The Pittsburgh Penguins can clinch a playoff berth on April 9 with a win over the New Jersey Devils, and the Colorado Avalanche can lock up the Presidents' Trophy the same day if they beat the Calgary Flames. The Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth also have paths to clinching, turning Wednesday's slate into one of the most consequential dates left on the nhl playoff schedule.
For Pittsburgh, the math is simple if it beats New Jersey in any fashion at 7 p.m. ET. The Penguins can also clinch if they get one point against the Devils and the Buffalo Sabres defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in any fashion at 6:45 p.m. ET. Another path opens if the Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the New York Islanders in any fashion and the Sabres beat Columbus in regulation at 6:45 p.m. ET.
Boston's route is narrower. The Bruins will clinch a playoff berth only if the Maple Leafs beat the Islanders in regulation at 8 p.m. ET, the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Detroit Red Wings in regulation at 7 p.m. ET, and the Sabres beat the Blue Jackets in regulation at 6:45 p.m. ET. That combination ties together three games in different buildings and leaves the Bruins waiting on the final whistle elsewhere before they can celebrate.
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Colorado has the clearest shot at the top seed. The Avalanche will clinch the Presidents' Trophy if they defeat the Flames in any fashion at 10 p.m. ET. They can also do it with one point against Calgary if the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Carolina Hurricanes in any fashion at 7 p.m. ET, or if Chicago beats Carolina in regulation. Those are the only three paths listed for the Avalanche on Wednesday.
Edmonton's scenario runs through three other games. The Oilers will clinch a playoff berth if the Anaheim Ducks beat the San Jose Sharks in any fashion, the Utah Mammoth beat the Nashville Predators in regulation at 8:30 p.m. ET, and there is any result in the Winnipeg Jets-St. Louis Blues game other than a Jets regulation win at 9 p.m. ET. Utah has a simpler setup of its own: the Mammoth will clinch a playoff berth if they beat Nashville in regulation and Anaheim beats San Jose in any fashion.
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The full slate underlines how tight the race remains for teams that are still relying on help. Some clubs can finish the night with a ticket to the playoffs, while others will be left waiting on results that fall outside their control. By the time the last puck drops on April 9, the postseason picture could look a lot clearer.
