The Capitals, who got in with a 5-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, are tied with the Blue Jackets for first place in the Metropolitan Division, each with 100 points. Washington and Columbus have a one-point lead over the third-place Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated the Florida Panthers 4-0 on Sunday.
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If the playoffs started today, the Capitals would play the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference First Round. The Maple Leafs moved one point ahead of the New York Islanders in the race for the first wild card into the playoffs from the East when they earned a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks can earn a berth if they defeat the Colorado Avalanche at United Center on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, WGN, ALT, NHL.TV) in regulation or overtime, and the Los Angeles Kings lose at the Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, SNW, FS-W, NHL.TV) in any fashion or defeat the Flames in a shootout. The Blackhawks also get in if they defeat the Avalanche in a shootout and the Kings lose to the Flames in any fashion, or if the Blackhawks get one point against the Avalanche and the Kings lose to the Flames in regulation.
Also Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens took a two-point lead over the Ottawa Senators for first place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa. The two teams play each other again in Montreal on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET; SN, RDS, NHL.TV).
In the Western Conference, the St. Louis Blues moved into third place in the Central Division with a 3-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes by jumping over the Nashville Predators, who fell into the first wild card spot with a 4-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Edmonton Oilers won their third game in a row, a 2-0 victory against the Vancouver Canucks, to move past the Calgary Flames and into third place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers are one point ahead of the Flames and two points behind the second-place Anaheim Ducks, who defeated the San Jose Sharks 2-1.
Here is the
playoff bracket
as of March 19.
