Hurricanes and Maple Leafs Face Playoff-Clinching Scenarios
The Carolina Hurricanes and the Toronto Maple Leafs, both in the NHL’s Eastern Conference, both face situations tonight where they could secure a spot in this year’s playoffs. Both situations can occur tonight if the Montreal Canadiens lose to the Florida Panthers in any fashion. For the Hurricanes, they need to defeat the New York Islanders tonight. For the Maple Leafs, they need to defeat the Anaheim Ducks tonight. Neither the Carolina Hurricanes nor the Toronto Maple Leafs have held the Stanley Cup in quite some time, and these two teams are teams that look poised to make a run for it.
The Hurricanes and Maple Leafs could be the fourth and fifth teams to seal their spots in the playoffs after the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and most recently, the Dallas Stars. The Hurricanes currently have a 44-24-4 record for 92 points. The Maple Leafs currently have a 44-25-4 record for 92 points. The Islanders, who Carolina plays tonight, have a 32-30-10 record for 74 points. Meanwhile, the Ducks, who Toronto plays tonight, have a 32-32-8 record for 72 points.
Both Carolina and Toronto are on single-game winning streaks and hope to secure a playoff spot in a very competitive Eastern Conference. The Islanders vs. Hurricanes game begins at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, given it’s in Carolina. The Maple Leafs vs. Ducks game begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time due to that game being played in Anaheim. The Maple Leafs are coming off a road win last night to the Los Angeles Kings, while Carolina’s win was a home win on Friday to Montreal.
If, however, Montreal wins against the Florida Panthers, neither team can secure a playoff spot tonight. Given the Maple Leafs have nine games left of the season, they will have plenty of chances to secure their probable playoff position. One can say the same about the Carolina Hurricanes, who have 10 games left in their season. Regardless, both teams have had an incredible yet challenging season. It will be very exciting to see what these two Stanley Cup-hungry teams can do in the upcoming playoffs once they clinch a spot.
