Path to the Playoffs | Standings, tonight's games to watch, and more

While the Sabres were off last night, the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff contenders were all in action – and there was plenty of movement in the standings as a result.

• In the race for the top overall seed: The Hurricanes lost to the Canadiens, meaning Carolina still only has a one-point lead on the Sabres for the No. 1 seed in the conference. Both teams have played 71 games.
• In the race for the Atlantic Division: The Lightning overcame an early deficit to beat the Wild. Tampa Bay (with a game in hand) now trails the Buffalo by two points for the top spot in the division.
• In the wild card race: Ottawa won its matchup with Detroit while the Islanders lost to the Blackhawks. After weeks of pushing, the Senators have finally jumped into the second wild card spot, leaving the Red Wings and Islanders on the outside looking in.

The Sabres will take center stage tonight, hosting the Bruins in a nationally televised game at 7:30 p.m. while the rest of the playoff contenders have the night off.

Here’s your Wednesday viewing guide.

Sabres' playoff odds, according to MoneyPuck.com: 99.99%

Sabres’ magic number to clinch: 12

The magic number is a countdown indicating how close the Sabres are to officially clinching a playoff berth. When the Sabres gain points, or when the first team outside the playoffs loses games, the number gets closer to 0.  

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Standings

Tuesday's scores

• Maple Leafs 4 - Bruins 2
• Canadiens 5 - Hurricanes 2
• Senators 3 - Red Wings 2
• Panthers 5 - Kraken 4
• Blackhawks 4 - Islanders 3
• Blue Jackets 3 - Flyers 2
• Avalanche 6 - Penguins 2
• Lightning 6 - Wild 3
• Blues 3 - Capitals 0
• Devils 6 - Stars 4

Wednesday's games to follow

Bruins at Sabres - 7:30 p.m. (TNT, truTV, HBO Max)

Implications: The Bruins are trying to protect their one-point cushion in the wild card race after losing to the Maple Leafs last night. The Sabres, meanwhile, would accomplish three things with a win:

1. Overtake Carolina for sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time.
2. Restore their four-point lead over the Lightning for first place in the Atlantic Division. 
3. Chip away at their magic number and move closer to clinching a playoff berth

Playoff format

Eight teams from the Eastern Conference will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The format is a set bracket that is largely division-based with wild cards. 

The top three teams in each division will make up the first six teams in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The remaining two spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference (wild cards), based on regular-season record and regardless of division.

 Tie-breaking procedures

If two or more clubs are tied in points during the regular season, the standing of the clubs is determined in the following order:

1. The fewer number of games played (i.e., superior points percentage).
2. The greater number of games won, excluding games won in Overtime or by Shootout (i.e., 'Regulation Wins'). This figure is reflected in the RW column.
3. The greater number of games won, excluding games won by Shootout. This figure is reflected in the ROW column.
4. The greater number of games won by the Club in any manner (i.e., 'Total Wins'). This figure is reflected in the W column.
5. The greater number of points earned in games against each other among two or more tied clubs. For the purpose of determining standing for two or more Clubs that have not played an even number of games with one or more of the other tied Clubs, the first game played in the city that has the extra game (the 'odd game') shall not be included. When more than two Clubs are tied, the percentage of available points earned in games among each other (and not including any 'odd games') shall be used to determine standing.
6. The greater differential between goals for and against (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the DIFF column.
7. The greater number of goals scored (including goals scored in Overtime or awarded for prevailing in Shootouts) for the entire regular season. This figure is reflected in the GF column.