'll have to wait at least that long before learning the Flyers' second round fate.

But the Florida Panthers can help bring at least a little bit of clarity tonight when they attempt to knock out the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 at Bank Atlantic Center. The Cats will start Scott Clemmensen in goal, and there's a certain irony in Clemmensen having the opportunity to eliminate the Devils, where he served as backup to Martin Brodeur for several years before moving on.

Should the third-seeded Panthers win, they'll join the Flyers in the second round, and just as if the Sens had won last night, it'll cut the number of potential second round scenarios down from eight to four. A Florida win also crushes any possibility of the Flyers playing the Boston Bruins or Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

That's about all it means, though. Things will still be pretty cloudy after tonight's game, and if the Devils win, the Flyers vs. Penguins series will have been the only one not to go to a Game 7. Use this as a discussion thread for tonight's game, if you so please.

Also, please enjoy this completely unrelated video of Claude Giroux getting his own Top 10 countdown on TSN.