Playoff race - Mar 25 - Suddenly Sabres, Western 3-pointers

The Buffalo Sabres finally hopped over idle Washington Capitals to take the lone possession of eighth and last playoff position in the East. The Caps have their say tonight, facing disappointing Minnesota Wild who are only playing for their pride at this point. Sabres' run has been phenomenal and Washington really has to pick up their game for the final stretch to keep up.

In the West, the final two or three playoff spots seem to switch owners every night. There's still six teams in the mix. However, Calgary Flames are up against the wall after a regulation loss to division leaders Dallas Stars. While the Stars are still only tied for the best in Pacific and need to carry on pushing, the Flames basically need to win the final six games to be sure to make the playoffs. Late inter division losses are a luxury that not many can afford.

To make matters worse, most of the rest of the competition in the West took points in overtime games. Only Los Angeles Kings were left with zero against Boston Bruins who hope to find their groove for a run at a repeat charge for the Stanley Cup. Calgary now sits three points behind the three teams tied for the last playoff spot. It's hard to believe that all of them could choke at the last stretch. Truthfully spoken, the Flames seem like the weakest team to produce anything even if they reach the playoffs. The rest of the pack might be able to surprise the top teams if the stars align perfectly.