Your Playoff Hopes Just Got Jerseyed

There were a few good games last night in the NHL, all with some sort of playoff implications in terms of teams trying to get in. I'm a big fan of teams that have no shot at making the playoffs playing the role of spoilers down the stretch. Nothing makes me smile more than when a team who has been mathematically-eliminated from the playoffs in January ends up causing other teams to miss the playoffs by beating them down the stretch. This is where you play for pride if your team is out of it, and nothing feels better than to deliver a severe blow to another team's playoff chances. It's also feels just as good if you know you're already in, and you put another nail in the coffin of some also-ran.

That being said, the biggest nail delivered last night was delivered to the Carolina Hurricanes from the New Jersey Devils. Carolina has now played in 72 games, and have three teams within two points of them: Toronto, the New York Rangers, and Montreal. The key here, though, is that both the Rangers and Maple Leafs have two games in hand on the Hurricanes, and the Canadiens have one. Last night's 3-2 loss to the Devils might have put Carolina in dire straits. I'd say they have to win six of their last ten games to beat out the Rangers and Maple Leafs.

The Hurricanes weren't the only team that may have taken a costly loss last night. The Islanders currently are tied with the Hurricanes at 78 points, but they have two games in hand over the 'Canes. However, the Islanders came out flat against the Ottawa Senators, and ended up losing 5-2. With the Rangers, Canadiens and Maple Leafs being two points behind the Islanders, the Islanders have to keep winning if they want to remain in 7th-spot in the East.

The Florida Panthers' loss last night might have sealed their playoff fate. At 71 points, they trail the Hurricanes by seven points with eleven games to play. The Panthers lost to the Barney Rubble Hairpieces by a score of 5-3, allowing Buffalo to keep their hold on first-place in the East. The Panthers are now playing must-win hockey until the end of the season for a shot at the playoffs.

The Minnesota Wild extended their lead over the Calgary Flames in the West with a win over the hopeless Edmonton Oilers, who have lost nine straight games since trading Ryan Smyth. The Wild's win, combined with Calgary's loss to the Dallas Stars, opened up a five-point gap between the 7th-seeded Wild and the 8th-seeded Flames. The Wild win also allowed them to keep pace with the 5th-seeded Dallas Star and the 6th-seeded San Jose Sharks. All three teams have 89 points. The Wild also remain one point behind the Northwest Division-leading Vancouver Canucks, who sit as the 3rd-seed with 90 points. Dallas, San Jose, Vancouver and Minnesota all posted victories last night.

Can the Philadelphia Flyers, the worst team in the NHL for most of the season, play the role of ultimate spoilers this season? Philadelphia won again last night, beating the Southeast Division-leading Atlanta Thrashers by a score of 3-2. Tampa Bay trails the Thrashers by two points in the standings, and has a game in hand. The Thrashers currently sit as the 3rd-seed in the East, but would fall to the 6th-seed if Tampa Bay wins the division or is tied with the Thrashers at the end of the season due to the tie-breaking rules.

The last dozen games of the season appear to be a race to the wire for four Eastern Conference teams. As for the Western Conference, it's all about jockeying for position, and I am looking forward to it! Keep your sticks on the ice!