Playoff race - Apr 3 - Kings roll, Caps fall

Monday night had only two games, but both showcased a team in tough spot. Los Angeles Kings took another low scoring victory behind their amazing goalie Jonathan Quick. 2-0 against the young Edmonton Oilers positions the Kings steadier to the pedestal in Pacific division. Now it's the rest of the division that needs to push further to challenge the Kings. Falling out of playoffs seems now next to impossible for LA.

Meanwhile in the East, Washington Capitals suffered a devastating defeat in the hands of Tampa Bay Lightning and league's number one sniper, Steven Stamkos. Now the Caps need to follow closely the efforts by Buffalo Sabres tonight against lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. A likely victory for Buffalo brings them even with Capitals, but leaves Washington in with the tiebreaker. It's obvious that neither team can afford another loss in the last few games without the other stumbling similarly. The one with better precision will enter the playoffs. Monetary gains are obvious, even though facing the juggernaut Rangers on the first round might not look too promising.

Playoff race - Apr 2 - Mental upper hand

Sunday night NHL hockey had very little to do with the race of making the playoffs. It was hockey between teams that are already in and the ones that won't make it this season. It doesn't mean the round didn't have all the intensity, at least in some games.

There were some meaningless, spiritless teams out there, but there was also a chance to take the mental upper hand over the rivals that will stand between you and the cup.

One epic matchup was between Flyers and Penguins, leaving Philly with two points and loads of bad blood for the next game. These two are bound to meet in the first round of playoffs and will still fight for the home ice for the rest of the regular season. One of the toughest bouts in the first round for sure.

Also Boston Bruins landed a statement, beating league leading New York Rangers on a game that may represent the East finals this year. Tight game, but a win is a win.

Near the bubble line, Florida Panthers padded their division lead with another one point performance. They've racked up 17 overtime losses, which is by far the most by any team heading for the postseason. Is it Panthers' resiliency that salvages points in almost lost games or their lack of spirit to go for the victories in overtime, who knows. One thing is for sure and that is the fact that in the postseason, you don't get anything for overtime losses. Now good for a team with Florida's record.

Playoff race - Mar 19 - Eastern stalemate and a big point in the West

Sunday night's round of pre-playoff hockey saw both Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets lose their games. These two Souheast teams are fighting for East's last playoff spot and have little room for losses like this. Capitals were crushed by significantly better and tougher team, Chicago Blackhawks where Jets fell for Carolina Hurricanes who are hanging on extremely unlikely chances to make it. Their zero pint nights open another possibility for Buffalo Sabres who have a chance to tie Capitals for eighth tonight against Tampa Bay.

In the West, Phoenix Coyotes jumped over couple of teams to take their turn for a night in the playoff bound crowd. At the same time Calgary Flames lost one point on an overtime loss against league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets. The Flames are now two points out and their lousy performance against two worst teams in the league may have cost them a lot. LA Kings are surging up, Colorado Avalanche has been strong and consistent. Phoenix and San Jose have few points and/or games in hand. With only nine games left, the Flames need to snap out of this funk and finish strong to overtake three out of these four.

All in all, the fans get their money's worth every night on both conferences. The race seems to be extremely tight and entertaining all the way to the finish line.