What’s at Stake in the NHL: Milestone night for Matthews, Crosby?
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 two-game slate of action on Monday, April 8?
– The surging Pittsburgh Penguins (36-30-11) will attempt a fifth consecutive victory when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. The Pens got leapfrogged by the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference playoff run on Sunday but can retake a playoff position with a win, which would actually jump Pittsburgh into third in the Metropolitan Division ahead of the New York Islanders.
– With two goals Monday, Leafs superstar Auston Matthews would reach 66 on the year and surpass Alex Ovechkin’s 2007-08 output for the highest single-season total of the salary-cap era. Pens legend Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, remains three assists away from becoming the 14th 1,000-helper player in NHL history.
– The Vancouver Canucks (47-22-8) can clinch home ice in Round 1 of the playoffs if they defeat the Vegas Golden Knights Monday.
– The Golden Knights (42-26-8) can’t quite clinch a playoff spot Monday despite holding a five-point lead plus two games in hand on the St. Louis Blues, but Vegas can take a stranglehold. A loss to Vancouver would mathematically eliminate Vegas from Pacific Division title contention, though.
_____
New Year, New Gear! Check out Nation Gear’s latest collections – hoodies, t-shirts, hats and more for your favorite fans! Plus, keep up to date on upcoming events and travel by subscribing to our newsletter. Shop now at nationgear.ca
____