Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Central showdown highlights Tuesday schedule

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2018 NHL postseason.
There are 27 days left in the regular season and the races in each conference are wide open. Here is a look at the NHL standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

What's on tap

There are seven games on the schedule Tuesday and each could have an impact on the race for positioning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
The Hurricanes have little time to regroup after a demoralizing road loss to the Rangers on Monday put them seven points adrift of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Boston, who gets David Backes back in the lineup, looks to return to its winning ways after a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Boston is six points behind the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.
-Alexander Radulov returns to Montreal, but that is a subplot for the Stars, who need points. The Stars, the first wild card in the West, have a two-point cushion on the Colorado Avalanche, who are the second wild card, and the Anaheim Ducks. The Stars are three points behind Minnesota for third in the Central Division.
- The Lightning were the first team in the NHL to 100 points, but they cannot rest with the Bruins chasing them for first in the Atlantic and the Nashville Predators two points behind them in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.
This is a Central Division showdown. The Predators, who have won nine of their past 10 games, have a six-point lead on the Jets, who lost in overtime to the Washington Capitals on Monday. Winnipeg's Patrik Laine has goals in six consecutive games and has 41 for the season, one behind Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals for the League lead.
The Avalanche are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division and could potenially pass them with a victory; the Kings play the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday. The Wild are three points ahead of the Stars for third place in the Central.
The Flames need to climb past three teams to get the second wild card in the West. They are two points behind the Avalanche, who hold the second wild card, but have played two more games than Colorado. Anaheim and the St. Louis Blues also stand between Calgary and the Avalanche. The Oilers would love nothing more than to play spoiler in the latest edition of the Battle of Alberta.
The race for Pacific Division seeding and the two wild cards in the West is super intense. A win would put the Kings into second place in the Pacific, passing the San Jose Sharks. Arizona would be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss of any kind.

If playoffs started Tuesday

Here is a look at the matchups for the first round as they stand entering games Tuesday:
Eastern Conference
(1A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (WC2) New Jersey Devils
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets
(2M) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3M) Philadelphia Flyers
(2A) Boston Bruins vs. (3A) Toronto Maple Leafs
Western Conference
(1C) Nashville Predators vs. (WC2) Colorado Avalanche
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Dallas Stars
(2C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (3C) Minnesota Wild
(2P) San Jose Sharks vs. (3P) Los Angeles Kings

Need to know

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who are seven points behind the second-place Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Divsion, got some good news Tuesday when forward Auston Matthews took part in a full practice. He is
getting a shoulder injury in shape
and hopes to return to the club soon.
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray faced shots for the first time since sustaining a concussion on Feb. 26. While progress is being made,
there is no exact timetable
for Murray's return.
How good has Patrick Laine been for the Winnipeg Jets? Good enough to get the attention of Jimmy Carson, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals as a teenager.
Carson spoke to NHL.com's Lisa Dillman about Laine. 
Alex Ovechkin scored the 600th goal of his NHL career Monday. NHL.com's Tom Gulitti
looks at the accomplishmen
, which comes in the midst of another playoff push by the Washington Capitals.
Speaking of Ovechkin, you know who really
wants him to win the Stanley Cup
? Wayne Gretzky, that's who!
Marc-Andre Fleury has been the foundation of the success the Vegas Golden Knights have experienced this season. Monday, he hit a personal milestone, winning the 400th game of his career. His
teammates were even more happy
about it than Fleury himself, says NHL.com's Adam Kimelman.

Thought of the day

The tantalizing possibility of three in-state showdowns in the First Round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs exists with less than a month to go in the regular season.
Conceivably, there could be the Battle of California (San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings), Battle of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers) and the Battle of Florida (Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers).

In fact, if the playoffs started now, the first two would be a reality. In Florida, the Panthers are three points behind the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. If the Panthers found a way to get the second wild card, they would likely face Tampa Bay, which has a six-point lead for the top spot in the East.
The Lightning and Panthers have never met in the postseason.
The first playoff series between the Flyers and Penguins was in 1989. Philadelphia has won three series (1989, 1997 and 2012) and the Penguins two (2008, 2009). Only once has it gone to a seventh game (1989), when the Flyers defeated the Penguins 4-1 in Pittsburgh.
The playoff rivalry between the Kings and Sharks has featured plenty of drama. San Jose won in 2011 and 2016.
The Kings won in 2013 and in 2014. In 2014, Los Angeles was down 3-0 against the Sharks in the Western Conference First Round but rallied to win it, joining the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2010 Flyers as the only NHL teams to win a seven-game series after trailing 3-0.
The Kings went on to win the 2014 Stanley Cup championship.
Another serving of those rivalries would surely be welcomed in 2018. --Lisa Dillman, NHL.com staff writer

About last night

There were eight games and plenty of movement in the playoff picture Tuesday:
St. Louis Blues 4, Anaheim Ducks 2 -- The Blues won their second straight to move within one point of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. The Ducks are tied in points (80) with the Avalanche, but have five fewer (35-30) regulation plus overtime wins (ROW), the first tiebreaker.
Los Angeles Kings 3, Vancouver Canucks 0 -- The Kings moved into third place in the Pacific Division behind goaltender Jonathan Quick's 48th NHL shutout. Los Angeles is one point ahead of the Ducks for third, and two points behind the second-place San Jose Sharks.
San Jose Sharks 5, Detroit Red Wings 3 -- The Sharks completed a 4-2-0 homestand to take a two-point lead over the Kings for second place in the Pacific and remain 12 points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.
New York Rangers 6, Carolina Hurricanes 3 -- The Hurricanes fell seven points behind the New Jersey Devils for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Rangers are nine points behind the Devils.
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2 -- Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury won his 400th NHL game and the Golden Knights moved within three points of the Nashville Predators for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference and remained 12 points ahead of the Sharks for first place in the Pacific. The Flyers fell three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
-- Forward Alex Ovechkin scored his 600th career goal for the Capitals, who jumped back into first place in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Penguins. The Jets are second in the Central Division, six points behind first-place Nashville.
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Montreal Canadiens 2 -- The Blue Jackets moved one point ahead of the Devils for the first wild card from the East and within two points of the third-place Flyers in the Metropolitan.
Ottawa Senators 5, Florida Panthers 2 -- The Panthers' eight-game home winning streak ended. Florida is three points behind the Devils for the second wild card in the East.