Clinching scenarios for Monday
Western Conference
The Nashville Predators (idle) will clinch the Central Division if the Winnipeg Jets lose to the Ottawa Senators in regulation.
The San Jose Sharks (idle) will clinch a playoff berth if either of the following occurs:
1) The Colorado Avalanche lose to the Los Angeles Kings in regulation
2) The Avalanche lose to the Kings in overtime or a shootout AND the St. Louis Blues lose to the Washington Capitals in regulation.
The Minnesota Wild will clinch a playoff berth if they defeat the Edmonton Oilers in any fashion AND either of the following occurs:
1) The Colorado Avalanche lose to the Los Angeles Kings in regulation
2) The Avalanche lose to the Kings in overtime or a shootout AND the St. Louis Blues lose to the Washington Capitals in regulation.
What’s on tap
There are six games on the schedule Monday:
Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, MSB-B, NHL.TV) – There are no playoff-position ramifications in this game but the Sabres will be looking to win the season series against the Maple Leafs, having won two of the first three games. Buffalo defeated Toronto 3-2 on Jack Eichel‘s game-winning goal March 26. The Maple Leafs, who will likely finish third in the Atlantic Division, plan to start backup goalie Curtis McElhinney for a second straight game.
Winnipeg Jets at Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET; TSN3, TSN5, RDS, NHL.TV) – The Jets start a back-to-back set (they play at the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday) with 106 points, seven back of the Nashville Predators for first place in the Central Division and one game in hand. The Jets, who defeated the Senators 5-0 in Winnipeg on Dec. 3, clinched second in the division and will start the postseason at home.
Carolina Hurricanes at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m. ET; FS-F, FS-CR, NHL.TV) – It’s the start of a five-game final week of the regular season for the Panthers, who are facing a shrinking margin for error in their bid for a playoff position. Florida (86 points) trails the New Jersey Devils by seven points for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. New Jersey has three games remaining.
Washington Capitals at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; NHLN-US, TVAS, FS-MW, NSCSWA, NHL.TV) – The Blues have an opportunity to move back into a playoff position in a see-saw battle in the Western Conference. With four games to play, St. Louis has 92 points, one behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the playoffs from the West. The Blues are two points behind the Los Angeles Kings, who hold the first wild card, and four behind the Minnesota Wild, who are third in the Central. The Avalanche and Kings each have three games to play, the Wild four. Washington has clinched first place in the Metropolitan Division and is playing the second of a back to back after a 3-1 win at the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday.
Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; FS-N; SNW, NHL.TV) – The Wild may be without top defenseman Ryan Suter, who sustained a lower-body injury at the Dallas Stars on Saturday. With 96 points and four games to play, Minnesota can do no better than third in the Central. The Wild lead the Avalanche by three points for third and a victory in their final regular-season home game would be a big step toward locking down third place and a playoff position.
Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; SN, SN1, PRIME, ALT, NHL.TV) – The Kings (94 points, three games to play) and Avalanche (93 points, three games to play) occupy the first and second wild cards into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Kings are one point behind the Anaheim Ducks for third place in the Pacific Division; Anaheim also has three games remaining. The Avalanche, who lost 4-3 in overtime at Anaheim on Sunday, could jump into the first wild-card position with a win. Colorado is three points behind the Wild for third place in the Central.
Thought of the day
For the past couple of weeks, the battles for playoff positions in each conference have had intrigue.
Mostly above the fray, however, has been a fascinating team that’s not getting a whole lot of attention.
What the San Jose Sharks have done in the second half of the season has been unexpected by some and impressive to those paying attention.
At the start of the season, coming off a disappointing and injury-plagued six-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference First Round last spring, the Sharks were barely treading water.
On Dec. 5, the Sharks were 14-10-2 and there was a quiet yet strong concern about goals. They scored 65 goals in their first 26 games, 2.5 per game and 30th out of 31 teams. Only the Buffalo Sabres had scored at a lower pace (2.07 goals per game) two months into the season.
It’s difficult to score significantly more as the season progresses, but the Sharks have done exactly that. Heading into the final week of the regular season, San Jose has increased its goals to 3.01 per game (238 goals in 79 games), 12th in the NHL, and by remaining a steady, top-10 defensive team (2.71 goals-against per game), are 44-25-10 for 98 points. That has moved the Sharks just far enough above the Western Conference playoff line.
The Sharks are tracking toward a second-place finish in the Pacific Division, have an attractive problem ahead of them with injured center Joe Thornton projected to be ready in the next week or two (he sustained a lower-body injury on Jan. 23), and may be the team trending strongly and flying under the radar when the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 11. – Tim Campbell, NHL.com Staff Writer
About Last Night
Anaheim Ducks 4, Colorado Avalanche 3 (OT) — The Ducks, who trailed 3-1 entering the third period, moved into third place in the Pacific Division, three points behind the second-place San Jose Sharks and two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who own the first wild card. The Avalanche moved into the second wild card, one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues, who have a game in hand. The Avalanche and Kings play in Los Angeles on Monday.
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT) — Claude Giroux scored his second goal of the game 3:39 into overtime to win it for the Flyers, who hold the first wild card from the Eastern Conference. They are tied in points with the Columbus Blue Jackets (94) but the Blue Jackets, third in the Metropolitan Division, own the tiebreaker on goal differential. The Bruins remained in first place in the Atlantic Division; they lead the Tampa Bay Lightning by two points with one game in hand.
Nashville Predators 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1— The Predators opened up a seven-point lead over the second-place Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division and took a three-point lead over the Bruins in the race for the Presidents’ Trophy. The Lightning fell two points behind Boston in the race for the Atlantic Division and the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning have played one more game than the Bruins, who play at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
New Jersey Devils 2, Montreal Canadiens 1 — Taylor Hall scored the first shorthanded goal of his eight-year NHL career for the Devils, who moved seven points ahead of the Florida Panthers for the second wild card in the East and within one point of the Flyers and Blue Jackets.
Washington Capitals 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 1— The Capitals clinched the Metropolitan Division for the third straight season on the night captain Alex Ovechkin played his 1,000th NHL game. The Penguins are second in the division, two points ahead of the third-place Blue Jackets.
If playoffs started Monday:
Here is a look at the matchups for the first round as they stand entering games Monday:
Eastern Conference
(1A) Boston Bruins vs (WC2) New Jersey Devils
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC1) Philadelphia Flyers
(2M) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3M) Columbus Blue Jackets
(2A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3A) Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference
(1C) Nashville Predators vs. (WC2) Colorado Avalanche
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Los Angeles Kings
(2C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3C) Minnesota Wild
(2P) San Jose Sharks vs. (3P) Anaheim Ducks
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