The Phoenix Coyotes jumped into third place in the Western Conference in Game 81 of their regular season, pulling one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division.
NHL Playoffs 2012: Coyotes Still In Running For Pacific Title After Beating Blues
Each team has one game remaining on the schedule. The Sharks and Kings play head to head on Saturday night in San Jose while Phoenix travels to Minnesota to take on the Wild in Game 82. With two points against the Wild, Phoenix will clinch the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed in the West, regardless of what happens between the two teams from California.
Fortunately for our viewing pleasure, the Phoenix vs. Minnesota game will conclude well before the San Jose vs. Los Angeles game, so we’ll know about midway through the game exactly what the Sharks and Kings are playing for. Should Phoenix lose, that game will decide the Pacific crown, as the two teams are deadlocked at 94 points entering Saturday’s action.
With the loss, the St. Louis Blues lost their shot at the Presidents’ Trophy and the No. 1 overall seed in the league, but they can still grab the top seed in the Western Conference with a victory vs. Dallas and a Vancouver loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Stick with our StoryStream for full coverage of Saturday’s complete day of NHL action.
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