One Western Conference team and one Eastern Conference team face opposite ends of the playoff spectrum during tonight's five-game slate.
With the regular season entering the final stretch, Monday night's slate carries significant postseason weight across both conferences. While only five games are on the schedule, the implications stretch beyond that, particularly for the Minnesota Wild and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have found themselves on opposite ends of the playoff spectrum.
The Wild enter the night with a chance to officially punch their ticket to playoffs, a milestone that caps off a steady and resilient campaign in a wild Western Conference race. Minnesota's path to clinching consists of a San Jose Sharks loss in regulation against the St. Louis BluesOn the other side of the league, Toronto's elimination scenario consists of a regulation loss against the Anaheim Ducks. For a franchise with heavy expectations, this season has been nothing short of disappointing. Even if they manage to make it to Tuesday without being eliminated, the chances of the team making playoffs is razor thin. Toronto has experienced quite a few hardships this season, losing star forward Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights as a free agent in the offseason and losing their captain, it wasn't expected that they would have a long stretch into the offseason, if at all. The team holds a 31-30-13 record on the season, sitting 24th in the league with 75 points. Mar 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing William Nylander center John Tavares and left wing Matthew Knies talk before a face off against the St. Louis Blues during the third period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images The Wild, on the other hand, have experienced success this season following the acquisition of star defenseman from the Canucks in a blockbuster mid-season trade. The team currently holds a 41-21-12 record with 94 points and sits 7th in the league., as well as the Calgary Flames against the Colorado Avalanche, also carry playoff positioning implications. Every point matters tonight, and teams already in playoff positions are battling for favorable matchups and home-ice advantage.Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche - 8:30 PM ESTVancouver Canucks at Vegas Golden Knights - 10:00 PM ESTLoading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
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