Stanley Cup Playoff Buzz: Maple Leafs look to pick up ground in Atlantic

Welcome to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Buzz, a daily look at the races for the 2019 NHL postseason. There are 11 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.

Stanley Cup Playoff clinching scenarios

The Vegas Golden Knights will clinch a playoff berth if they earn one point against the Colorado Avalanche (10 p.m. ET; NBCSN).
The St. Louis Blues will clinch a playoff berth if the Avalanche lose to the Golden Knights in regulation.

On Tap

There are four games on the schedule Wednesday, each with playoff implications:
:The Maple Leafs are five points behind the Boston Bruins in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Flyers, 2-5-0 in their past seven games after going 6-1-1 in their previous eight, are 10 points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference and can be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss in regulation.
: The Bruins lost 5-4 at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, ending their four-game winning streak. They are five points ahead of the Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins and Maple Leafs each have six games remaining. The Rangers are eliminated from playoff contention.
: The Stars are three points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche for the first wild card into the playoffs from the West. Dallas is six points behind the St. Louis Blues for third place in the Central Division. The Flames are 6-2-0 in their past eight games and first in the Pacific Division and Western Conference, six points ahead of the San Jose Sharks.
: The Golden Knights need one point to clinch a playoff berth. They are 10-2-1 in their past 13 games and five points behind the Sharks for second place in the Pacific Division with six games left. Colorado, which is 4-0-1 in its past five games, is tied with the Arizona Coyotes and two points ahead of the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card into the playoffs from the West.

Thought of the day

Don't sleep on the Dallas Stars, who have proven to be a harder team to play against on the road and within the Central Division as this season moves along.
That was evident in a 5-2 win at the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. The Stars (39-31-6) not only won the season series (3-1-0) against the Jets but won in Winnipeg for the first time since March 23, 2016, ending a streak of six straight losses. That's a comforting thought for the Stars should the teams play again in the Western Conference First Round next month.
The Stars, who hold the first wild card into the playoffs from the West, were 8-for-19 on the power play in four games against the Jets. Goalie Ben Bishop was 3-1-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in four starts.
Bishop has been particularly sharp of late, winning seven of his past eight starts with a 0.95 GAA and .966 save percentage.
The Stars, winners of five straight road games, are a confident group heading into their game at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday. They are 17-17-3 away from American Airlines Center after going 16-20-5 on the road last season when they failed to qualify for playoffs. They are 13-9-2 against the Central Division after finishing 12-14-0 last season.
Forward Tyler Seguin has 73 points (31 goals, 42 assists), forward Alexander Radulov has 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) and forward Jamie Benn has 52 points (27 goals, 25 assists). They are the offensive catalysts along with 19-year-old rookie Miro Heiskanen, who has 31 points (10 goals, 21 assists), the most by a teenage defenseman in Dallas/Minnesota North Stars history.
Additionally, forwards Mats Zuccarello (broken arm) and Tyler Pitlick (wrist injury) are skating and might be able to return within a few games to provide the Stars with more reinforcements down the stretch and into the postseason.
-- NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale

If playoffs started Wednesday

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

About last night

Five of the seven games on the schedule Tuesday had playoff implications:
Washington Capitals 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1: The Capitals moved three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Each team has five games remaining. The Hurricanes saw their lead over the Montreal Canadiens for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference cut to one point.

Columbus Blue Jackets 4, New York Islanders 0: The Blue Jackets remained two points behind the Canadiens for the second wild card from the East, with one game in hand. The Islanders, who are tied in points with the Penguins, fell three points behind the Capitals for first in the Metropolitan.
Montreal Canadiens 6, Florida Panthers 1: The Canadiens moved within one point of the Hurricanes for the first wild card in the East and remained two points ahead of the Blue Jackets. The Panthers were eliminated from postseason contention.
Edmonton Oilers 8, Los Angeles Kings 4: The Oilers moved within the five points of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference behind hat tricks from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl.
Arizona Coyotes 1, Chicago Blackhawks 0: The Coyotes moved into a tie with the Avalanche for the second wild card from the West. Colorado has a game in hand on Arizona, whose win eliminated the Anaheim Ducks from playoff contention. The Blackhawks remained five points out of the second wild card with six games to play.