Here are the Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios for April 16:
The Montreal Canadiens will clinch a playoff berth:
If they get at least one point against the Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; RDS, SN1, SNE, SNO, FDSNSO)
On Tap
There are six games on the NHL schedule for Wednesday, one with playoff implications:
Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, SN1, SNE, SNO, FDSNSO)
After 81 regular-season games and three missed chances to clinch a playoff berth, the Canadiens (39-31-11) control their own destiny for one more night. As long as they don’t lose to the Hurricanes in regulation, they are going to the postseason to face the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference First Round. If they do lose in regulation, they will have to sweat out the Columbus Blue Jackets’ game Thursday against the New York Islanders, where a Columbus regulation win would knock Montreal out. The Canadiens and Blue Jackets each have 29 regulation victories, which is the first tiebreaker; Montreal owns the next one, which is regulation/overtime wins (37/33).
7 of 8 matchups set
With two days left in the regular season, seven of the eight first-round playoff matchups are set. The eighth will be the Capitals against either the Canadiens or Blue Jackets.
Eastern Conference
(1A) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators (2A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (3A) Florida Panthers (1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens/Columbus Blue Jackets
(2M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3M) New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild (2P) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3P) Edmonton Oilers (1C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues
(2C) Dallas Stars vs. (3C) Colorado Avalanche
About last night
There were 10 games on the schedule Tuesday, six that initially had playoff implications:
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Buffalo Sabres 0: Auston Matthews scored his 400th NHL goal for the Maple Leafs (51-26-4), who won their first division title since 2000. In winning the Atlantic Division, Toronto is the No. 2 seed in the East and will face Ottawa in the first round.
