The NHL playoff push is our daily look back and ahead at the post-season picture as teams position themselves for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
If the season ended today…
(P1) vs. 
(WC2)
(C1) vs. 
(WC1)
(C2) vs. 
(C3)
(P2) vs. 
(P3)
Series we’d love to see: Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets – If they Jets make it into the playoffs, they’ll have all the momentum on their side.
What’d I miss? The Winnipeg Jets shut out the Minnesota Wild 2-0 in their second of four games without Dustin Byfuglien. The win not only gives the Jets’ post-season hopes the boost it needed, it also robbed the Wild of the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. The Jets now sit in the final wild card spot with 94 points… The Vancouver Canucks rallied for a 2-1 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings to earn a crucial two points to put them in control of their own playoff destiny. The Kings earned one point, but are still a point outside of the final wild card spot.
Tuesday’s game to watch: Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues – The Jets have now won two straight without Dustin Byfuglien. Can they make it three? They’d better if they want to stay ahead of the Kings. They’ll certainly have their work cut out for them against a seriously talented Blues squad.
The rest of Tuesday’s sked:
– Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks: The Wild will look to rebound from their loss to the Jets.
– Nashville Predators vs. Colorado Avalanche: The Predators are just one point behind St. Louis for the division lead.
– Arizona Coyotes vs. Calgary Flames: This should be an easy two points for the Flames, who close the season with challenging games against the Kings and Jets.
– Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers: The Kings desperately need a win here if they have any post-season hopes.
Fun fact: This cherry on top of the Jets’ much-needed victory over the Wild:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
If the season ended today…
(A1) vs. 
(WC1)
(M1) vs. 
(WC2)
(A2) vs. 
(A3)
(M2) vs. 
(M3)
Note: The NHL changed the playoff format last season. Click here for full details.
Series we’d love to see: New York Rangers vs. Detroit Red Wings – The Rangers are hot going into the playoffs. The Red Wings? They’ve seen better days. But that’s the thing about the playoffs — once you’re in, it’s anybody’s game. We’d love to watch these two historic teams battle it out.
What’d I miss? The Columbus Blue Jackets were 28 seconds away from earning their 10th consecutive win, but Derek Stepan forced overtime and then netted the winner to get the Rangers one step closer to the President’s Trophy with a 4-3 OT victory.
Tuesday’s game to watch: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators: It’s hard to overstate the importance of this game for both clubs. The Penguins can clinch a playoff berth with a regulation win. (They can also breathe a sigh of relief after their recent free fall.) A Senators win keeps Ottawa alive, though their playoff hopes still very much depend on Pittsburgh, Detroit and Boston stumbling down the home stretch.
The rest of Tuesday’s sked:
– New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils: With a win, the Rangers will grab the two points necessary to clinch the President’s Trophy. One point means they clinch the Eastern conference. Cam Talbot gets the start in net.
– New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers: The Islanders can move up to second in the Metropolitan division with a win. The odds are in their favour: they’ve won all three previous meetings with the Flyers this season.
– Carolina Hurricanes vs. Detroit Red Wings: These two teams meet twice in the next five days. The Red Wings — one of three teams sitting at 95 points — have a strong shot at winning both.
Fun fact: New york Rangers goaltender Cam Talbot received the Rangers’ Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award prior to Monday’s game. The annual award is given to the player that “goes above and beyond the call of duty” on and off the ice.
