Road to the Playoffs: The most necessary video games this weekend

The march to the playoffs continues this weekend with a number of video games of large consequence — whether or not for a prime divisional spot, the Presidents’ Trophy or simply to make it to the post-season in any respect.

As we head into the lengthy weekend, at this time’s take a look at the playoff races focuses on the largest video games on the docket. By the time we come out of it on Monday, we’ll have a few week-and-a-half of the common season left and the playoff image will look a lot totally different than it does at this time.

Here’s our matchup-by-matchup take a look at an important video games, all of which you’ll be able to see on Sportsnet+.

Friday: Philadelphia at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

We’ll begin right here with a deal with the Flyers, simply two factors again of the playoffs after Thursday’s loss to Detroit. But the Islanders are coming off back-to-back losses, together with a regulation loss to the Penguins which gave Pittsburgh a small hole in second place within the Metro. Meantime, New York is now caught up within the wild-card race as effectively, with Columbus respiratory down its neck in a race for the Metro’s third spot.

Saturday and Sunday: Florida at Pittsburgh

The Panthers and Penguins play two video games in opposition to one another, each in Pittsburgh, this weekend. It’s fascinating for a pair causes. No. 1 is that the Penguins have a possibility to open up much more house between them and the Metro’s third spot earlier than they end their season with three of their final 4 video games on the street.

And a humorous historic notice on this one. Recall the 2022-23 playoff race. The Penguins had been ninth within the East, however only one again of the Islanders for eighth and two again of the Panthers for seventh. Pittsburgh had two video games left on its schedule, in comparison with one every for New York and Florida. On April 11, the Penguins had been taking part in in opposition to Chicago, the league’s worst staff, and they’d wrap up their common season two nights later in opposition to the Thirty first-overall Blue Jackets.

Despite being on this nice place, Pittsburgh suffered a extremely unlikely 5-2 loss to Chicago in that first recreation, which allowed Florida to clinch its playoff berth and opened the door to the primary of their three consecutive journeys to the Stanley Cup Final.

This season, Florida may play an element within the Penguins’ clinching state of affairs if it drops these two video games. Of course, the stakes aren’t as excessive for Florida now as they had been for Pittsburgh in 2023 — the Panthers group would favor to lose and guarantee it retains its top-10 protected draft decide.

Saturday: Boston at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT

A stable run of play, with six wins in its previous eight video games, has Boston solidly in a playoff spot, nonetheless with an opportunity to push for the No. 3 or presumably even No. 2 seed within the Atlantic. One of the groups the Bruins are nonetheless chasing is the Lightning, whom Boston performs each this weekend and subsequent. Tampa, meantime, is neck and neck with Buffalo and Carolina for first place within the Eastern Conference, which might convey a Round 1 playoff matchup in opposition to a wild-card staff. The Lightning could have immense affect on how the Eastern playoff race performs out for his or her divisional foes, as six of their final seven video games come in opposition to Atlantic groups all with one thing nonetheless to play for.

Saturday: Buffalo at Washington, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

Speaking of the highest spot within the East, Buffalo is seeking to regain its edge on Tampa, which is the same as the Sabres in factors and regulation wins with one recreation in hand. Buffalo should try this in opposition to Washington, which stands out as the longest shot of the bubble groups to get into the wild card within the East, however remains to be in a great place within the tiebreaker. It’s an enormous weekend for the Sabres and Lightning, and can arrange an enormous matchup between the 2 on Monday.

Sunday: Carolina at Ottawa, 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT

A giant win over Buffalo Thursday, buoyed by a pointy efficiency from Linus Ullmark, put Ottawa right into a wild-card spot and units up a busy weekend of video games. On Saturday, the Sens host Minnesota in a matinee, adopted by an Easter Sunday recreation in opposition to Carolina — a staff they could line as much as play in opposition to in Round 1. Goalie utilization shall be in focus for the Sens on this back-to-back state of affairs, as James Reimer put collectively a superb month of March with a 1.71 goals-against common. The Sens begin the weekend within the playoffs by the use of tiebreaker over two different groups with 88 factors. How will they arrive out of it in opposition to two high-powered groups?

Sunday: Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

Every recreation is big for the Red Wings now and their weekend begins with a matinee in Madison Square Garden in opposition to the Rangers. That may make Sunday’s house recreation in opposition to the rather more tough Minnesota Wild all of the tougher. How will they use their goalies? John Gibson has began all however two of Detroit’s video games because the Olympic break, together with each halves of a back-to-back final weekend, getting pulled in the second in opposition to Philadelphia. He’s maybe starting to indicate indicators of fatigue with 15 targets allowed in his final 5 begins.

Friday: St. Louis at Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

On a three-game dropping streak, the Ducks are simply making an attempt to maintain maintain of first place within the Pacific regardless of holding a unfavorable aim differential on the season whereas Edmonton is beginning to put collectively its defensive recreation with 4 wins in a row. There is a ton on the road on this recreation because the Blues, who themselves have been surging because the Olympics, have dropped their previous two video games in opposition to Los Angeles and San Jose, two groups they’re competing in opposition to in a playoff push. A pair of factors in opposition to Anaheim is a should, because the Blues’ street journey will finish on Sunday in Colorado earlier than they play the top-ranked Avs once more at house on Tuesday.

Saturday: Toronto at Los Angeles, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

The Kings are additionally caught up within the West’s playoff race, however have misplaced six of their previous eight and with solely 19 regulation wins have the worst tiebreaker. Toronto, coming into the day eighth-last within the league, has an curiosity in dropping this recreation for 2 causes: its first-round decide is top-five protected; and if the Kings make the post-season, the third-round decide Toronto bought within the Scott Laughton commerce will convert to a second-rounder (by way of Buffalo).

Saturday: Winnipeg at Columbus, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

From an Eastern perspective, the Blue Jackets are at the moment tied with Ottawa and Detroit at 88 factors for the second wild card, however are on the outs as a result of they’ve performed yet one more recreation than each and have fewer regulation wins. Saturday’s opponent presents a determined and pressing Winnipeg Jets squad, which ought to make for a playoff-like environment. And from a Western perspective, the Jets are one of many hottest bubble groups because the Olympic break, together with an enormous win final weekend in opposition to Colorado, however they’re coming off a 3-0 loss to Dallas on Thursday. The Jets are in an OK spot with the tiebreaker, however are three factors out with seven video games remaining and working out of time.

Saturday: Vegas at Edmonton, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

It’s a weighty weekend within the Pacific Division. If Edmonton can win this recreation, it would be capable to take over prime spot within the division; a Vegas loss may put the Golden Knights far sufficient again of Anaheim and Edmonton {that a} division title will get out of attain and makes their seat hotter in relation to the wild-card race. Or, the other occurs, and a Golden Knights victory makes this a good, three-way race for the Pacific.

Saturday: Nashville at San Jose, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

The Sharks appeared all however buried after dropping six straight video games in late March, however now they’ve gained 4 in a row, all in regulation, and begin the weekend in an excellent spot as holders of the West’s second wild-card spot with one recreation in hand on all of the groups instantly behind them, plus a good tiebreaker setup. The Predators, meantime, snapped a three-game regulation dropping skid with an enormous shootout win over Los Angeles on Thursday that pulled them forward of the Kings by the use of the tiebreaker. The winner of this recreation is who shall be in command of the second wild card on Sunday.

Sunday: St. Louis at Colorado, 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

If the Avs sweep their two weekend video games, it will put them on the precipice of clinching the Presidents’ Trophy. As talked about earlier, the Blues will face Colorado on Sunday and once more at house two nights later, a stiff take a look at for a staff hanging on for expensive life within the playoff race.