Get your popcorn ready.
Intrigue abounds with about three weeks left in the NHL's regular season. On both individual and team levels, the final push before the playoffs should feature no shortage of excitement.
Here are three major storylines to pay attention to during the home stretch:
Eastbound traffic jam
The "loser point" has been wreaking havoc in the East all season, and the oft-debated point awarded for overtime and shootout losses could end up deciding who gets in and who doesn't in a crowded race for the final wild-card spot.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have benefited most from the single point, and they have the inside track with a game in hand on all potential usurpers except the Carolina Hurricanes, as well as more regulation-or-overtime wins (the first playoff tiebreaker) than all but the New York Islanders among those battling it out for the final playoff positions.
Considering the ROW totals, it's likely a three-horse race between the Leafs, Islanders, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
The schedule doesn't exactly favor the Philadelphia Flyers, while the postseason hopes of the Hurricanes and Florida Panthers have all but faded. Each of these three teams would need a near-perfect finish coupled with disastrous skids by the better-positioned clubs.
But hey, anything is possible. Right, Kevin?
Rocket men
The race for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy looks like Sidney Crosby's to lose.
Crosby's hat trick Sunday gave him a three-goal cushion over Brad Marchand in the goal-scoring race, but it's not over yet by any means. Vladimir Tarasenko sits three goals behind the Boston Bruins forward, followed by a handful of players tied with one fewer tally than the St. Louis Blues sniper.
Here's how the top Richard contenders' schedules look this week:
| Player | Goals | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thu | Fr | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby | 40 | @BUF | @OTT | NYI | PHI | |||
| Marchand | 37 | @TOR | OTT | TB | @NYI | |||
| Tarasenko | 34 | @COL | VAN | CGY | ||||
| NIkita Kucherov | 33 | ARI | @BOS | @DET | ||||
| Patrik Laine | 33 | PHI | @LA | @ANA | VAN | |||
| Max Pacioretty | 33 | DET | CAR | OTT | ||||
| Cam Atkinson | 33 | TOR | @WAS | PHI |
Evgeni Malkin also has 33 goals, but his injury will make it tough to catch his top-ranked teammate.
Getting to the point
Barring a surge from one of the other contenders, Crosby really only has to worry about fellow Nova Scotian Marchand in the goal-scoring race, but winning the Art Ross Trophy will be more difficult.
Crosby is tied with Connor McDavid atop the points leaderboard, with a trio of stars in close pursuit. Here's how their respective weeks break down:
| Player | Points | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby | 80 | @BUF | @OTT | NYI | PHI | |||
| McDavid | 80 | LA | @ANA | @COL | COL | |||
| Marchand | 79 | @TOR | OTT | TB | @NYI | |||
| Patrick Kane | 79 | VAN | DAL | @FLA | ||||
| Nicklas Backstrom | 75 | CGY | CBJ | ARI |
McDavid gets the league-worst Colorado Avalanche twice, while Patrick Kane faces three non-playoff teams with no back-to-backs.
Buckle up, because it should be an entertaining ride.
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