Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Wild face Blues, can extend point streak to 14

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2023 NHL postseason. There are 31 days left in the regular season and the races in each of the four divisions are tight. The top three teams in each of the four divisions and the next two highest-place finishers in each conference reach the playoffs.

Here is a look at the NHL standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

On Tap

There are four games on the NHL schedule Wednesday, all with playoff implications.
Buffalo Sabres at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; NBCSWA, MSG-B, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Sabres (33-28-5) and Capitals (32-29-7) each can pull to within to three points of the New York Islanders for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference with a win. The Sabres have three games in hand on the Islanders, who visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. The Capitals have one game in hand. Alex Ovechkin was back in the lineup Wednesday after the forward missed Washington's 5-3 loss at the New York Rangers on Tuesday because of a lower-body injury.
Colorado Avalanche at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, SN1, TVAS)
Colorado (37-22-6) has won three of four games (3-1-0) and can move within two points of the Minnesota Wild for second in the Central Division. The Maple Leafs (40-18-8) have won two of their past three and can increase their lead on the third-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division to four points.
Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS, SN NOW)
The Wild (38-21-8) look to extend their 13-game point streak (10-0-3), tied for the longest in team history, and pull within one point of the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division. St. Louis (29-32-5) has won two of three.
New York Islanders at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; BSW, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Islanders (34-27-8) have lost two straight games, including 5-2 at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, but can tie the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first wild card in the East with a win. Anaheim (22-35-10), which is 14th in the Western Conference, is 5-1-3 in its past nine games.

If playoffs started Wednesday

Here is a look at the matchups for the first round as they stand entering games Wednesday:
Eastern Conference
(1A) Boston Bruins vs. (WC2) New York Islanders
(1M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (WC1) Pittsburgh Penguins
(2A) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (3A) Tampa Bay Lightning
(2M) New Jersey Devils vs. (3M) New York Rangers
Western Conference
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC2) Winnipeg Jets
(1C) Dallas Stars vs. (WC1) Seattle Kraken
(2C) Minnesota Wild vs. (3C) Colorado Avalanche
(2P) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3P) Edmonton Oilers

About last night

There were 12 games Tuesday, 11 of which had playoff implications:
Montreal Canadiens 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 4: Jake Guentzel had two goals and an assist and Kris Letang had a goal and two assists, and the Penguins (34-23-10) remained two points ahead of the New York Islanders for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry allowed four goals on seven shots before being relieved at the start of the second period by Casey DeSmith, who made 13 saves. Jarry has been pulled twice in his past four starts and three times in his past eight. The Canadiens (27-35-6) ended a seven-game skid (0-5-2).
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, New Jersey Devils 1:Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for the Lightning (40-22-6), who have won three of their past five games (3-1-1) to pull within two points of the Toronto Maple Leafs for second in the Atlantic Division. Lightning forward Steven Stamkos did not play because of a lower-body injury. Forward Jack Hughes had an assist to reach 80 points (37 goals, 43 assists) for New Jersey (44-17-6), which is two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first in the Metropolitan Division. Devils forward Miles Wood sustained an undisclosed injury late in the second period and did not return to the game.
Vegas Golden Knights 5, Philadelphia Flyers 3:Jonathan Quick made 27 saves in his fourth straight win since joining the Golden Knights (42-20-6), who won the final four games of their five-game road trip. Vegas has a three-point lead on the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Philadelphia (24-32-11) has lost four straight and eight of nine (1-7-1).
New York Rangers 5, Washington Capitals 3:Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist and Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves for the Rangers (38-19-10), who have won three of their past four games (3-0-1). The Rangers are in third place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points behind the second-place Devils and eight points ahead of the fourth-place Penguins. Washington (32-29-7) played without Ovechkin and forward Sonny Milano (non-COVID-19 illness). The Capitals have lost three of four (1-2-1) and are five points behind the Islanders for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
Carolina Hurricanes 5, Winnipeg Jets 3: Jesperi Kotkaniemi had two goals and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves for the Hurricanes (44-14-8), who moved two points ahead of the Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division, with one game in hand. Carolina forward Andrei Svechnikov will have reconstructive surgery on his right ACL on Thursday and miss the remainder of the season. Winnipeg (38-27-3), which had won two in a row, holds the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Jets are four points ahead of the Nashville Predators, but the Predators have three games in hand.
Nashville Predators 2, Detroit Red Wings 1: Juuse Saros made 28 saves for the Predators (34-24-7), who have won three in a row and are 5-1-1 in their past seven games. The Predators moved within four points of the Jets, who have played three more games, for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Red Wings (30-28-9) have lost eight of 10 (2-7-1).
Chicago Blackhawks 6, Boston Bruins 3:Linus Ullmark made 23 saves in his first loss since Jan. 29 for the Bruins (50-11-5), who have clinched a playoff berth but have lost three of four (1-3-0). Boston is nine points ahead of Carolina for first place in the NHL standings. Taylor Raddysh had a hat trick for the Blackhawks (23-38-6), who ended a three-game losing streak and are 27 points behind the Jets for the second wild card in the West.
Edmonton Oilers 6, Ottawa Senators 3: Leon Draisaitl scored twice to reach 100 points (44 goals, 56 assists) for the Oilers (37-23-8), who moved into third place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Seattle Kraken. Ottawa (33-30-4) has lost three straight games and is six points behind the Islanders for the second wild card in the East but have two games in hand.
Arizona Coyotes 4, Calgary Flames 3 (OT): Travis Boyd scored at 3:10 of overtime and Arizona (25-32-11) extended its point streak to six games (4-0-2). Calgary (30-24-14) is five points behind the Jets for the second wild card in the West. The Flames' 14 losses after regulation are the most in the NHL.
Vancouver Canucks 5, Dallas Stars 2: Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the Stars (37-18-13), who are three points ahead of the Wild for first in the Central Division. J.T. Miller had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (29-32-5), who won their fifth straight game.
Los Angeles Kings 5, New York Islanders 2: Joonas Korpisalo made 26 saves to improve to 3-0-0 since being acquired in a trade with Columbus on March 1. Los Angeles (39-20-9) is 6-0-1 in its past seven games and is three points behind Vegas for first place in the Pacific Division. New York (34-27-8) has lost two straight after a 4-0-1 stretch. The Islanders are two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.