It was a night for clinching in the NHL on Monday. Numerous teams cemented themselves into the playoff picture while others were permanently eliminated. With three games remaining in the regular season for most teams, time is running out to make it into the final playoff spots in the conference. As both the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks clinched their respective divisions, the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets will face off Tuesday for the lead in the Southeast Division.
The Anaheim Ducks officially became Pacific Division champs after shutting out the Edmonton Oilers 3-0. The Ducks have now won back-to-back games. This is their first division title since 2007, the same year they went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers on the other have now lost eight of their past nine games. They have not reached the postseason since 2006 when they went to the Stanley Cup finals. With the win a division title, the Ducks now sit in second place in the Western Conference, nine points behind the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Canucks also clinched their division on Monday. Vancouver won its fifth-straight Northwest Division with a 3-1 win over conference leading Chicago. The team has now won two straight is will hope to carry that momentum into the postseason as their regular season has been hampered with injuries and inconsistency. The team won the season series with Chicago, a team they are likely to see in the postseason sooner rather than later. Vancouver is now in third in the Western Conference, a position that could see them facing Chicago. Henrik and Daniel Sedin led the way for the Canucks on Monday, handing Chicago just their sixth loss of the season.
Tuesday night could see more division clinching play in the NHL. The Capitols and Jets will highlight the evening as they faceoff for a chance to win the Southeast Division. The two rivals have played four times this season, with Winnipeg only winning one game in the series. If the Jets win, they will have 53 points and jump the division-leading Capitals. A regulation loss could eliminate Winnipeg from playoff contention all together. The Capitals are in control of their own destiny. A win gives them the division title and third place overall in the Eastern Conference. A regulation loss would mean Washington would have to win its final two games in order to leap back over Winnipeg. The final few games in the Eastern Conference could create interesting playoff matchups.
