NHL playoff picture: Pesky Senators in hunt after impressive road trip
The Ottawa Senators are back in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt after a 4-0-1 Western Conference road trip. The Senators completed the trip with a 3-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Wednesday's NHL action, increasing their playoff chances to 28.7 percent, according to Sports Club Stats.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal | 64 | 87 |
| Tampa Bay | 65 | 84 |
| Detroit | 62 | 83 |
The Montreal Canadiens lost a road game against the Anaheim Ducks, squandering an opportunity to move away from the idle Tampa Bay Lightning. The Detroit Red Wings defeated the New York Rangers in overtime.
Metropolitan
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| N.Y. Rangers | 63 | 85 |
| N.Y. Islanders | 65 | 85 |
| Pittsburgh | 63 | 81 |
The New York Rangers slipped into a tie with the idle New York Islanders atop the division thanks to a point from their overtime loss. The Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the Colorado Avalanche on the road, putting their hold on the third spot in jeopardy.
Wild Card
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 65 | 80 |
| Boston | 62 | 71 |
| Florida | 64 | 69 |
| Ottawa | 62 | 67 |
| Philadelphia | 64 | 66 |
Ottawa moved ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and is in prime position to pass the Florida Panthers after its victory.
Western Conference
Central
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 65 | 89 |
| St. Louis | 63 | 85 |
| Chicago | 64 | 81 |
None of the top three Central Division teams played Wednesday.
Pacific
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | 66 | 91 |
| Vancouver | 63 | 75 |
| Calgary | 63 | 72 |
Anaheim regained the league lead in points by defeating the Canadiens while the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames were idle.
Wild Card
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg | 65 | 76 |
| Minnesota | 63 | 75 |
| Los Angeles | 63 | 72 |
| San Jose | 65 | 72 |
The Jets suffered a costly loss to Ottawa, putting a dent in their playoff hopes. Winnipeg still holds the first wild-card spot, but both the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings have two games in hand.
Race for Last
| Team | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 64 | 43 |
| Edmonton | 64 | 46 |
| Arizona | 64 | 47 |
| Carolina | 62 | 55 |
| Columbus | 63 | 56 |
| Toronto | 64 | 57 |
None of the teams in the Connor McDavid sweepstakes played Wednesday.