NHL Playoff Push: Can Canucks, Jets dash into post-season?

The final month of the regular season is upon us, which means the playoff picture is really taking shape.

The stage is mostly set in the East – the steep, 15-point drop-off between eighth and ninth place is the difference between Washington’s 99.4 per cent odds of making the post-season and New York’s 0.6. So, while it’s safe to say we know the cast of actors we’ll be watching as the action plays out this spring, the roles aren’t set quite yet.

Over the past week, the Maple Leafs have remained in second place in the Atlantic but their opponent has changed. A heated battle with the Bruins Tuesday night, a 6-4 Toronto victory, gave us a glimpse of what would be another nasty playoff series should the two line up. That Bruins loss, though, combined with Tampa Bay’s thrilling overtime win over Carolina, saw the Lightning leap into third place. Considering how tightly packed the Atlantic is after Florida (the Panthers’ 98 points gives them a healthy seven-point lead over Toronto for the division’s top spot), it’s safe to assume the trio of Toronto-Tampa-Boston will continue to play leapfrog right through to the end of the regular season.

Over the past week in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche became the first team to hit the 100-point mark on the season to maintain their pace miles above the rest of the West. Momentum is strong this side of the NHL, with all eight current playoff teams heading into the weekend on a win. And then there’s Vegas, currently riding a three-game win streak and applying plenty of pressure in the wild-card race. The Golden Knights, at risk of missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, are just one point behind the Stars for that second wild-card spot – although Dallas has three games in hand. Vegas has a favourable schedule ahead, their next six games coming against team not currently in the playoff picture – including three matchups against the Vancouver Canucks, who could take this opportunity to pass their Pacific foes in the standings if they play their cards right.   

Let’s take a closer look at the playoff picture.

*Playoff odds mentioned throughout are from MoneyPuck.

Here’s a look at the Eastern Conference standings ahead of this weekend’s action:

If the playoffs ended today, these would be our Eastern Conference first-round matchups:

(A1) Panthers vs. (WC2) Capitals

(A2) Maple Leafs vs. (A3) Lightning

(M1) Hurricanes vs. (WC1) Bruins

(M2) Rangers vs. (M3) Penguins

Here’s a look at the Western Conference standings ahead of this weekend’s action:

If the playoffs ended today, these would be our Western Conference first-round matchups:

(C1) Avalanche vs. (WC2) Stars

(C2) Wild vs. (C3) Blues

(P1) Flames vs. (WC1) Predators

(P2) Kings vs. (P3) Oilers

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEKEND

Blues look to keep Predators at bay while battling in Alberta

Blues @ Oilers, Friday 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT; @ Flames, Saturday 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT

March was not exactly kind to the St. Louis Blues -- they stumbled through the schedule, losing nine of 14 games, including two three-game skids. Six of those losses came against clubs not in the playoff picture. Those missed opportunities could soon come back to haunt them as they stare down the home stretch and feel the heat of other teams hot on their tails. While the Blues are still enjoying sky-high playoff odds, there's just one point separating St. Louis from the Predators (WC1) and four from the Stars (WC2). There's no easy path through the post-season -- they're currently poised to play Minnesota in Round 1 -- but a wild-card berth would suddenly thrust them into a series with either the Flames or the dreaded Colorado Avalanche, who made quick work of them last spring.

The Predators and Stars, meanwhile, could take advantage of easier opponents – Nashville visits Buffalo Friday night while Dallas takes on San Jose Saturday and Seattle Sunday.

Can Maple Leafs keep win streak rolling ahead of high-stakes trip to Florida?

Maple Leafs @ Flyers, Saturday 7 p.m. ET; @ Lightning, Monday 7:30 p.m. ET

Since last Sunday’s win over the Atlantic-topping Panthers, the Maple Leafs have continued to impress against some formidable foes, defeating the Bruins Tuesday night in a possible first-round preview followed by another high-scoring win in Winnipeg against a Jets team fighting for their playoff lives. Toronto takes on a floundering Flyers club Saturday before flying to Florida for a pair of tough bouts. A win in Philly will bring added confidence as the Maple Leafs take on Tampa Bay Monday (another potential playoff preview), followed by another date with the Panthers one night later – all while Auston Matthews’ hunt for goal No. 55 rolls on.

Can Jets keep their hopes alive?

Jets vs. Kings, Saturday 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT

Speaking of defying the odds … the Jets’ playoff hopes are also hanging on by a thread, their lopsided 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs Thursday night not exactly doing them any favours. Winnipeg won’t have an easy weekend – they take on the Kings Saturday night in what is essentially a must-win situation if they’re to maintain any hopes at all of a wild-card spot.

The Kings, meanwhile, are in great shape in the standings – certainly one of the more surprising developments in the league this year – but won’t have an easy stretch run by any means. L.A.’s got dates with Calgary (Monday), Edmonton (Thursday) and Minnesota (Sunday, April 10) after this Saturday’s game against the Jets. All three of those games could be playoff previews.

No room for error for Canucks, Golden Knights

Canucks @ Golden Knights, Sunday 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT

Heading into the weekend, the Golden Knights’ odds of making the post-season sit at 45.9 per cent. Vancouver, meanwhile, is looking at much slimmer odds – they currently have a 3.2 per cent chance of making the post-season, about one percentage point behind Winnipeg (4.1). The Golden Knights and Canucks face off three times over the next two weeks, starting Sunday. Vancouver sits five points behind Vegas in the standings, with both teams having played 69 games.

This Canucks core isn’t so far removed from their Cinderella run in the 2020 bubble, so they know first-hand the power of the underdog. And, lucky for them, they’ve got a bench boss who knows a thing or two about odds-defying dashes into the playoffs. As Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre recapped Thursday, Bruce Boudreau once led the Washington Capitals as a mid-season hire to a wild 11-1 sprint to sneak into the 2008 playoffs, closing out the regular season with a seven-game win streak. Just one regulation loss would've seen them miss out on the post-season. These Canucks face a similar situation now.