Four weeks ago, Les Canadiens emerged with a surprising 3-2 overtime win over the visiting Maple Leafs. This time around, Toronto is the home team, and this will be the second of three meetings between these two old rivals this season. The Leafs are headed to the post-season, with seemingly the only thing to be determined being which team will have home-ice advantage in the first-round showdown (again) with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As for Montreal, they’ve played better hockey since the return from the All-Star break, but it’s about the future for this rebuilding team.
Many observers consider these two of the top teams in the topsy-turvy Western Conference. The defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche have been hobbled by key injuries for most of this season but hope to be back at full strength next month. They welcome in an Oilers team who have recently been receiving solid goaltending from Jack Campbell, which has helped catapult the Oil back into the race for top spot in the crazy Pacific Division.
The Rangers’ stock is on the rise, and the recent addition of veteran sniper Vladimir Tarasenko only fires up hope with the Broadway Blueshirts’ faithful. Tonight, they tangle with a Jets’ team that has rebounded from a sub-par 2021-22 season and has designs on the Central Division crown.
It’s crunch time now for both teams, as the 2022-23 NHL regular season is quickly winding down. Will the veteran-laden Capitals grab one of the eight post-season tickets up for grabs in the East? The Red Wings are still alive in that same mad scramble, thanks to improved play as of late, but are further back in the standings than Washington are. An important 2 points (maybe 3) are up for grabs.
While the Jets will most likely land in the playoffs this season, can the same be said for the Islanders? Yes, no, maybe so. The addition of forward Bo Horvat, obtained in a recent trade with the floundering Vancouver Canucks, has been a good addition to the club, but the Isles have developed a nasty habit of dropping games to teams below them in the standings. That is not a recipe for landing in the playoffs.
Both the Bruins and Kraken sport impressive road records this season. Not the same case on home ice, as while Boston is also stellar in front of the faithful, Seattle would like to improve their record on home ice. Both teams can fill the net, but it’s the Bruins who are the best in the league defensively. Again, Seattle would like to improve that part of their game.
The Wild are in a real fight for a spring invite to the playoffs, and they could realistically finish as high as third in the Central Division, grab one of the two Western wildcard spots, or miss the playoff cut completely. Tonight, they take on a Maple Leafs team who is looking for consistency in their game, as everyone assumes that Toronto will face Tampa in the first round of the postseason.
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