Preview Roundups
April 08, 2014
Detroit at Buffalo 7:00 PM ET
The Detroit Red Wings would love nothing more than to secure an Eastern Conference playoff spot - and they'll have a great chance to move ever closer to that goal as they face the lowly Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-3 loss to Montreal and are clinging to the first wild-card slot, one point up on eighth-place Columbus. The Sabres have already clinched the worst record in the NHL and have dropped three straight games.
Ottawa at NY Islanders 7:00 PM ET
The New York Islanders will play their last home game of their penultimate season at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum when they host the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The Islanders have not fared well at home, posting a 13-18-9 record. The Senators are almost mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but they have a winning road record (17-14-8) and defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Carolina at NY Rangers 7:00 PM ET
Having clinched their eighth playoff berth in nine seasons, the New York Rangers look to improve their standing when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. New York has suffered back-to-back 3-2 losses - the first in a shootout - and had its lead over third-place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division shrink to two points in the process.
Phoenix at Columbus 7:00 PM ET
Teams vying for wild-card berths in their respective conferences battle on Tuesday as the Phoenix Coyotes face off against the host Columbus Blue Jackets. The Coyotes trail Dallas by one point for the final spot in the Western Conference, although they certainly haven't been competing like a playoff team of late. Phoenix dropped its fourth in a row (0-2-2) with a 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton on Friday.
Toronto at Tampa Bay 7:30 PM ET
The Toronto Maple Leafs attempt to keep their fading playoff hopes alive with three games on the road to end the regular season, starting with a visit to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Maple Leafs have played one more game and stand three points behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after a demoralizing 4-2 loss to Winnipeg on Saturday.
Philadelphia at Florida 7:30 PM ET
After finding their offense against one cellar-dwelling club, the Philadelphia Flyers look to keep the momentum going when they open a three-game road trip against the sputtering Florida Panthers on Tuesday. Brayden Schenn scored twice as host Philadelphia breezed to a 5-2 victory over Buffalo on Sunday to halt its season high-tying four-game skid (0-2-2).
Washington at St. Louis 8:00 PM ET
The St. Louis Blues look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they host the desperate Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. The Blues are coming off back-to-back losses to Central Division rivals Colorado and Chicago, but they still remain in the hunt for the Presidents' Trophy and hold a one-point lead over Anaheim for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. St. Louis trails Boston by two points for the best record in the league.
Boston at Minnesota 8:00 PM ET
The Minnesota Wild look to punch their ticket to the postseason when they kick off their season-ending three-game homestand against the league-leading Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Minnesota has a firm hold on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference and needs only one point to secure a trip to the playoffs. The Wild put themselves on the brink Monday as Ilya Bryzgalov posted his second straight shutout in a 1-0 triumph at Winnipeg.
Nashville at Dallas 8:30 PM ET
The Nashville Predators attempt to stave off elimination from postseason contention when they visit the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Nashville has no margin for error as it trails Dallas by six points for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference with four games remaining. The Predators have kept their chances alive by posting three consecutive victories, including a 3-0 triumph at San Jose on Saturday.
Colorado at Edmonton 9:30 PM ET
The Colorado Avalanche attempt to strengthen their hold on home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs when they begin their regular season-ending four-game road trip against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Colorado is two points ahead of Chicago for second place in the Central Division and still is within reach of the top spot as it trails St. Louis by four with four games remaining.