Wings-Flyers "Game of the Week" headlines Sunday

Saturday, 04.03.2010 / 9:12 PM NHL.com
While most of us will be spending Easter Sunday at home, the Detroit Red Wings will be spending it in Philadelphia trying to nail down a playoff berth.

The Wings can punch their ticket to the postseason for the 19th year in a row by beating the Philadelphia Flyers when they meet at the Wachovia Center at 12:30 p.m. ET. A sellout crowd and a national TV audience on NBC will see if the slumping Flyers can bounce back after a 1-0 home loss to Montreal on Friday night. Detroit is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville at home on Saturday.

Detroit could be officially deposed as Central Division champions if the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames when the teams meet at the United Center at 3 p.m. A victory by the Hawks will end the Wings' eight-season reign atop the division. But the Flames may need the win even more – they enter the day tied with eighth-place Colorado for the last playoff berth in the West.

The slumping Avs, who lost 2-1 at home to Calgary on Friday night, try to avoid a winless week when they host the San Jose Sharks at 8 p.m. ET. The Sharks, 3-2 winners at Minnesota on Friday, are closing in on the Pacific Division title and trying to hold off the Hawks for the No. 1 seed in the West.

There could be another clinching in Vancouver, where a win by the Canucks against the visiting Minnesota Wild in a game that starts at 10 p.m. ET at GM Place would give the home side its third Northwest Division title. The Canucks assured themselves of a playoff berth on Friday night with a 5-4 shootout win at Anaheim. The Wild's postseason hopes officially ended when they lost to San Jose.

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