With a small handful of games remaining in the regular season of the NHL, a number of teams are still fighting for position in the race for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference is proving to be loaded with talented teams this season, while the Western Conference has a number of bubble teams that could see their postseason fate revealed within the next few days. Monday's action is highlighted by Dallas facing off against the Chicago Blackhawks for a playoff berth while the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens fight for the top spot in the Northeast Division.
The Dallas Stars are attempting a major comeback. After sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference, the team is coming within reach of getting a playoff spot. The Stars unexpected postseason push is coming off the heels of five straight wins. If they make it, their reward will be a first-round series with NHL's best team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Dallas faces off with Chicago Monday night, a team they crushed 8-1 back in mid-March. Dallas will have to rely on St. Louis or Detroit dropping a few games, but it could happen.
As Dallas is looking for Detroit to slow down, the Red Wings put themselves back in playoff contention with a convincing win over the Nashville Predators over the weekend. The Red Wings jumped back into the eighth spot, tied with Minnesota with 47 points, two ahead of Dallas. The win over the Predators was the team's first win since April 5, giving them a little breathing room in the playoff race.
As the Western Conference starts to get competitive, the Eastern Conference is still as hot as ever. Boston and Montreal are in a battle for second place in the conference and the Northeast Division. Both teams would like to avoid entering the postseason in the middle of the conference in order to avoid an opening series with Pittsburgh. Boston has lost back-to-back games as injuries are causing them to slow down in this final stretch. They will rely on Jaromir Jagr as they face off against Ottawa on Monday. Montreal meets up with the Philadelphia Flyers Monday as Philly is seeing a late-season surge of their own. If Montreal cannot claim the division, a first-round series against Toronto could be in their future.