Top 5: The CH is now just two points behind the Sabres and the Lightning

Marc-Olivier Cook
Top 5: The CH is now just two points behind the Sabres and the Lightning
Credit: Capture d'écran / X

Man, there was some action last night in the NHL.

The Canadiens won a huge game in New York, but we were also keeping an eye on the other games that affected the standings in the East.

Let's see what happened:

1: Lightning win… but Sabres lose 

Right now, all eyes are on the Sabres and the Lightning.

Because, in reality, the Habs have a chance to catch up to them in the Atlantic Division standings. And since the Canadiens won last night, they now have 98 points after 75 games played.

That said, note that the Sabres lost (4-1) last night to the Sens, while the Lightning won 6-3 against the Penguins.

The Canadiens are now just two points behind the Lightning and the Sabres… and the Habs have a game in hand over the Buffalo team.

It's tight:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

When we say that every game will be important from here on out… this is exactly what we mean.

The Canadiens hold their fate in their own hands. They need to keep playing the right way, and if they do, they'll have a shot at winning their division.

I believe in them. The Habs have seven straight wins and seem unbeatable right now…

2: A big W for the Senators

With everything that's happened in Ottawa over the past few days, the Ottawa Senators had no choice but to pull off a big win against the Sabres.

And that's exactly what happened.

Buffalo scored the first goal of the game, but the Sens didn't let it get to them and got back in the game thanks to a goal by Dylan Cozens.

The third period belonged to the Sens: Lars Eller, Ridly Greig, and Shane Pinto scored to give their team a 4-1 lead. The Sens were able to hold on and won by that score against the Sabres, one of the best teams in the NHL.

This means the Sens are now sitting in the final playoff spot in the East with 88 points in the standings.

Will they be able to hold on? We'll find out in the coming weeks…

3: It's over for the Leafs 

Well. That's it.

The Sharks weren't messing around against the Leafs last night. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead and looked like they were on a mission…

But it's not like goalie Anthony Stolarz didn't try.

The Leafs' netminder was still solid in the game and made some truly spectacular saves. This one is a good example:

But… the Leafs were no match for the young Sharks. The result?

Toronto lost 4-1, and the team has been officially eliminated from playoff contention. What a sh*tty season for the Leafs… 

The Sharks, meanwhile, are clinging to the final playoff spot in the West.

And if they make the playoffs, it's hard to believe Macklin Celebrini won't deserve the Hart Trophy…

4: A dream night for three different players

One, two, three…

Last night, we saw three five-point games (!) in the National Hockey League.

Mitch Marner (three goals and two assists), Jack Hughes (two goals and three assists), and Jesper Bratt (one goal and four assists) really put on a show in their respective games.

It's rare to see this in the NHL—three different five-point nights.

It clearly had a positive effect too, because the Devils beat the Capitals 7-3… while the Knights beat the Flames 6-3.

You know, when the best decide to play like the best… 

It always makes all the difference! 

5: Cole Hutson is really good 

I don't know if Cole Hutson will be better than his brother Lane. I have a hard time believing it, at least. But…

But watching Cole play, I'm still convinced he'll have a great and long career in the NHL. He scored last night in his team's loss to the Devils, bringing his totals to two goals and four assists (six points) in just eight games in the big leagues.

Not bad, you might say…

Cole Hutson will clearly be one of the contenders to watch for the Calder Trophy next season.

Could he follow in his brother's footsteps and win the trophy as a (small) defenseman? Honestly, I still like his chances.

Because if he keeps producing like he is right now, he's going to be tough to beat…


Overtime

– Preds win.

– Wow.

– It's official.

– Nice.

– The standings in the West look like this:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– The top scorers of the night:

(Credit: Screenshot / NHL.com)

– Two games tonight in the NHL: Flyers vs. Islanders (7 p.m.) and Blues vs. Ducks (10 p.m.).

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