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NBC, NBCSN will combine to air three games today

Zdeno Chara

Zdeno Chara

AP

NBC and NBCSN will conclude its coverage of the 2014-15 regular season by airing three of Saturday’s games. They are:

San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings

Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC (Depending on your region) or you can watch the live stream by clicking here.

The San Jose Sharks went into this season hungry for redemption after Los Angeles overcame a 3-0 series deficit in the first round of the 2014 playoffs to eliminate them. Meanwhile, the Kings were going for its third Stanley Cup championship in the span of four years.

In the end neither squad will get what they want as they enter today’s contest without any hope of making the playoffs. So with the possibility of a 2015 postseason rematch gone, these two teams will have to settle for one final regular season contest.

“Both teams still have something to play for – they’re our rival,” San Jose’s Logan Couture told CSN Bay Area. “I’m sure the building will have some Sharks fans in it. We’re going to want to go out strong, and they’re going to want to go out strong, too.”

Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues

Start Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC (Depending on your region) or you can watch the live stream by clicking here.

The St. Louis Blues are entering the day with a chance to wrestle the top seed in the Western Conference away from the Anaheim Ducks. Doing so would mean opening the playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets instead of the Minnesota Wild or Chicago Blackhawks. Winning the Conference title would also of course guarantee that St. Louis would get the home-ice advantage in each series until the Stanley Cup Final.

The Wild are going into this game with control of the first Wild Card seed, but they have an opportunity to take the third Central Division seed away from Chicago. Minnesota winning this afternoon would put the pressure on Chicago tonight to secure at least one point tonight or slide in the standings.

On an individual level, Blues forwards Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko will both return today from their respective lower-body injuries. They’re two of St. Louis’ top-three scorers, so getting them back before the playoffs is huge.

Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning

Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSN or you can watch the live stream by clicking here.

Boston has made the playoffs for seven straight seasons and claimed the Presidents’ Trophy in 2013-14. Despite that, the Bruins have been wildly inconsistent this season and are consequently entering the day with a mediocre 41-27-13 record.

Boston is one point behind Pittsburgh in the battle for a Wild Card spot (something not many people would have predicted going into the campaign) and the Penguins control the tiebreaker ROW. That means a consolation point won’t be enough for the Bruins tonight; they have to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in order to even have a shot of making the playoffs.

Before the game starts, the Bruins will likely be watching Ottawa play Philadelphia (12:30 p.m. ET). A win by Ottawa, which controls the first Wild Card seed, wouldn’t knock Boston out of the playoff race, but it would lessen its odds. If Ottawa loses in regulation time to the Flyers, then the Bruins have the comfort of knowing that they will make the playoffs as long as they win tonight. If Ottawa wins or gets a consolation point, then the Bruins will need the lowly Buffalo Sabres to beat Pittsburgh in order for Boston to have a chance.

This game has some significance for Tampa Bay too. The Lightning currently hold the second seed in the Atlantic Division, but if they win and Montreal loses on Saturday, then Tampa Bay will take the division title.

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