Minnesota, Dallas and Columbus all picked up big wins in their push for the playoffs on Monday, while Toronto allowed the Blue Jackets to gain some ground in the Eastern Conference race.
It was a big night for bubble teams in the NHL playoff race as the Dallas Star took over the final Wild Card spot Western Conference, while the Columbus Blue Jackets picked up a huge two points in Toronto, thanks to goals from Dalton Prout and Artem Anisimov, to gain ground in their fight for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Minnesota also solidified its spot as the first Wild Card team in the West with a 3-2 win over Calgary, thanks in part to a costly turnover by Flames goalie Reto Berra, and opened up a seven-point lead on Winnipeg and Vancouver, the No. 9 and 10 teams in the conference.
All the NHL Scores
Blue Jackets 2, Maple Leafs 1
Wild 3, Flames 2
Stars 3, Sabres 2
Kings 2, Canadiens 1
Five Questions
On Monday we asked you five burning questions about the days games, these are your cool, soothing answers.
1. Will the Maple Leafs extend a seven-game home win streak?
They almost forced overtime in the final minute when Tyler Bozak missed on a wide open shot in front, but the Maple Leafs came up just short against Columbus. The loss not only ended their seven-game home winning streak, it is also their third straight loss since returning from the Olympic break.
2. Will Jaroslav Halak or Chris Stewart play for the Sabres?
Halak served as the backup to Jhonas Enroth, but Stewart played 17 minutes in the loss. It wasn't exactly a great debut in his new (and perhaps temporary) uniform as he finished the game as a minus-2 and turned the puck over several times. He recorded just one shot on goal.
3. How will Peter Budaj perform for the Montreal Canadiens?
He wasn't tested all that much (just 23 shots on goal) but did allow two goals in a 2-1 loss. Maybe Carey Price would have made a different and stopped every single shot, but goaltending wasn't the issue in this game. Coaching decisions and a complete lack of creativity offensively was too much for the Canadiens to overcome on the road against an elite team.
4. Will Mike Cammalleri do anything of note against the Minnesota Wild?
He was in the right place at the right time and managed to take advantage of a good bounce off the boards to score his 14th goal of the season. Maybe something that can boost his trade value for the Flames in the coming days.
5. Will any trades take place?
No. It's going to come down to the wire on Wednesday, most likely.
Impact Moment
The one play or moment from Monday that is going to be making headlines over the next couple of days.
What happens when one of the lowest scoring teams in the league meets a team that likes to pack it in around its own net and block shots? You get whatever it was the Kings and Canadiens put on the ice on Monday in Los Angeles. If you liked offense and scoring chances, this was probably a game for you to avoid as the two teams combined for just 40 shots on goal.
If you decided to stick around, you saw the problems of both teams on display for most of the night. The Kings can't score and need to find some sort of offense somewhere on the roster (or on another roster before Wednesday's trade deadline), while the Canadiens seem to be constantly held back by Michel Therrien's system, which is made worse by the fact Douglas Murray and Alexei Emelin get as much ice-time as the reigning Norris Trophy winner (P.K. Subban).
Stat of the Night
Alex Goligoski's goal with five seconds to play in the second period on Monday night was just his third goal of the season and ended what had been a 48-game goal drought.
Post to Post
- Are the Ottawa Senatorsquietly shoppingJason Spezza?
- The Penguins' third-line stinks.
- Michael Yormark is leaving the Florida Panthers.
- A look at the New York Rangersand their depth down the middle.