NHL clinch drama alive
Sunday’s NHL slate left multiple teams on the brink: Anaheim could clinch a playoff berth (their first since 2018 if they do), while the Bruins, Golden Knights and Oilers were reported as 'on the verge' and the Capitals and Islanders faced elimination pressure. Philadelphia published that its magic number to clinch was 3, with a Boston regulation win set to shrink that number to one under a specific scenario. (nhl.com, nhl.com)
Anaheim took its playoff chase to the last week of the season Sunday night, with a berth still on the line after entering the day one win away. (dailyfaceoff.com) The Ducks began Sunday at 42-32-5 and could have clinched with any win over the Vancouver Canucks, which would have sent Anaheim to the postseason for the first time since 2017-18. Vancouver beat Anaheim 4-3 instead, leaving the Ducks at 42-32-6. (dailyfaceoff.com, espn.com) In the East, Philadelphia said Sunday morning that its magic number to lock up third place in the Metropolitan Division was 3. The Flyers also laid out one immediate path: if Boston beat Columbus in regulation and Philadelphia then beat Montreal in regulation, the number would drop to 1. (nhl.com) That left several races running at once with five days left in the regular season, according to the National Hockey League’s daily playoff update on April 12. The league listed Anaheim with a clinching chance, while Washington and the New York Islanders were trying to avoid elimination. (nhl.com) Sunday’s squeeze followed a Saturday that had already moved the bracket. National Hockey League and Daily Faceoff playoff updates published April 11 and April 12 said Boston, the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton were all on the verge, and later reports said Boston and Vegas had clinched by Saturday night. (nhl.com, dailyfaceoff.com, dailyfaceoff.com) The Islanders’ margin was especially thin. Daily Faceoff reported they could be eliminated from Metropolitan Division contention Sunday with a regulation loss to Montreal or with a Washington win over Pittsburgh plus a Columbus regulation win over Boston, among other combinations. (dailyfaceoff.com) Washington was under similar pressure entering what USA Today called the biggest question of Sunday’s slate, partly because it could have been Alex Ovechkin’s final home game if the Capitals missed. The same playoff picture update said the Capitals stayed alive heading into the final stretch. (usatoday.com) For Anaheim, the significance is simple and dated: the franchise has not played a playoff game since 2018. Sunday did not end that drought, but it did keep the clinch drama alive into the season’s final days. (dailyfaceoff.com, espn.com)
