Push for the Playoffs will run every morning through the end of the 2020-21 NHL season. We’ll highlight the current playoff picture in both conferences, take a look at what the first-round matchups might look like, see who’s leading the race for the best odds in the draft lottery and more.
Even a few days ago, it seemed like the Predators would have a lot on the line on Saturday, while the Hurricanes would maybe at least need to clinch the Central Division title. Instead, we’ll see a truly profound difference in desperation.
Despite being idle on Friday, the Stars’ regulation win vs. the Lightning clinched the Central Division title for the Hurricanes. Now, they merely need to wait and see if they’ll face the Predators or Stars in Round 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, depending upon how that do-or-die battle ends.
[Your 2020-21 NHL on NBC TV schedule]
Ultimately, the Hurricanes could play a central role in determining if it’s the Predators or Stars who finish with that final Central Division playoff spot.
The Predators finish their season with two games against the Hurricanes: one on Saturday, then another on Monday. If Nashville takes care of business early, that first one will be the only one that truly matters. It’s straightforward: if the Predators beat the Hurricanes on Saturday, then they’ll clinch a playoff spot, and the Stars would be eliminated.
Anything less than a win, and things get a little more complicated.
Speaking of complicated, the Hurricanes must gauge how much they want to put into one or both of these regular-season games vs. the Predators. After all, they could open the door for a lot of hockey vs. Nashville:
It's possible the Canes and Predators could play nine straight times: two games to end the regular season, then possibly a seven-game playoff series. That would be a lot of Canes and Preds.
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) May 8, 2021
It wouldn’t be sporting of the Hurricanes to just roll over against the Predators, even if they might prefer them over a Round 1 series vs. the Stars. But the Hurricanes’ spot is set, and they’re a forward-thinking franchise. So, getting some rest would be wise. Whether that means sitting top stars, or merely managing their minutes, it’s the sort of luxury you can enjoy when you’ve clinched the No. 1 seed in your bracket.
Frankly, even a diluted version of the Hurricanes wouldn’t necessarily be an easy out for the Predators. So, this should be a fascinating watch for hockey fans -- particularly some nervous Predators and Stars fans.
IF PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY (matchups by total points)
EAST DIVISION 1. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 4. New York Islanders 2. Washington Capitals vs. 3. Boston Bruins
CENTRAL DIVISION 1. Carolina Hurricanes vs. 4. Nashville Predators 2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. 3. Florida Panthers -- series official, seeding to be determined
NORTH DIVISION 1. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. 4. Montreal Canadiens 2. Edmonton Oilers vs. 3. Winnipeg Jets
WEST DIVISION 1. Vegas Golden Knights vs. 4. St. Louis Blues 2. Colorado Avalanche vs. 3. Minnesota Wild
SATURDAY’S KEY GAMES Rangers vs. Bruins, 3 p.m. ET (NBC; livestream) Hurricanes vs. Predators, 8 p.m. ET
SATURDAY’S CLINCHING SCENARIOS
• If the Predators win vs. the Hurricanes, they will clinch the final playoff spot in the Central Division.
• The Montreal Canadiens clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and an Edmonton Oilers win over the Vancouver Canucks OR if they get one point against Toronto and Edmonton beats Vancouver in regulation.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs clinch the North Division if they get at least one point against Montreal or if Vancouver beats Edmonton.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins will clinch the East Division if they beat the Buffalo, and if the Washington Capitals lose to the Philadelphia Flyers, or if the Capitals beat the Flyers in overtime or a shootout. They can also win if the get at least one point against Buffalo and Washington loses to Philadelphia in regulation and the New York Rangers defeat the Boston Bruins.
• The Washington Capitals will clinch the East Division if they beat the Flyers in regulation and the Penguins lose to the Sabres in regulation and the Bruins lose to the Rangers in regulation.
PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via MoneyPuck)
Capitals - Clinched Penguins - Clinched Islanders - Clinched Bruins - Clinched Rangers - eliminated Flyers - eliminated Devils - eliminated Sabres - eliminated
PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via MoneyPuck)
Hurricanes - Clinched division title Panthers - Clinched Lightning - Clinched Predators - 91.3% Stars - 8.8% Blackhawks - eliminated Red Wings - eliminated Blue Jackets - eliminated
PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via MoneyPuck)
Maple Leafs - Clinched Oilers - Clinched Jets - Clinched Canadiens - 99% Flames - 1% Canucks - 0% Senators - eliminated
PLAYOFF PERCENTAGES (via MoneyPuck)
Golden Knights - Clinched Avalanche - Clinched Wild - Clinched Blues - Clinched Kings - eliminated Coyotes - eliminated Sharks - eliminated Ducks - eliminated
DRAFT LOTTERY PICTURE (via MoneyPuck)
Sabres - 18.5% Ducks - 13.5% Devils - 9.9% Blue Jackets - 9.4% Red Wings - 8.8% Canucks - 7.3% Senators - 6.4% Sharks - 6.4% Kings - 5.1% Coyotes - 3.6% Blackhawks - 3.3% Flames - 3.1% Flyers - 1.8% Rangers - 1.5% Stars - 1.1%
ART ROSS TROPHY RACE
Connor McDavid, Oilers - 96 points Leon Draisaitl, Oilers - 77 Mitch Marner, Maple Leafs - 66 Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche - 65 Brad Marchand, Bruins - 65
ROCKET RICHARD RACE
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs - 40 goals Connor McDavid, Oilers - 31 Mikko Rantanen, Avalanche - 30 Alex DeBrincat, Blackhawks - 29 Tyler Toffoli, Canadiens - 28 Leon Draisaitl, Oilers - 28
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.