The Dallas Stars are in.
Texas' team clinched a Western Conference playoff berth with a rather convincing win over the division-rival Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.
The Stars, who were playing without top center Tyler Seguin, earned the convincing victory thanks to a host of depth players, namely Colton Sceviour, Vernon Fiddler, and Patrick Eaves, who all scored in the first period en route to an early 4-0 lead that would not be relinquished.
Strange but true: This is the fourth game this season in which the Stars have held a 4-0 lead over the Blackhawks
— Pat Pickens (@Pat_Pickens) March 23, 2016
The postseason-clinching win marked the fourth time the Stars have beaten the Blackhawks in five meetings this season, with Dallas outscoring Chicago 20-11 in those contests.
It also strengthened the Stars' hold on both the Central Division and Western Conference leads.
Not bad for a team that was on the outside looking in this time last year.
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The Montreal Canadiens were paced by an unlikely source Tuesday night in their win over the Anaheim Ducks.
Forward Mike Brown had the first multi-point game of his season, scoring once and adding an assist in a 4-3 win. His offensive explosion came after he brought back his trademark mustache. He'd been sporting a beard prior to Tuesday's game.
While his teammates were on him to go back to the 'stache, it was Brown's wife who made it all happen.
"She wanted the duster back," Brown said, according to NHL.com's Arpon Basu.
Thank you, Mrs. Mike Brown.
Brown's goal was his first as a Canadien.
"I've been fortunate enough to have a first goal with every team I've played on. I'll have a nice spot on my wall for it" - Mike Brown.
— Аrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) March 23, 2016
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The Vancouver Canucks are barely crawling to the finish line.
For the third game in a row, the Canucks were held without a goal, with the latest shutout loss coming at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets and Ondrej Pavelec, who carried a .901 save percentage heading into Tuesday's action.
Markstrom: "Not winning games is very frustrating. We've got to stick together here. It's important for our group." pic.twitter.com/WohbeJ7Vry
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 23, 2016
In their past five games, all losses, the Canucks have recorded a grand total of three goals. And it's not as if they've been playing the NHL's best, either.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Shots For - Shots Against |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | Winnipeg | L 5-2 | 28-29 |
| March 16 | Colorado | L 3-1 | 29-34 |
| March 18 | Edmonton | L 2-0 | 40-25 |
| March 19 | St. Louis | L 3-0 | 19-50 |
| March 22 | Winnipeg | L 2-0 | 28-49 |
The offensive struggles put the Canucks 30th in terms of goal differential (minus-40), while the loss slots them even with the Jets at 66 points with 10 games remaining on the schedule.
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The Washington Capitals have clinched both the Metropolitan Division crown and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The double dip comes courtesy of a win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night and secures home-ice advantage for the first three rounds of the playoffs, should Washington advance that far.
With a double-digit lead in points over second-place Dallas in the league standings, it appears to be only a matter of time before the Capitals clinch the Presidents' Trophy and therefore home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Final as well.
Washington will now wait to see which team clinches the second wild-card spot, a clinching scenario that may come down to the final days of the season.
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