Top seed race:

1. Penguins 60 points (27 ROW), 8 games left
2. Canadiens 55 points (22 ROW), 9 games left
4. Bruins 54 points (21 ROW), 10 games left

-Notes: In what has to be described as a mere formality, Pittsburgh clinched the Atlantic Division title (and moved closer to the #1 overall seed) with a 5-3 win in Carolina. Montreal’s division and top seed hopes were damaged by a 3-2 home loss to the streaking Caps.

Southeast division race:

3. Capitals 44 points (18 ROW), 8 games left
— Jets 42 points (19 ROW), 7 games left

-Notes: Winnipeg kept pace with the Caps by beating the Sabres 4-1 up north, and improved their chances of making the playoffs even without winning the division with an important two points.

5. Leafs 48 points (22 ROW), 9 games left
6. Senators 44 points (15 ROW), 9 games left
7. Islanders 44 points (17 ROW), 8 games left
8. Rangers 42 points (16 ROW), 9 games left
———————————————–
9. Jets 42 points (19 ROW), 7 games left
10. Devils 40 points (13 ROW), 9 games left
11. Sabres 38 points (11 ROW), 8 games left
12. Flyers 37 points (16 ROW), 9 games left

-Notes: Ottawa’s damaging 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay kept them winless in the middle of a seven-game road trip, while the Isles’ big 4-1 over Philly at Nassau, and the Jets’ win put some distance between the Sabres and Flyers from the rest of the bubble.

A pair of big games loom for the locals on the bubble as the Rangers try to hang onto the final playoff spot against a Leaf team they’ll be looking to pay back for their loss in Toronto on Monday.  New Jersey’s task is even more formidable at home against a Bruin team that’s beaten them ten out of eleven games (really ten in a row since the one time we beat them was a glorified exhibition at the end of the ’10-11 season).

Tomorrow’s key games:
Toronto at Rangers 7 PM
Boston at Devils 7:30 PM