Blackhawks Daily: The East Wild Card Race Still Has No Clarity

The Chicago Blackhawks were off Saturday before their home finale today. But the NHL playoff race ratcheted up more intrigue with a slew of games impacting one another consequentially.

All 8 Western Conference postseason teams have been determined. The matchups still have to fall into place though. The only lock is that the Winnipeg Jets are going to play against the Colorado Avalanche.

In the East, however, there is a mad scramble for the final Wild Card spot. Six of the eight teams are locked in but we still need to learn the third-place Metropolitan team and the second Wild Card team.

It looks like the New York Islanders are going to have that Metro spot end up being theirs. As for that last Wild Card position, there is no clarity whatsoever after Saturday night’s big slate of games.

The Washington Capitals won their game over the Tampa Bay Lightning so they jumped into it with 87 points. The Detroit Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs while the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils so both squads sit with 87 points as well but don’t have the tiebreaker over the Capitals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins came into the evening holding that Wild Card spot but they were the only team of the bunch to lose in regulation. Now, they still sit with 86 points which is the lowest total of any team still alive. They can still make it but they need to win out to control their destiny.

Of every possible playoff team still left in the East, the Flyers are the only ones with one game remaining. That puts them at a disadvantage as well.

All of these teams are off on Sunday but they will be back at it again on Monday. The New York Islanders are going to pay a visit to the New Jersey Devils. The Detroit Red Wings are going to host the Montreal Canadiens. The Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Nashville Predators. The Washington Capitals will go up against the Boston Bruins.

Before they look ahead, they all need to take care of their business in their next game. If they don’t, there is a good chance that will be the end of their opportunity to make it in.

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

• Frank Nazar is going to burn a year of his entry-level contract but it is still a smart move for the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Connor Bedard can still become a top-five scorer in the history of Chicago Blackhawks rookies.
• The Blackhawks saw Ethan Del Mastro have a good first-career NHL game on Friday.

Hockey Now Playoff Focus

• Vegas Hockey Now: Everything seems to be coming together for the Vegas Golden Knights at the perfect time once again.
• Florida Hockey Now: Sam Reinhart’s magical season continues with this amazing moment for the Florida Panthers.
• Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins showed why they can be dangerous once the playoffs come around.
• Nashville Hockey Now: The Nashville Predators need Luke Evangelista to be at his best if they want to win in the postseason.