MONTREAL - Every team on this board other than your Canadiens won Tuesday night, leaving Montreal four points away from catching one of Boston or Tampa.
It doesn't necessarily mean the Canadiens need to start looking down just yet, but if the injuries that didn't allow Jeff Halpern and Tomas Plekanec to finish Tuesday night's 4-2 loss are serious, that time may very well come.
As it stands now, Montreal is still five points up on the seventh-place New York Rangers with a game in hand, which means the Canadiens are still closer to the lead group than they are to the trailers.
The Bruins 3-2 shootout win in Columbus gives them a four-point cushion in the division with a game in hand, and by the time the Canadiens visit Boston on March 24 the Bruins will have two games in hand.
The schedules of the two teams won't even out until April 4 when Boston plays the Rangers in New York, and both will have three games remaining. The common team who will play both over those final three games is the Ottawa Senators.
The only team on this chart that's playing Wednesday is Washington as the Capitals take their nine-game winning streak to Detroit to visit the Red Wings.
The only other game of note is the ninth-place Carolina Hurricanes hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs. A Carolina win would pull the Canes into a tie for points with eighth-place Buffalo, and inflict a near fatal blow to the Leafs playoff hopes.
Philadelphia, 1st place, 43-19-7, 93 points (2 shootout wins)
Last night: Won 3-2 in Florida
Next game: Thursday in Atlanta
13 games remaining, 7 against playoff teams
Home (6) – 3/22 Was; 3/24 Pit; 3/27 Bos; 3/31 Atl; 4/3 NYR; 4/9 NYI.
Away (7) – 3/17 Atl; 3/19 Dal; 3/26 NYI; 3/29 Pit; 4/1 NJ; 4/5 Ott; 4/8 Buf.
Washington, 2nd place, 41-20-10, 92 points (3 shootout wins)
Last night: Won 4-2 in Montreal
Next game: Tonight in Detroit
11 games remaining, 4 against playoff teams
Home (4) – 3/29 Car; 3/31 CBJ; 4/2 Buf; 4/6 Fla.
Away (7) – 3/16 Det; 3/18 NJ; 3/22 Pha; 3/25 Ott; 3/26 Mtl; 4/5 Tor; 4/9 Fla.
Boston, 3rd place, 39-21-9, 87 points (2 shootout wins)
Last night: Won 3-2 in a shootout in Columbus
Next game: Thursday in Nashvile
13 games remaining, 5 against playoff teams
Home (8) – 3/22 NJ; 3/24 Mtl; 3/26 NYR; 3/29 Chi; 3/31 Tor; 4/2 Atl; 4/6 NYI; 4/9 Ott.
Away (5) – 3/17 Nash; 3/19 Tor; 3/27 Pha; 4/4 NYR; 4/10 NJ.
Pittsburgh, 4th place, 41-22-8, 90 points (5 shootout wins)
Last night: Won 5-1 in Ottawa
Next game: Sunday at home to NY Rangers
11 games remaining, 5 against playoff teams
Home (5) – 3/20 NYR; 3/25 NJ; 3/27 Fla; 3/29 Pha; 4/5 NJ.
Away (6) – 3/21 Det; 3/24 Pha; 3/31 TB; 4/2 Fla; 4/8 NYI; 4/10 Atl.
Tampa Bay, 5th place, 39-22-9, 87 points (6 shootout wins)
Last night: Did not play
Next game: Thursday in Montreal
12 games remaining, 4 against playoff teams
Home (5) – 3/22 NYI; 3/25 Car; 3/29 Ott; 3/31 Pit; 4/8 Fla.
Away (7) – 3/17 Mtl; 3/19 Ott; 3/26 Car; 4/2 Min, 4/3 Chi; 4/5 Buf; 4/9 Car.
Montreal, 6th place, 38-25-7, 83 points (2 shootout wins)
Last night: Lost 4-2 at home to Washington
Next game: Thursday v. Tampa Bay
12 games remaining, 6 against playoff teams
Home (5) – 3/17 TB; 3/22 Buf; 3/26 Was; 3/29 Atl; 4/5 Chi.
Away (7) – 3/18 NYR; 3/20 Min; 3/24 Bos; 3/30 Car; 4/2 NJ; 4/7 Ott; 4/9 Tor
