Preview: Ottawa-Boston game to decide three series
The NHL season was supposed to end Saturday, but the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings pushed one game to Sunday.
It turns out the Ottawa Senators-Boston Bruins game has plenty of playoff implications.
The Western Conference series were settled on Saturday as follows:
No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks vs. No. 8 Minnesota Wild
No. 2 Anaheim Ducks vs. No. 7 Detroit Red Wings
No. 3 Vancouver Canucks. vs. No. 6 San Jose Sharks
No. 4 St. Louis Blues vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Kings
(Check back at nhl.usatoday.com later Sunday for Western Conference series previews)
In the East, only the Washington Capitals-New York Rangers series has been set up.
What the Senators-Bruins game means:
If the Boston Bruins win in regulation, they'd win the Northeast Division and be the second seed. The three remaining series would be as follows:
No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 Ottawa
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 New York Islanders
No. 4 Montreal Canadiens vs. No. 5 Toronto Maple Leafs
if the Senators lose in overtime-shootout, they'd move up in the standings. The three remaining series would be as follows:
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 8 Islanders
No. 2 Boston vs. No. 7 Ottawa
No. 4 Montreal vs. No. 5 Toronto
If the Senators win Sunday's game, the Bruins would not win the Northeast Division and the series would be as follows.
No. 1 Pittsburgh vs. No. 8 Islanders
No. 2 Montreal vs. No. 7 Ottawa
No. 4 Boston vs. No. 5 Toronto
The Bruins are poised to sweep the Senators in a season series for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
All four previous victories, however, occurred with Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson recovering from surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.
He has had 15 shots and averaged more than 27 minutes a game in the two games of his comeback.