With the NHL playoff race heating up, we track the teams impacted by last night’s results and which of tonight’s games will affect the playoff picture.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
If the season ended today…
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (1) vs. NEW YORK RANGERS (8)
MONTREAL CANADIENS (2) vs. NEW YORK ISLANDERS (7)
WASHINGTON CAPITALS (3) vs. OTTAWA SENATORS (6)
BOSTON BRUINS (4) vs. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (5)
Who’s already clinched? Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins.
Who can clinch tonight? No teams can clinch a playoff spot, but the Penguins can clinch top spot in the East with a victory over the Bruins.
What’d I miss? Thursday was a busy night, but other than the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins switching spots, there were no major changes to the East’s top eight.
The Winnipeg Jets picked up a huge overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes to keep them tied with the New York Rangers for eighth in the East – the Jets are in ninth though because they have played one more game. With the win, the Jets also pulled within two points of the Washington Capitals for the Southeast Division lead.
Montreal snapped a three-game skid as the Canadiens topped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2.
The Caps had their eight-game win streak snapped by the Ottawa Senators, who moved within one point of their rival Toronto Maple Leafs, who they have a game in hand on. If Ottawa wins their game in hand, they would leapfrog the Leafs for fifth in the East.
Picking up their third win in four games, The Rangers dominated the Florida Panthers 6-1 to remain in eighth.
The Leafs lost their second straight game – a 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders at home – and for the second contest in a row allowed five goals against.
Although it had little impact in the playoff race, the New Jersey Devils snapped a 10-game losing streak after shutting out the Philadelphia Flyers.
Wednesday’s game to watch:
New York Rangers vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Rangers looked excellent Thursday against the last place Panthers and need a win to remain ahead of the surging Jets. The Rangers control their own destiny, while the Sabres look to remain mathematically alive.
Tonight’s sked:
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins – Friday’s game between the Bruins and Penguins was cancelled, as were their morning skates, Friday due to the ongoing manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.
If the game had gone down, Boston had a chance to gain back the second seed in the East from the Canadiens, while the Penguins could have clinched first in the conference with a win.
Fun fact: With 33 points in 41 games, Bruins forward Jaromir Jagr leads all NHLers aged 40 or older in points this season.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
If the season ended today…
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (1) vs. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (8)
ANAHEIM DUCKS (2) vs. MINNESOTA WILD (7)
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (3) vs. ST. LOUIS BLUES (6)
LOS ANGELES KINGS (4) vs. SAN JOSE SHARKS (5)
Who’s already clinched? Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks.
Who can clinch tonight? No teams can clinch.
What’d I miss? The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t do themselves any favours with a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday. Columbus sits two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars, but both the Wings and Stars have two games in hand on the Blue Jackets.
The Stars beat the Canucks, who had the chance to clinch a post-season berth, 5-1 Thursday for their sixth win in their last seven games.
With the win the Kings stayed in fourth place in the West and San Jose stayed in fifth with their 6-1 win over the Minnesota Wild.
The St. Louis Blues leapfrogged the Wild for sixth in the conference after a 2-1 shootout win over the Phoenix Coyotes, who are all but mathematically eliminated from contention.
Wednesday’s game to watch:
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues
The Blues and Stars have split the season series thus far with St. Louis winning the first matchup 4-3 in late January and Dallas picking up a 4-1 win in early March.
After dealing with their fair share of injuries this season, the Blues are hitting their stride heading into the post-season. They’ve won eight of their last 10 bouts and have received outstanding goaltending from Brian Eliott.
Dallas is also on fire, led by the likes of Jamie Benn and veteran Ray Whitney, who has 10 points in his last six games.
Tonight’s sked:
Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Essentially a meaningless games as the Preds are mathematically eliminated and the Blackhawks have locked up first in the West.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Colorado Avalanche – Two young, struggling teams looking to make a good impression heading into next season.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Calgary Flames – The Ducks could earn the season sweep against the Flames.
Fun fact: The Chicago Blackhawks lead the NHL in goal differential with a plus-52 rating.
