There are five
weeks remaining in the NHL regular season, and the race for the Stanley
Cup Playoffs in the
Eastern Conference is wide open. Though the Tampa Bay Lightning are running
away with first place in the Atlantic Division and on track to win the Presidents' Trophy as the best regular-season team in the NHL, 11 points separate
the seven teams battling for the final three spots, including the two wild
cards.
Here is where the
Eastern Conference playoff picture stands today:
TAMPA BAY
LIGHTNING (50-12-4)
Where they stand: 104 points; first in NHL and
Atlantic Division
Games remaining: 16 (seven home; nine road)
Key games: March 25 vs. Boston Bruins; April 6 at
Bruins
If playoffs started today: Would play the Montreal
Canadiens in first round
Need to know: The Lightning have won 50 of their
first 66 games, tying the NHL record set by 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for the
fastest to reach 50 victories. Tampa Bay needs 12 wins in its final 16 games to
match Detroit's single-season record of 62.
BOSTON BRUINS
(39-17-9)
Where they stand: 87 points; second in Atlantic
Division
Games remaining: 17 (seven home; 10 road)
Key games: March 25 at Tampa Bay Lightning; April 6
vs. Lightning
If playoffs started today: Would play the Toronto
Maple Leafs in first round
Need to know: The Bruins take a 16-game point streak
into their home game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET;
NESN, FS-CR, TVAS, NHL.TV). Their last regulation loss was 3-2 against the New
York Rangers on Jan. 19.
TORONTO MAPLE
LEAFS (41-21-4)
Where they stand: 86 points; third in Atlantic
Division
Games remaining: 16 (seven home; nine road)
Key games: March 11 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning; April 6
at Montreal Canadiens
If playoffs started today: Would play Boston Bruins
in first round
Need to know: The Maple Leafs have two 70-point
scorers (Mitchell Marner, 81; John Tavares, 72) for the
first time since 2002-03 (Alexander Mogilny, 79; Mats Sundin 72)
WASHINGTON
CAPITALS (38-21-7)
Where they stand: 83 points; first in Metropolitan
Division
Games remaining: 16 (eight home, eight road)
Key games: March 26 vs. Carolina Hurricanes; April 6
vs. New York Islanders
If playoffs started today: Would play the Pittsburgh
Penguins in first round
Need to know: The Capitals will have played 71 games
before facing the Lightning for the first time this season, on March 16. That
starts a stretch in which they play Tampa Bay three times from March 16-30.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
(37-21-7)
Where they stand: 81 points; second in Metropolitan Division
Games remaining: 17 (eight home, nine road)
Key games: March 14 vs. Montreal Canadiens; April 6
at Washington Capitals
If playoffs started today: Would play the Carolina
Hurricanes in first round
Need to know: The Islanders are 1-3-0 during a stretch
when they play eight of nine games at Nassau Coliseum. After March 14 they play
eight of their final 12 on the road.
CAROLINA
HURRICANES (36-23-6)
Where they stand: 78 points; third in
Metropolitan Division
Games remaining: 17 (nine home, eight road)
Key games: March 19 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; March 26
at Washington Capitals
If playoffs started today: Would play the New York
Islanders in first round
Need to know: The Hurricanes are trying to qualify
for the playoffs for the first time since 2009; their nine-season drought is
one short of the NHL record held by the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
PITTSBURGH
PENGUINS (34-22-9)
Where they stand: 77 points; fourth in Metropolitan
Division, first wild card from Eastern Conference
Games remaining: 17 (10 home; seven road)
Key games: March 12 vs. Washington Capitals; March 31
vs. Carolina Hurricanes
If playoffs started today: Would play the Washington
Capitals in first round
Need to know: Pittsburgh is 28-0-3 when leading after
two periods. The Penguins are one of five teams that has not lost in regulation
when taking a lead into the third period.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
(35-24-7)
Where they stand: 77 points; fourth in Atlantic
Division, second wild card from Eastern Conference
Games remaining: 16 (seven home; nine road)
Key games: March 21 vs. New York Islanders; April 6
vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
If playoffs started today: Would play the Tampa Bay
Lightning in first round
Need to know: The Canadiens are tied for last in the
NHL in power-play percentage (12.4) and are last in man-advantage goals (25).
COLUMBUS BLUE
JACKETS (36-26-3)
Where they stand: 75 points; two points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 17 (six home; 11 road)
Key games: March 9 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; March 28
vs. Montreal Canadiens
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: Having 11 of their final 17 games on
the road might not be a bad thing for the Blue Jackets. They are 17-16-2 at
Nationwide Arena but 19-10-1 on the road.
PHILADELPHIA
FLYERS (32-26-8)
Where they stand: 72 points; five points out of
second wild card
Games remaining: 16 (eight home, eight road)
Key games: March 17 at Pittsburgh Penguins; March 30
at Carolina Hurricanes
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: Flyers are 17-4-2 in their 23 games
since Jan. 9, when they were last in the NHL at 15-22-6.
BUFFALO SABRES
(30-28-8)
Where they stand: 68 points; nine points out of
second wild card
Games remaining: 16 (eight home; eight road)
Key games: March 14 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; March 23
at Montreal Canadiens
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: The Sabres share the NHL lead for the
most victories when behind after two periods (seven).
FLORIDA PANTHERS
(28-26-11)
Where they stand: 67 points; 10 points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 17 (seven home; 10 road)
Key games: March 5 at Pittsburgh Penguins; March 26
at Montreal Canadiens
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: The Panthers are second in the NHL with
58 power-play goals. But they're also tied with the Bruins for second in most
shorthanded goals allowed with 11.
NEW YORK RANGERS
(27-27-11)
Where they stand: 65 points; 12 points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 17 (six home; 11 road)
Key games: March 25 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins; March 31
at Philadelphia Flyers
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: Rangers have lost four straight (0-1-3)
and play six of their next seven games on the road where they are 11-16-3 this
season.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
(25-33-8)
Where they stand: 58 points; 19 points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 16 (seven home; nine road)
Key games: March 25 vs. Buffalo Sabres; April 4 at
Carolina Hurricanes
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: The Devils have the fewest road wins in
the NHL (8-21-3) and start a six-game road trip against the Washington Capitals
on March 8.
DETROIT RED WINGS
(23-33-9)
Where they stand: 55 points; 22 points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 17 (seven home; 10 road)
Key games: March 12 at Montreal Canadiens; March 28
at Buffalo Sabres
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: Red Wings have scored 179 goals, fewest
in the Eastern Conference. Their goal differential is minus-44.
OTTAWA SENATORS
(23-38-5)
Where they stand: 51 points; 26 points out of second
wild card
Games remaining: 16 (eight home; eight road)
Key games: March 16 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs; March 26
vs. Buffalo Sabres
If playoffs started today: Would not qualify
Need to know: Senators ended a seven-game losing
streak with a 3-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Ottawa has had
losing streaks of eight (0-7-1), seven (0-7-0), five (0-5-0), four (0-4-0) and
four (0-3-1) games this season.
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