The race for the final NHL East Wild Card race grew even tighter after Saturday's NHL action. The Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers picked up wins, while the Pittsburgh Penguins dropped points to create a logjam for the last playoff position.
The Capitals secured a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, pushing their points to 87 with two games remaining in the season. Likewise, the Red Wings hit the 87-point mark after a 5-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, leading to a tie with the Capitals in the NHL East Wild Card standings.
The Flyers joined them with 87 points, thanks to a tight 1-0 shutout win against the New Jersey Devils. Philadelphia has the same number of points but has played one more game than Washington and Detroit.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins fell 6-4 to the Boston Bruins, stuck on 86 points with two games left. The Penguins were on a 10-game point streak but couldn't keep pace on Saturday.
The Lightning have clinched the first NHL East Wild Card with 98 points. But Washington, Detroit, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are separated by just on esingle point in the tightest playoff race in the NHL.
It will all come down to the wire to determine who claims the last NHL East Wild Card playoff berth in what has been a fierce four-team battle.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Boston Bruins (47-18-15) – 109
2. Florida Panthers (51-24-6) – 108
3. Toronto Maple Leafs (46-24-10) – 102
Metropolitan Division
1. New York Rangers (54-23-4) – 112
2. Carolina Hurricanes (51-22-7) – 109
3. New York Islanders (37-27-16) – 90
NHL East Wild Card
1. Tampa Bay Lightning - 96 (Clinched Playoffs)
2. Washington Capitals - 87
3. Detroit Red Wings - 87
4. Philadelphia Flyers - 87
5. Pittsburgh Penguins – 86
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars (51-21-9) - 111
2. Winnipeg Jets (50-24-6) - 106
3. Colorado Avalanche (49-25-6) - 104
Pacific Division
1. Vancouver Canucks (49-22-9) - 107
2. Edmonton Oilers (48-25-6) - 102
3. Los Angeles Kings (43-26-11) – 97
East Wild Card
1. Nashville Predators (47-29-5) - 99
2. Vegas Golden Knights (43-28-8) - 94
The Western Conference wild card picture is set following the conclusion of the regular season.
The Nashville Predators have clinched the top wild card spot despite going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Nashville finished with 99 points, good for the first wild card position.
The Vegas Golden Knights locked up the other Western Conference wild card following their 7-2 rout of the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Vegas closes out the regular season with 94 points to claim the second wild card in the West.
With Nashville and Vegas guaranteed playoff spots, the final two berths in the Western Conference are secured.