Senators Clinch; Race for the 2nd Wild Card Continues

The Senators Topped the Boston Bruins in a Shootout Victory That Officially Earned the Team Their Playoff Spot. Now, With Another Playoff Spot Off the Market, the Race For the Final Eastern Conference Playoff Spot Continues.

The Ottawa Senators have officially clinched their spot in the NHL playoffs and now only one playoff spot remains; the 2nd wild card. The race to claim the 2nd wild card spot has been in full spring for a while now but now that it is the only spot remaining and the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to grab a playoff-clinching win, the spot is still up for grabs.

There are three teams chasing the final playoff spot, the Leafs, the Islanders and the Lightning. With just two games left in the season, these teams are giving everything possible to get the wins needed to grab the spot.

NHL Playoffs: Race for the Final Eastern Conference Spot

Three teams are in the race. The closest team to securing the wild card position is the Maple Leafs, who lost their opportunity to clinch by losing their matchup against the Lightning.

The Leafs currently have 93 points and hold the 2nd wild card position with a 3-point lead over their competitors. With two games left, the Leafs will face the Penguins and the Blue Jackets in their final attempt to clinch their playoff spot.

The Leafs’ next two games will be rough but if these two tough matchups are what stand between them and the playoffs, they’ll have to do whatever necessary to grab the win to clinch their spot.

While the Leafs sat back against the Lightning and lose the opportunity to clinch, the Isles and Lightning were easing closer to stealing the spot.

Isles and Lightning Coming in Hot

The Islanders and the Lightning both trail the Leafs with 90 points each. Currently, the Isles sit ahead of the Lightning with one more regulation win. Regardless of the current tie, both of these teams plan to win their next two matchups to grab that wild card spot.

Still, even if both of these teams win their next two matchups, the Leafs would have to continue to lose for them to lose their spot. This means that these next two games will be very important for the teams chasing the playoffs.

The Islanders will face off against the Devils and the recently clinched Ottawa Senators. These matchups, especially New Jersey, might feel like smooth games but anything can happen. Even though the Isles will put forward their best play against teams who won’t achieve much more with a win, these teams still don’t want to see the Isles win.

The Senators will be looking to secure their spot in the top three with the Leafs just one point behind them. Securing their spot in the Atlantic Division’s top three will keep Ottawa away from facing off against the Washington Capitals.

The same goes for the Lighting. Tampa Bay’s last two matchups will take place against the Canadiens and the Sabres. The Canadiens beat the team in OT just a few games ago and the Sabres have been finding ways to beat tough teams.

These two teams won’t easily hand Tampa a win even if they aren’t seeking any immediate rewards. Montreal is already first in the Atlantic and set to take the ice in round one of the playoffs against the New York Rangers, but they won’t let their play drop for a moment.

Even the Sabres won’t want to let a win slip.

Final Moments

The 2nd wild card spot will probably end up in Toronto’s hands, but when it comes to the playoffs anything can happen. While the Maple Leafs only need one win to clinch their playoff spot, if they hit the wall in terms of play another team might come up to steal the spot.

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My bets are on the Leafs, but anything can happen. The only thing to do is wait and see how these next two games play out and who will come out on top. Regardless, the winning team will take the 2nd wild card and will be destined to face off against the conference leader, the Washington Capitals.

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