The NHL season is drawing to a close after the lockout shortened up the schedule and with just two weeks left until the postseason begins, teams are still fighting for playoff position in both conferences, including the New York Rangers, who lost on Tuesday night to the Philadelphia Flyers as they try to hang on to the eighth spot in the East.
The Penguins are tops in the Eastern Conference over the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals, while the Boston Bruins are in fourth place and will play next on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres, in the first game in Boston since the marathon attack. The Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in years in fifth place, while the Senators are in sixth.
The bottom of the conference has the NY Islanders in seventh and the Rangers in eighth, but they are only two points up on the Winnipeg Jets, who have 44 points. The Sabres follow and the Flyers got a big win on Tuesday to stay close to contention, but they need to shape up quickly to make it into the playoffs. The bottom of the conference is filled with the Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers, who are last with 32 points.
The Western Conference has the Blackhawks in first place over the Ducks, while the Canucks and defending champion Kings are next. The Sharks are in fifth place in the standings in front of the Wild, while the Blues and Red Wings are the last two playoff seeds. The Columbus Blue Jackets are still right in it with 47 points, while Dallas and Phoenix are hanging on.
The schedule for Wednesday has four games, with the Canadiens and Penguins facing off at 7:00 PM, while the Bruins and Sabres will play the first game in Boston since the attack at 7:30 on NBC Sports Network. The Red Wings and Flames will play at 9:30, while the Blue Jackets and Ducks will play at 10:00 PM.
