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Anaheim Ducks: The Ducks clinched a playoff berth Saturday against the New York Islanders, and a 2-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday wrapped up a five-game road trip and extinguished the Devils’ postseason hopes in the process. With their third consecutive win, the Ducks are aiming for the Presidents’ Trophy with a three-point lead on the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators for the league’s best overall record.
Minnesota Wild: With five straight wins, and seven of their past eight, the Wild are peaking at the right time heading into the final days of the regular season. And though the Wild have leaned heavily on goalie Devan Dubnyk, he has shown no signs of a letdown. Dubnyk, who has been sensational since he was acquired from Arizona at midseason, made his 34th consecutive start in Saturday’s 4-1 victory against the Los Angeles Kings. His 31-save effort, which came in the second game of a back-to-back, improved his record to 26-6-1 since joining the Wild.
Dustin Byfuglien, Winnipeg Jets: Byfuglien’s two-goal performance wasn’t enough to secure a victory for the Jets in Sunday’s grudge match against the Chicago Blackhawks -- which resulted in a 4-3 Hawks win courtesy of a late goal from Winnipeg native Jonathan Toews -- but Byfuglien's return to the Jets' lineup has been a major plus for Winnipeg. After missing nine straight games, Byfuglien has rattled off three goals in the past two games. That’s a good sign for a team that is desperate to keep a hold on the second wild-card spot in the West.
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Brian Elliott, St. Louis Blues: Elliott got the chance to redeem himself with his first start in a week in Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it wasn’t the type of bounce-back performance he would have liked. Elliott gave up three goals on 16 shots as questions linger about the Blues' goaltending heading into the playoffs.
Blackhawks’ power play: The Hawks entered Sunday’s game against the Jets with only one power-play goal on their previous 12 attempts. The good news for Chicago is that the team scored on its first man-up opportunity of the match in Winnipeg, but the PP unit is still smarting from the absence of injured forward Patrick Kane. And while a lethal power play is not a must in the playoffs -- in fact, the Hawks won the Cup in 2013 with a power play that was 13th among 16 teams in the postseason -- it could certainly help considering the strength of their opponents, especially within their own division.
Injury report
Preds without captain: The Predators also clinched a playoff spot over the weekend, but they had to play the last two games without franchise defenseman Shea Weber. Weber is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Sharks depleted on D: The San Jose Sharks return home after a grueling seven-game road stretch, but they may play Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche without top defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is expected to be re-evaluated Monday as the Sharks await further details about the severity of his injury.
What to watch for
Make or break for Canucks: The Vancouver Canucks have been a resilient bunch, especially in the wake of an injury to starting goaltender Ryan Miller. The team faces another big test on a four-game road trip that very well may determine whether the team advances to the postseason. The Canucks, who lead the Calgary Flames by two points for second place in the Pacific Divison, have four of the toughest opponents to face during that stretch, with stops in St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago and Winnipeg.
Goalie trouble in St. Louis: Blues coach Ken Hitchcock did his best to dispel any growing sense of controversy between the pipes in St. Louis, emphatically endorsing Elliott as the team’s starter heading into the playoffs. But with Jake Allen earning consecutive starts last week, you have to at least wonder about the postseason. If Elliott struggles in the final stretch during the regular season, just how short of a leash does he have?
Battle royale: The Flames, Jets and Kings are locked in a battle for the last two playoff spots in the Western Conference with the clubs tight in the standings. The Kings trail the Flames and Jets by one and two points, respectively, but have a game in hand on both clubs heading into this week’s action.