Playoff Push: March 21st

Eastern Conference Standings - March 21
(Sabres.com)

79 degrees yesterday in Buffalo, New York.  It was a record high temperature-wise, shattering the 69 degree record set in 1913.  It's the type of weather you don't normally see until late in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  If the weather doesn't have this Sabres team thinking playoff hockey, a quick look at the standings should do the trick for them.  Where we stand now, two points out with nine games remaining, every game is a playoff game.

For the second time in the last three days, the Buffalo Sabres benefited from a Winnipeg Jets loss yesterday.  This one came thanks to the Pittsburgh Penguins and their top line, which scored 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in the game.

Help from other teams in the league will need to continue because the Sabres do not control their own destiny as the remainder of this season plays out.  With nine games remaining for the Capitals, their "magic number" is at seven.  That means they can eliminate the Sabres with seven wins, regardless of how well the Sabres finish the season.

But with 18 points still up for grabs for both clubs, anything can happen, as the Sabres only trail the eighth-place Capitals by two.  In fact, they only trail seventh-place Ottawa by six.

Last night's results positively affected the Sabres' playoff odds by 1.9%, increasing them to 17.4%.  Results are broken down after the jump.



Pittsburgh Penguins defeat Winnipeg Jets in regulation (+1.3%).  Pittsburgh captain, Sidney Crosby, tallied out four assists in his first home game in over three months, James Neal recorded his second NHL hat trick, and the Penguins outplayed the Jets 8-4.  The Jets remained four points behind eighth-place Washington and the Eastern Conference's postseason cutoff with nine games remaining.  They trail the Sabres by two points.

New Jersey Devils defeat Ottawa Senators in regulation (+0.8%).  Ilya Kovalchuk hit a milestone last night.  His 400th NHL goal provided the only offense the New Jersey Devils needed to secure a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.  "It doesn't really matter to me, though, because the only important hockey is in front of us in April," said Kovalchuk.  The Devils are safely in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind Philadelphia and five in front of No. 7 Ottawa.  The Sabres trail Ottawa by six points but have a game in hand that will be played tonight.

Florida Panthers defeat Philadelphia Flyers in regulation (-0.5%).  Stephen Weiss and Sean Bergenheim both scored, and Scott Clemmensen stopped 35 shots to lead the Panthers to their fifth straight win, 2-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Panthers expanded their lead to five points over the Washington Capitals for first in the Southeast Division, keeping their grasp on the third spot in the Eastern Conference.  With 10 games remaining, Florida (85 points) has already surpassed its point total for the last two seasons.  Today, March 21st, is the latest in the season the Panthers have ever been in first place.

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The Sabres and 6'8" defenseman Tyler Myers return to the ice tonight for a home game against division rival Montreal.  This game has a large potential to impact playoff odds at both ends of the spectrum.  A regulation or overtime win for Buffalo can bring playoff odds up over 20%, while a regulation loss can knock them down below 10%.  Two points dangle in front of the Sabres along with the chance to tie Washington for eighth once again.  Game outcomes and resulting odds impacts are as follows:

Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres

BUF - Reg Win (+5.7%)

BUF - OT Win (+5.7%)

BUF - SO Win (+5.6%)

MON - Reg Win (-8.2%)

MON - OT Win (-2.3%)

MON - SO Win (-2.2%)

The other game impacting odds tonight, although only by a minuscule amount, is listed below.

Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes

CAR - Reg Win (0.0%)

CAR - OT Win (-0.2%)

CAR - SO Win (-0.2%)

FLA - Reg Win (+0.1%)

FLA - OT Win (-0.1%)

FLA - SO Win (0.0%)

The puck drops a little after 7:00pm at the First Niagara Center tonight for the sixth and final meeting two Northeast Division rivals.  Three of the previous five matchups have gone past regulation, although Buffalo has yet to lose in regulation this season against Montreal, posting a 4-0-1 record.  Set yourself up with tickets here and the game preview here.