What’s at Stake in the NHL: Oilers, Maple Leafs try to clinch playoff spots

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 five-game slate of action on Wednesday, April 3?

– The Toronto Maple Leafs’ (43-22-9) magic number sits at one as they prepare to host the Tampa Bay Lightning (41-26-7) in a pivotal Atlantic Division matchup. If the Leafs lose in overtime or a shootout, the one point gained over the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings will be enough to clinch a playoff spot. It will mark Toronto’s eighth consecutive playoff berth, which will tie the Boston Bruins for the longest active mark in the NHL, a relatively low number after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ streak of 16 years was halted a year ago.

– The Edmonton Oilers (45-23-5) can clinch a playoff spot Wednesday night but don’t fully control their ability to do so. What needs to happen: (a) The Oilers beat the Dallas Stars, AND the St. Louis Blues lose to the Nashville Predators, AND the Minnesota Wild lose to the Colorado Avalanche in regulation; or (b) The Oilers win in regulation, AND the Blues lose, AND the Wild get one point or fewer against the Avs.

– The doomsday clock sits at 11:59 p.m. for the Seattle Kraken (31-30-13)’s season. They trail the Los Angeles Kings by 12 points for the second Western Conference Wildcard spot and happen to visit the Kings (38-25-11) Wednesday night. A regulation defeat to L.A. will cement a second playoff miss across the Kraken’s first three seasons of existence.

– McDavid sits at 97 assists on the season, which beat Joe Thornton’s 2005-06 mark for the most in one season during the salary cap era. McDavid needs three assists to become the fourth player to reach 100 in a season, joining Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

– McDavid’s 153 points last year easily rank as the highest total of the salary-cap era. Leon Draisaitl (128 in 2022-23) and Nikita Kucherov (128 in 2018-19) are tied for the second-best seasons. But we could have a new No. 2 and No. 3 on the list after tonight. Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon sit at 127 points, while McDavid has 126. Kucherov and McDavid are in action tonight. With two points, Kucherov would not only achieve the second highest-total of the cap era but also break his own Lightning single-season franchise record.

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