Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz: Sharks try to hold off Flames for West lead

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2019 NHL postseason. There are 26 days left in the regular season and the races in each conference are wide open.
Here is a look at the NHL Standings and everything else that could impact the playoff picture.

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Thought of the Day

The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be hitting their strides at the right time, and a month away from the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, their game at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday could be the precursor for an Eastern Conference First Round series.
The Capitals, who are first in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points, are going for their eighth straight win, and forward Andre Burakovsky said last week, "I think we're finding the way we played last year the last couple games. I think mentally we're starting to get ready for the [Stanley Cup] Playoffs."
Pittsburgh, which has the first wild card into the playoffs from the East and would face Washington in the first round as of Tuesday, appears to be trending that way as well. The Penguins have won four of their past five, including ending the Boston Bruins' 19-game point streak on Sunday. Defenseman Kris Letang remains out, but goalie Matt Murray has been stellar, going 4-1-1 with a 1.97 goals-against average in his past six games, and he has a .950 even-strength save percentage since March 1 despite facing an NHL-high 152 shots at even strength.
The Capitals-Penguins rivalry might be the best one in the game today. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom vs. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Braden Holtby vs. Murray. Tom Wilson's physical play, and the Penguins' plans to counteract it. Add in the bitter feelings from three straight playoff series that saw the winner go on to skate with the Stanley Cup, and it adds up to maybe the juiciest game of the regular season.
"Obviously we don't like each other," Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We don't like that team. It's going to be a hard battle."
-- Adam Kimelman, NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

On Tap

There are eight games on the Tuesday schedule, all with playoff implications.
-- The Stars can get within two points of the St. Louis Blues for third place in the Central Division with a win and a loss by the Blues, but they also would be helped by a Blues win against the Arizona Coyotes. The Stars have 75 points and hold the first wild card in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Coyotes, and will remain ahead of Arizona regardless of what happens Tuesday because they've played one fewer game. The Sabres are 1-5-1 in their past seven games and 10 points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
-- The Capitals can extend their winning streak to eight games, their longest since they won nine in a row from Dec. 31, 2016 to Jan.15, 2017, and grow their lead in the Metropolitan Division to four points ahead of the second-place New York Islanders with a win. Pittsburgh needs at least one point to move past the Carolina Hurricanes for third place in the division. The Penguins and Hurricanes each have 83 points, but Carolina has one more regulation/overtime win (37-36).
-- The Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens each have 79 points, but Columbus has the second wild card in the East because it has three more regulation/overtime wins (37-34). A win by the Blue Jackets keeps them in the wild card no matter what the Canadiens do in their game, but a loss of any kind opens the door for Montreal to move into the second wild card spot by the end of the night. The Bruins, who had their 19-game point streak (15-0-4) end in a loss to the Penguins on Sunday, are four points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division.
-- The Canadiens play for the first time since Friday and can move back into the second wild card spot from the East with one point if the Blue Jackets lose in regulation.
-- The Coyotes play the second of a back-to-back set looking to rebound from a 7-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Monday. A win by Arizona would be its ninth in 11 games and move it past the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. The Blues could get within two points of the second-place Nashville Predators in the Central Division with a victory.
-- The Sharks, who are going for their sixth straight victory, are one point ahead of the Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. The Jets open a three-game homestand one point in front of the Predators in the Central Division. The Sharks and Jets each need a win to guarantee they remain in first place at the end of the night since both second-place teams also play Tuesday.
-- The Flames ended a four-game losing streak with a 6-3 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, and a win Tuesday could move them past the Sharks and back into first place in the Pacific and the West. Calgary has won four straight against New Jersey since Feb. 3, 2017.
Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, SN360, SNE, SNO, SNP, FS-W, FS-TN, NHL.TV) -- The Predators can re-take the lead in the Central Division if they do something they've done once since the 2014-15 season: Win at Honda Center. The Predators are 1-3-3 at the Ducks the past five seasons, including a 2-1 shootout loss Nov. 12.

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If playoffs started Tuesday

Here is a look at the matchups for the first round as they stand entering games Tuesday:
Eastern Conference
(1A) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (WC2) Columbus Blue Jackets
(1M) Washington Capitals vs. (WC1) Pittsburgh Penguins
(2A) Boston Bruins vs. (3A) Toronto Maple Leafs
(2M) New York Islanders vs. (3M) Carolina Hurricanes
Western Conference
(1P) San Jose Sharks vs. (WC2) Minnesota Wild
(1C) Winnipeg Jets vs. (WC1) Dallas Stars
(2P) Calgary Flames vs. (3P) Vegas Golden Knights
(2C) Nashville Predators vs. (3C) St. Louis Blues

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About last night

All seven games on the schedule Monday had playoff implications:
Philadelphia Flyers 3, Ottawa Senators 2: The Flyers moved within three points of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference by winning for the sixth time in their past eight games (6-1-1). Michael Raffl had a goal and an assist, and Brian Elliott made 20 saves for the Flyers. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens have 79 points each -- three more than the Flyers -- with Columbus holding the second wild card because of the regulation and overtime wins tiebreaker.
New York Islanders 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 0: The Islanders moved within two points of the first-place Washington Capitals in the Metropolitan Division. Thomas Greiss made 31 saves, including 11 in the third period, for his fifth shutout of the season. The Blue Jackets were shut out for the third time in their past six games.
Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 2: The Lightning, who have already clinched a playoff berth, became the seventh team in NHL history with 110 points through 70 games. Tyler Johnson and Cedric Paquette each scored two goals, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves. The Maple Leafs are third in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the second-place Boston Bruins.

San Jose Sharks 3, Minnesota Wild 0: The Sharks moved back into first place in the Pacific Division and Western Conference with their fifth straight victory. Martin Jones made 24 saves for the Sharks, who lead the Calgary Flames by one point in each race. It was the second straight loss for the Wild, who have a one-point lead over the Arizona Coyotes for the second wild card in the West.
Chicago Blackhawks 7, Arizona Coyotes 1: The Blackhawks moved within five points of a playoff spot with their third straight win. Brendan Perlini had a hat trick for the Chicago, which trails Minnesota for the second wild card in the West. The Coyotes missed a chance to move into a playoff position and remain one point behind the Wild.
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Colorado Avalanche 0: The Hurricanes moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division behind a 38-save shutout from Peter Mrazek. Carolina is tied in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins but has one more regulation/overtime win. The Avalanche are two points behind the Wild for the second wild card in the West.

: The Oilers moved within five points of the Wild for the second wild card in the West when Leon Draisaitl scored 35 seconds into overtime. The Rangers are 10 points behind the Blue Jackets for the second wild card in the East.