Tonight could be a pivotal night in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Both Dallas and Phoenix are in action, the Stars hosting Nashville, the Coyotes in Columbus.
A Dallas win combined with a Phoenix loss would put the Stars three points clear of the Coyotes, plus Dallas would own the tiebreaker. Which is to say, the Coyotes would be in a serious hole with just three games left to climb out of it.
Like Phoenix, the Stars have four games remaining, including tonight’s. (Though one of them, tomorrow’s make-up with Columbus, they’ll begin trailing, 1-0.)
If the Coyotes can keep the gap between them and the Stars to a single point by the time each side has finished its next three games, they’ll have a chance to grab a playoff spot on Sunday when the two teams meet in Glendale.
Standings:
Dallas remaining schedule:
Phoenix remaining schedule: