NHL Playoff Push: Key games to watch as playoff picture comes into focus
Two weeks from now, the NHL’s regular season will come to a close, and the playoffs will arrive. Before they get there, the post-season crop still has a handful of games to navigate. Sonny Sachdeva previews key games to watch this weekend as the playoffs inch closer.
Two weeks from now, the NHL’s regular season will come to a close, and the post-season will arrive. The slate will be wiped clean, and each playoff hopeful will start their journey towards the Stanley Cup summit on level ground, their chances at stitching together a run sitting level, too.
But before they get there, the post-season crop still has a handful of games to navigate, to help aid those chances as much as they can, some clubs jostling for home-ice seeding, others still fighting to get in at all. And then there’s the late-season balancing act to manage — how to prepare for the trek to come, avoiding injury and resting up for the battle, while also locking up important wins down the stretch.
That in mind, for this iteration of Playoff Push, we take a look at some key games on the schedule this weekend, and how they might impact the post-season picture:
Florida Panthers vs. Ottawa Senators
The Atlantic Division is primed for fireworks down the stretch, with just four points separating third place from the division leader, and fourth-place picking up steam, too. Saturday’s meeting between the Cats and Senators will see No. 3 play No. 4, and a win for either side would cause a bit of chaos down the stretch. The Sens have run into some tumult over the past two weeks after an early-March six-game win streak. But fresh off a 2-1 win over the Bolts, a Senators win over the Panthers would move Ottawa to 88 points, just a handful back of Florida in third place, and not far from Tampa Bay in second place — a development that would add plenty of division intrigue to the final two weeks of the campaign. On the other side, the Panthers find themselves in a three-game slide, and have lost six of their past 10 — a win to right the ship would not only hold off Ottawa, but move them to 94 points, potentially above Tampa Bay and just a pair away from Toronto and the division crown.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Buffalo Sabres
The Bolts will have a say in the matter too, though, with a tilt against the Sabres on deck Saturday. Before dropping that last tilt to Ottawa, the Lightning had won four straight, all in fairly convincing fashion. They should have a good chance to do the same against a basement-dwelling Sabres team they beat in the two clubs’ only prior meeting this season. A win would move Tampa Bay to 95 points, helping them hold onto second place and stave off the Cats and Sens — and moving them right to the Maple Leafs’ heels in that battle for the division lead.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
And then there’s the Maple Leafs, who find themselves in need of a win of their own Saturday to hold off those two Floridian rivals. W’s for the Panthers and Lightning would move both clubs to Toronto’s doorstep — for the Leafs faithful, the hypothetical of falling into second or third place, and facing a rerun first-round series against Florida or Tampa Bay, is a daunting one. Avoiding that reality means handling their business in every seemingly winnable game down the stretch, something these Maple Leafs have struggled with at times. Saturday’s tilt seems another one of those meetings, and also one that could bring more pain on that front, as Toronto faces a Blue Jackets squad that, while currently outside of the playoff picture, has beat the Leafs twice this season, by a collective score of 11-3.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Habs have been rolling, heading into their Saturday-night matchup against Philly with three straight wins — two against the defending-champion Panthers — after enduring a five-game slide. A win over the Flyers would help Montreal hold on to their wild-card spot, and their home-stretch momentum, as the clubs behind them pick up steam. It won’t come easy though — the Flyers have won three straight themselves since parting ways with John Tortorella, and beat Montreal 6-4 just last week, in the first of those post-Torts games.
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
Making a win Saturday all the more important for Montreal is the Rangers’ situation behind them. Sitting just two points back of the Canadiens, the Rangers face the Devils on Saturday in a key tilt of their own — a New York win and a Montreal loss would leave the clubs level with 81 points. The Rangers have the tougher weekend opponent, facing a Devils squad that sits third in the Metropolitan. But Jersey is also without two of their best, with Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton sidelined by injury — and the Rangers managed to beat them the last time the two clubs faced each other, when both stars were in the lineup.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Anaheim Ducks
The Canucks have been fighting for their playoff lives, but a recent slide has done them no favours on that front — Vancouver enters their Saturday afternoon tilt with the Ducks having dropped three straight, and have lost six of their past nine games overall. Already facing an uphill battle for a wild-card spot — sitting eight points back of Minnesota, who have a chance at two more points on Friday — Vancouver needs to claim as many wins as they can down the stretch to keep the dream alive. A victory over a Ducks side that’s already been eliminated from playoff contention would seem to be key in that effort, and would move Vancouver to 83 points, potentially one back of the rival Flames.
Calgary Flames vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Flames, meanwhile, will look to extend that gap between them and the Canucks, and shrink the one between them and Minnesota. Calgary has been in the thick of the wild-card race for a fair while, but now they find themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, with a sizeable gap to close. But the opportunity to climb that hill is there, with Minnesota having hit a rut, losing five of their past six heading into Friday’s meeting with the Islanders. Unfortunately for Calgary, the Wild have still claimed extra-time points over their past two tilts. Still, if the Flames — who’ve won six of their past nine — can string together a run over the next couple weeks, they’ll have a shot. First up is a tough matchup on Saturday with a Vegas side that’s looking to lock up 100 points and extend its lead over the division. If Calgary can get by them, they move to 86 points, just three back of a wild-card ticket.
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Wild might seem catchable, but the West’s other wild-card squad is moving in the opposite direction. The Blues have been dominating lately, winning 11 straight games amid a run that started in mid-March. Rewind to the night before that dominant stretch, and St. Louis sat outside the playoffs, with two clubs stationed between them and a post-season berth. Now, the Blues hold the first wild-card spot comfortably, and are on the hunt for some Central Division chaos. A win against No. 3 Colorado on Saturday would bring some, as a 12th straight Blues win would move St. Louis to 93 points, just five back of the Avs. The Blues can’t catch Dallas or Winnipeg either way, but if their current run of form continues, it is possible for them to overtake Colorado for third place — a late-season twist that would certainly add some intrigue to the West’s first-round matchups.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Utah Hockey Club
At the top of the Central, the Jets will look to keep rolling as they face Utah in what should be a winnable game — Winnipeg has won two of three meetings against the Hockey Club this season, including a 5-2 victory last time out. The Jets have looked every bit the league’s best since the start of the season, and sit on the cusp of setting a new franchise record for wins. More important to them is surely the chance to set themselves up for a long playoff run — holding on to the top spot in the Central would go a long way on that front, with the Jets currently on track to face the struggling Wild. Wobbling down the stretch and falling into second place, on the other hand, would leave them open for a tougher first-round test against Colorado or the red-hot Blues.
Dallas Stars vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
And just behind the Jets, ratcheting up the pressure on the division leader, is Dallas. Sitting just four points back of Winnipeg, the Stars have been rolling lately, winning seven straight games, that run currently the second-longest active streak in the league. Saturday afternoon offers up a fairly good chance of getting to eight-in-a-row, with Dallas set to face a Pittsburgh team that’s struggled mightily all year. The Stars beat the Pens 7-1 in their only prior meeting this season. A similar performance this weekend, coupled with a Jets loss, would move Dallas to 106 points, just two back of that top spot — making the clash between the Central’s two best clubs next week all the more important.
