Here are the Stanley Cup Playoffs clinching scenarios for March 23:
WESTERN CONFERENCE
The Winnipeg Jets will clinch a playoff berth:
If they get at least one point against the Buffalo Sabres
OR
If the St. Louis Blues lose to the Nashville Predators in any fashion.
On Tap
There are seven games on the NHL schedule Sunday, and each has playoff implications:
Philadelphia Flyers at Chicago Blackhawks (3 p.m. ET; CHSN, NHLN, NBCSP, SN1)
The Flyers (28-34-9) have lost four in a row (0-3-1) and 1-8-1 in their past 10 after a 3-2 overtime defeat at the Dallas Stars on Saturday and are 10 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with 11 games remaining. Philadelphia is 1-8-1 in its past 10 games. The Blackhawks (20-41-9) have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Buffalo Sabres at Winnipeg Jets (3 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSG-B)
The Jets (48-18-4) have won four of their past five games and can clinch a playoff berth. They will be looking to pull even with the Washington Capitals for first in the NHL standings after Washington won 6-3 against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Kyle Connor has 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 14 games for Winnipeg since the 4 Nations Face-Off last month. The Sabres (27-35-6) trail the Canadiens by 15 points for the second wild card in the East.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Florida Panthers (6 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SCRIPPS, SN, TVAS)
The Panthers (42-25-3) can take sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division; they enter Sunday tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida is playing the second of a back-to-back after a 6-3 loss at Washington on Saturday. The Penguins (29-32-10) can move within five points of the Canadiens for the second wild card in the East. Sidney Crosby has 10 points (six goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak and is four points from ensuring he averages a point per game for the 20th season, which would break the record of 19 held by Wayne Gretzky.
Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues (6 p.m. ET; FDSNMW, FDSNSO)
The Blues (36-28-7) can extend their winning streak to six games and move four points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card in the Western Conference. St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway had an assist in a 4-1 win against Chicago on Saturday to extend his point streak to six games (10 points; three goals, seven assists). The Predators (26-35-8) are 19 points behind the Blues with 13 games remaining.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, SCRIPPS)
The Lightning (40-24-5) lost 6-4 at the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday and are third in the Atlantic, two points behind the Panthers and Maple Leafs with a game in hand on each. Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov has 97 points (29 goals, 68 assists) and is looking for his third straight season with at least 100, and fifth overall. The Golden Knights (41-20-8) can extend their lead atop the Pacific Division; they are three points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and five of the Los Angeles Kings. Forward Jack Eichel had a goal and three assists in Vegas’ 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.
Carolina Hurricanes at Anaheim Ducks (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KTTV, Victory+)
Carolina (42-23-4) lost 7-2 at Los Angeles on Saturday but is eight points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Anaheim (30-31-8) trails St. Louis by 11 points for the second wild card in the West.
Boston Bruins at Los Angeles Kings (9 p.m. ET; FDSNW, NESN, SN, TVAS)
The Kings (38-21-9) are 7-2-1 in their past 10 after their win against the Hurricanes on Saturday and can pull even with the Oilers for second in the Pacific. Los Angeles has two games in hand on Edmonton and one Vegas, which is five points ahead. The Bruins (30-32-9) fell six points behind the Canadiens for the second wild card in the East after a 3-1 loss at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
If the playoffs started Sunday
Eastern Conference
(1A) Florida Panthers vs. (WC1) Ottawa Senators
(2A) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (3A) Tampa Bay Lightning
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC2) Montreal Canadiens
(2M) Carolina Hurricanes vs. (3M) New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
(1P) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (WC1) Minnesota Wild
(2P) Edmonton Oilers vs. (3P) Los Angeles Kings
(1C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC2) St. Louis Blues
(2C) Dallas Stars vs. (3C) Colorado Avalanche
About last night
There were 14 games Saturday, each with playoff implications:
New York Rangers 5, Vancouver Canucks 3: Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the third period, and Igor Shesterkin made 36 saves for the Rangers (34-31-6), who ended a three-game losing streak and moved within one point of the Canadiens for the second wild card in the East. The Canucks (32-26-12) fell three points behind the Blues for the second wild card in the West.
Dallas Stars 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2 (OT): Thomas Harley scored two goals, including nine seconds into overtime for the Stars (44-21-4), who remained three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche second in the Central Division. Samuel Ersson made 15 saves in relief for the Flyers after Ivan Fedotov (28-34-6) allowed two goals on three shots.
Minnesota Wild 4, Buffalo Sabres 1: Mats Zuccarello had a goal and assist, and Matt Boldy had two assists for the Wild (40-25-5), who have won three straight and remained six points ahead of the Blues for the first wild card in the West and four points behind Colorado for third in the Central.
St. Louis Blues 4, Chicago Blackhawks 1: Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker each had a goal and assist for the Blues in their fifth straight win. They remained two points ahead of the Calgary Flames for the second wild card in the West.
Los Angeles Kings 7, Carolina Hurricanes 2: Tanner Jeannot, Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Andrei Kuzmenko each had a goal and assist for the Kings (38-21-9), who are third in the Pacific, two points behind the Oilers. Pyotr Kochetkov allowed seven goals on 25 shots for the Hurricanes.
Calgary Flames 4, New York Islanders 3 (OT): Nazem Kadri scored at 3:53 of overtime to give the Flames (33-25-11) their third straight win and keep them within two points of the Blues for the second wild card in the West. The Islanders (32-28-9) are 3-0-2 in their past five and are two points back of the Canadiens for the second wild card in the East.
Washington Capitals 6, Florida Panthers 3: Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson each had a goal and assist for the Capitals (47-15-8), who have won four in a row, nine of 10 and moved into sole possession of first in the NHL, two points ahead of the Jets. Alex Ovechkin remains seven goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Sam Bennett had a goal and assist for the Panthers.
Utah Hockey Club 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 4: Logan Cooley had two goals and an assist for Utah (32-27-11), which is four points behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the West. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, and Brayden Point scored twice for the Lightning.
Colorado Avalanche 5, Montreal Canadiens 4 (SO): Brock Nelson had a goal and assist for the Avalanche (43-25-3), who recovered to win in a shootout after blowing a 4-1 lead in the third period to remain three points behind the Stars for second in the Central. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice for the Canadiens (33-27-9), who rallied to get one point and remain ahead of the Rangers in the race for the second wild card in the East.
Ottawa Senators 3, New Jersey Devils 2: David Perron scored a power-play goal at 8:44 of the second period for the Senators (37-27-5), who are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and extended their lead for the first wild card in the East to four points ahead of the Canadiens. Luke Hughes had two assists for the Devils (37-28-6), who remained eight points behind the Hurricanes for second in the Metropolitan.
Nashville Predators 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 2: Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist for the Predators (26-35-8), who prevented the Maple Leafs (42-25-3) from moving into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic.
Vegas Golden Knights 6, Detroit Red Wings 3: Tomas Hertl had a hat trick, and Mark Stone had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights, who remained three points ahead of the Oilers for first in the Pacific. Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists, and Dylan Larkin had two assists for the Red Wings (32-31-6), who have lost three of four and trail the Canadiens by five points for the second wild card in the East.
Edmonton Oilers 5, Seattle Kraken 4: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a hat trick for the Oilers (41-24-5), who remained two points ahead of the Kings for second in the Pacific and three points back of the Golden Knights. Edmonton played without injured forwards Leon Draisaitl (undisclosed) and Connor McDavid (lower body). Kaapo Kakko scored twice for the Kraken (30-36-5), who fell 14 points behind the Blues for the second wild card in the West with 11 games remaining.
San Jose Sharks 3, Boston Bruins 1: Casey Mittelstadt scored for the Bruins, who fell six points back of the Canadiens for the second wild card in the East. Lucas Carlsson and William Eklund each had a goal and assist, and Macklin Celebrini had two assists for the Sharks (19-42-9), who have been eliminated from playoff contention.
