With the NHL playoffs quickly approaching, every day of the regular season has gained increased importance. Here at Sporting News we’ll keep you updated with the latest playoff positioning, the teams in the hunt, the previous days games and a look forward to tonight’s action.
X-clinched playoff, Y-clinched division
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
Y- Boston Bruins (111 pts, 5 games remaining)
X-Montreal Canadiens (93pts, 5 games remaining)
X-Tampa Bay Lighting (93 pts, 5 games remaining)
Metropolitan Division
Y-Pittsburgh Penguins (103 pts, 5 games remaining)
New York Rangers (91 pts, 4 games remaining)
Philadelphia Flyers (87 pts, 6 games remaining)
Wild Card
Detroit Red Wings (86 pts, 6 games remaining)
Columbus Blue Jackets (85 points, 6 games remaining)
In the hunt
Toronto Maple Leafs (84 pts, 4 games remaining), Washington Capitals (81 pts, 6 games remaining), New Jersey Devils (80 pts, 6 games remaining)
Toast
Ottawa Senators (78 pts, 6 games remaining)
Western Conference
Central Division
X-St. Louis Blues (111 pts, 6 games remaining)
X- Colorado Avalanche (104 pts, 6 games remaining)
X-Chicago Blackhawks (101 pts, 5 games remaining)
Pacific Division
X-Anaheim Ducks (108 pts, 6 games remaining)
X-San Jose Sharks (107 pts, 4 games remaining)
X-Los Angeles Kings (96 pts, 4 games remaining)
Wild Card
Minnesota Wild (90 pts, 5 games remaining)
Dallas Stars (85 pts, 6 games remaining)
In the hunt
Phoenix Coyotes (85 pts, 5 games remaining)
Toast
Vancouver Canucks (79 pts, 5 games remaining ), Nashville Predators (77 pts, 6 games remaining)
Thursday recap
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT)
The Leafs nearly choked away another game against the Bruins as they blew a two-goal third-period lead. But Nazem Kadri netted the winner in overtime and grabbed the Leafs a crucial second point. That’s the good news for Toronto. The bad news is what happened in Philadelphia.
Columbus Blue Jackets 2, Philadelphia Flyers 0
Sergei Bobrovsky shut the door on his old team with 37 saves and James Wiseniewski scored the winner as the Blue Jackets downed the Flyers. The victory keeps Columbus a point ahead of Toronto while the Blue Jackets also have two games in hand on the Maple Leafs.
It could have been worse for the Flyers as the Rangers only got a point last night, but Philadelphia can no longer win home-ice advantage in the first round by simply winning out. In fact, it is only two points up on the Blue Jackets. If Philadelphia isn’t careful, it could fall into a wild-card spot.
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Dallas Stars 1
The Stars had a golden opportunity to take control of the final wild-card spot in the West. But the Hurricanes scored the first three goals of the game and went on to an easy win. Kari Lehtonen was yanked in defeat. The good news for Dallas is that was just one of its two games in hand over Phoenix.
As for the Hurricanes, they aren’t mathematically eliminated but trailing the Blue Jackets by six points with five to play means they are finished.
Calgary Flames 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
Two goals in the first and two more in the third took care of business for the Flames on Thursday. The loss drops Tampa to the third spot in the Atlantic, behind Montreal, with the teams level on points and games played. But Montreal owns two more non-shootout wins, putting them in the driver’s seat for home-ice advantage in the first round.
Chicago Blackhawks 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (SO)
It’s always better to grab two points than one, but the Wild probably aren’t too disappointed with the end result. They rallied on an Erik Haula goal with under two minutes left to pick up the point and while they couldn’t earn the second, the Wild are five points ahead of both the Coyotes and Stars. With such few games remaining, Minnesota is going to make the playoffs, barring total collapse.
The Blackhawks win keeps them within three points of the Avalanche for home ice in their first-round playoff series.
St. Louis Blues 2, Buffalo Sabres 1
No shocks here. The Blues win moves them three points clear of the Ducks for the top spot in the West and even with Boston in the race for the President’s Trophy. The Blues have a game in hand on the Bruins but are level on games played with the Ducks.
Pittsburgh Penguins 4, Winnipeg Jets 2
This one of bookkeeping importance rather than immediate playoff implications. The Penguins have been the defacto Metropolitan Division winners for weeks now. They just made it official with the win. The Jets were essentially dead in the West anyway. They remain that after the loss.
The most important note from this one is that Penguins defenseman Paul Martin returned from his broken hand and scored a goal. The score was nice, but Martin’s return means more than just that to Pittsburgh.
Colorado Avalanche 3, New York Rangers 2 (SO)
The Avalanche continue to defy expectations. Even with the Matt Duchene injury, they have continued to win and look to secure home ice against the Blackhawks in the first round. The Rangers loss in the shootout was coupled with the Flyers loss in regulation, so the Blueshirts chances at securing home-ice advantage in the first round actually went up with the loss.
San Jose Sharks 2, Los Angeles Kings 1
In what could very well be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup, the Sharks scored twice in the second period to take down the Kings. While that victory took the Sharks back to within one point of the Ducks, they now have played two more games than the Ducks. With just four games remaining for the Sharks, they will need a bit of help if they want to win the Pacific.
MORE: NHL suspensions in 13-14 | Wendel Clarkson lives on | Letterman's best hockey moments
Friday preview
Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators
The Canadiens have control of their own destiny when it comes to home-ice advantage in the first round. But they can lose control if they don’t pick up the full two points tonight against the Senators. Montreal will be without Douglas Murray after he was suspended for three games for his elbow to the head of Mike Kostka. Ottawa is still mathematically alive for the final wild-card spot in the East, but don’t stand a real chance of making it.
Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets
Fresh off their big win in Philadelphia, the Blue Jackets return home to face the Blackhawks in the brutal second half of a back to back. This is one of the games they have in hand on the Leafs, so even a point would be big. The Blackhawks need two points if they want to catch the Avalanche for home ice in the first round.
Washington Capitals at New Jersey Devils
This isn’t quite an elimination game, but it’s close to one. The Capitals are four points back of Columbus and could be six points behind with a regulation loss and Blue Jackets win tonight. The Devils are five points behind Columbus and could be seven back with a loss.
Buffalo Sabres at Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings have won three straight but despite their recent hot streak, the other teams chasing remain in striking distance. The Wings hold the first wild-card spot, but only have a point edge on Columbus and two points on Toronto, albeit with two games in hand on the Leafs. A win tonight, against the league’s worst team who is also playing the second half of a back to back, is mandatory.
But the Wings will getting someone rather important back.
Looking forward to a game on Friday! I am in...
— Pavel Datsyuk (@Datsyuk13) April 3, 2014
Edmonton Oilers at Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes can temporarily regain the final wild-card spot in the West with a point tonight, but really, they need all two. After tonight, Phoenix has just four games remaining, compared to six for Dallas. Anything less than a win means the Coyotes will need lots of help to make it in the West.
Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks don’t need to be great to win the Pacific- they hold a point lead on the Sharks and have two games in hand. But if they want to catch the Blues for the top seed in the West, the Ducks need to take all the points they can. As for the Predators, they’ll need to get hot, and have a total collapse by the Stars and Coyotes to make the playoffs. In other words, it’s not happening.