There’s a kind of late-season electricity around the league right now—everyone checking math, everyone watching the clock. And last night’s results didn’t exactly make it easier.
The NHL’s Sunday slate hit six games full of playoff implications, and one of the biggest moments came in Washington. The Capitals beat the Penguins 3-0, with Alex Ovechkin getting an assist and then receiving a standing ovation from the capacity crowd at Capital One Arena. Misryoum newsroom reported this may have been what fans experience as the final home game of his illustrious NHL career, and Ovechkin said he’ll decide during the offseason whether to retire from the League or return next season. Meanwhile, the Capitals (42-30-9) have won seven of nine, and they’re within one point of the Flyers—who have a game in hand—for third in the Metropolitan Division. The Penguins, meanwhile, sit second and are waiting on whoever clinches third to open the playoffs.
That waiting is the theme today too, but it’s more direct when it’s tied to specific matchups. In the Eastern Conference, the playoff picture is essentially being sorted right down to who lands in which slot. If playoffs started Monday, the bracket would pair (2M) Pittsburgh Penguins with (3M) Philadelphia Flyers. So yes, the Flyers clinching conversation isn’t just about making the postseason—it’s about locking in where and who they’re chasing when the games turn sharper.
Over in the West, the list of moving pieces is almost obnoxiously long. Colorado Avalanche at Edmonton Oilers (9:30 p.m.; TVAS, SNW, ALT, KTVD) stands out because the Avalanche have already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy for the most points in the regular season. Still, the Oilers (40-30-10) aren’t just playing spoiler—they’re competing with the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks for first in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights lead with 91 points, followed by the Oilers and Ducks with 90 each, and each of the three teams with two regular-season games remaining. It’s tight enough that one bounce, one bad shift, and suddenly “first” becomes a moving target.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Kings at Seattle Kraken (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN) is loaded with conditions, the kind that make you feel like you need a whiteboard. The Kings (34-26-19) can clinch a playoff berth with a win in any fashion and if the Sharks defeat the Predators in regulation. They’re also chasing two different goals: catching the Utah Mammoth (90 points) for the first wild card and winning the Pacific Division—though for the division, they’re trailing the Golden Knights by four, and the Oilers and Ducks by three. The Kraken (34-34-11) are eliminated from playoff contention, which basically tells you the attention elsewhere will be the point.
The most dramatic part is probably Winnipeg Jets at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN3). The Golden Knights (37-26-17) lead the Pacific Division, which would ensure home-ice advantage for at least the Western Conference First Round. They’re 5-0-1 since John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy as coach March 29—those kinds of swings matter when the standings are this stubborn. And then there’s the Jets (35-32-12), sitting five points behind the Kings. They’ll be eliminated
from playoff contention with either a regulation loss, an overtime or shootout loss and if either the Kings get at least one point against the Kraken or the Predators defeat the Sharks in any fashion, or if the Kings defeat the Kraken in any fashion. Misryoum editorial desk noted it’s the sort of scenario where one team’s fate is tied to three different games, and that’s exactly why fans keep refreshing updates.
Back to the East, though—because that’s where the Flyers storyline lands right on your lap. If playoffs start Monday, it’s (2M) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3M) Philadelphia Flyers, and with how the Capitals are pushing and the Flyers are positioned just ahead in that “game in hand” way, it’s hard not to think Flyers fans are already picturing the first matchup. Somewhere in the pause between games, you can almost hear it: the buzz of someone at a bar turning their TV volume up, the smell of hot wings cutting through the crowd noise—like the season is loud even when you’re just sitting still. And then you remember the Flyers aren’t just watching; they can still clinch and, depending on how the rest shakes out, they could be locking something in that sticks.
TalkTalk Hit With Ovo Lawsuit Over 2022 Broadband Deal