What’s at Stake in the NHL: Will Maple Leafs become fifth Eastern Conference team to clinch playoff spot?

Welcome to the April leg of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. At this point in the calendar, the stakes are elevated. We’re starting to see teams clinch playoff spots. Players are hitting milestones. There’s seemingly something on the line every night.

So what’s at stake during the eight-game slate of action on Monday, April 1?

– Currently, seven of 16 playoff spots have been clinched – four in the East (Bruins, Panthers, Rangers, Hurricanes) and three in the West (Stars, Avalanche, Canucks). The Toronto Maple Leafs can clinch tonight if (a) they beat the Panthers, the Detroit Red Wings lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in regulation, AND the New York Islanders lose to the Philadelphia Flyers; (b) they beat the Panthers AND Detroit and Philadelphia both lose in regulation; or (c) They beat the Panthers in regulation, Detroit loses in regulation, AND Philadelphia loses in a shootout.

– Over the weekend, Auston Matthews became the ninth player in NHL history to record multiple 60-goal seasons and equalled his own Leafs single-season record. If he scores Monday when the Leafs host the Florida Panthers, he’ll break his own mark and establish a new one at 61 goals.

– The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby is inching toward some incredible milestones. A three-point night at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers would give him 82 points and cement a 19^th consecutive point-per-game season. That would equal Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. Crosby is also just four assists away from 1,000 for his career. The 1,000-assist club is among the most exclusive in the sport, boasting only 13 members, none of which is still active.

– The Seattle Kraken will be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs if they lose to the San Jose Sharks regulation and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Winnipeg Jets.

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