As the NHL enters the final week of the 2018/19 season there are still a few playoff spots open as teams try to punch their tickets to the postseason.
The Tampa Bay Lightning clinched the Atlantic Division a couple of weeks ago and also locked up the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the entire league. This means the President’s Trophy Winners will have the luxury of home ice advantage throughout the entire postseason.
The Boston Bruins have also clinched a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division and they can finish the season in either second or third place. The Toronto Maple Leafs are six points behind them with four games remaining on their schedule and could possibly take second place and home ice advantage in the first round. However, the Maple Leafs still haven’t clinched a postseason berth as of April 1st as they could be passed by the fourth-place team in the Atlantic, the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal sits five points back of Toronto with three games to play.
In the Metropolitan Division, the first-place Washington Capitals and second-place New York Islanders have clinched playoff spots and are battling for the division title. The Capitals currently have a three-point lead over the Islanders with each club having three games to play. The Pittsburgh Penguins sit in third place, but have yet to clinch a playoff position. This is because the Columbus Blue Jackets are just three points behind them and the Carolina Hurricanes are four points back with each team having three contests remaining.
The Blue Jackets enter April as the first wild-card playoff team in the Eastern Conference with Carolina one point behind in the second wild-card spot. Montreal is one point behind Carolina and two back of Columbus with each team having three games to play. Two of the three teams will make the playoffs while the other will be eliminated.
In the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames have clinched the Pacific Division and the conference crown. It’s the first time they have won their division in 13 years. Calgary is guaranteed home ice advantage in all Western playoff games. The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights have also sewn up playoff spots in the Pacific Division.
The Central Division is still up for grabs as the Winnipeg Jets enter the final week of the campaign tied with the Nashville Predators for top spot. However, the St. Louis Blues are just two points behind them. All three teams are guaranteed of playoff spots and have three games remaining to fight it out for the division title.
As far as the wild-card race goes in the West, the Dallas Stars own the first position while the Colorado Avalanche sit in the second spot, four points behind them. The Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild are still alive in the race with Arizona just one points behind Colorado and four points behind Colorado. Dallas, Arizona and Minnesota each have three games remaining while Colorado has four. The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers are also mathematically alive as they could each catch Colorado for the second wild-card position if they win all four of their remaining games and Colorado fails to earn another point. Realistically though, the Western race is between Colorado, Arizona and Minnesota.
As for other late-season NHL news, 33-year-old Russian winger Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals reached the 50-goal mark again this season to become the third player in league history to do so at least eight times. Both Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy lead the way with nine 50-goal seasons.
Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Cam Atkinson has tied Rick Nash at 41 goals for most goals in a season for the franchise. Atkinson now has three games remaining to break the record which was set in 2003/04. Forward Artemi Panarin of Columbus also set new franchise highs as he has 56 assists on the season along with 83 points. He set the club records lat year with 55 assists and 82 points.
Ovechkin tops the goal scoring parade with 51 and should win another Rocket Richard Trophy for leading the league in goals. Forward Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers has 47 on the year and centre John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs has 45 and are the only players with a realistic chance of catching him.
Also, defenceman Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks recently scored his 14th regular-season overtime goal to break the old NHL record for defenceman which was set by Scott Niedermeyer.