The NHL playoff race continues to tighten. The Blue Jackets finally fell. The Stars grabbed eighth-place in the Western Conference. The Leafs bested the Bruins in a battle for playoff position. The Wild and Canucks are neck-and-neck at the top of the Northwest.
NHL Scores: Wild control Northwest after 5th straight win
The season is coming down to the wire, and Saturday’s games jumbled up the standings yet again.
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What more could you want? Read on to find out more about how Saturday’s big night of action affected the playoff hunt.
All The NHL Scores
Get caught up on Tuesday’s NHL scores with recaps from our network of SB Nation team blogs. Here’s a quick glance at the full night of action:
Senators 5, Lightning 3
Wild 2, Sharks 0
Canucks 1, Kings 0
Maple Leafs 3, Bruins 2
Predators 5, Blue Jackets 1
Stars 5, Avalanche 2
Five Answers
Prior to last night’s games, we presented five burning questions regarding the night’s action. Here are your cool, soothing answers.
1. Can the Blue Jackets take their show on the road?
Columbus's blowout loss in Nashville only added fuel to the fire for those skeptical about the Blue Jackets' 12-game point streak. Eleven of those games were at home, and the Jackets immediately collapsed as soon as they hit the ice in Nashville. Sergei Bobrovsky got lit up for four goals in the first ten minutes and Columbus couldn't complete the comeback. Give them credit for their fight late in the game, though. This team doesn't give up easily.
2. Will Minnesota make it five in a row?
The Wild kept rolling with a 2-0 win over San Jose. They retained their lead in the Northwest but head out on the road again this week. They’ll take on a Dallas team on Monday that played perhaps their best game of the year on Saturday.
3. Just who, exactly, is capable of suiting up for the Ottawa Senators?
Daniel Alfredsson. Always. Alfie scored two goals in a dominant win for the Senators. For a team that has been so riddled with injuries, Ottawa showed tremendous resiliency on Saturday by breaking out with four quick goals and then withstanding an onslaught of a comeback attempt by the Lightning.
4. Will the Panthers continue their spoiler trip in the New York area?
No.
Hope for shiny #FlaPanthers future is completely restored after nasty two-game win streak is obliterated by #NJDevils. #FirstOverall
— Donny Rivette (@LitterBoxCats) March 23, 2013
5. Are the Canucks ever going to take full control of the Northwest again?
Strong goaltending and a relentless forecheck helped Vancouver earn its third straight win on Saturday, but will their strong play of late be enough to claim the Northwest? The Wild are riding even higher (five straight wins) and look even more potent right now than the Canucks. Vancouver's schedule the next few weeks is soft (Colorado, Calgary, Columbus) but they finish up the season with the Blackhawks and Ducks and don't play the Wild again. If the Canucks want to make a run for the division, it has to be now.
Impact Moment
What moment from last night’s games will be making headlines in the coming days?
Ilya Kovalchuk was injured late against Florida and he'll be out a "short time" with a shoulder injury.
Stat of the Night
Brodeur records his 100th win @ the Rock, becoming 1st goalie with 100 wins in two different arenas. (Elias Sports) h/t @BamLeo #NJDevils
— NHLDevilsPR (@NHLDevilsPR) March 23, 2013
Post to Post
- The Stars opened their homestand in a big way.
- The Bruins were turrible.
- Vancouver won despite some poor officiating.
- Finally, it was a rough night for the folks on Hockey Night in Canada:
Elliotte friedman has the look of a guy watching three men trying to discover fire by rubbing wet sticks.
— bruce dowbiggin (@dowbboy) March 23, 2013
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