In the NHL's tight race for the playoffs, four teams stand out in particular, including the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers.
The final quarter of the NHL season features make-or-break scenarios in the coming handful of weeks.
The parity of the league makes the Stanley Cup playoff battles in the Eastern and Western Conferences especially ferocious, and things are going to get even more pressure-packed than they've been leading up to this point.
Seven teams in the Eastern Conference are within eight points of each other, including five that are within three points of each other. In the West, four teams are within three points of each other, and eight are within nine points.
Let's look at two teams in the East and two in the West that are among those groups and face a pivotal month ahead. The way they respond will dictate whether they make the post-season or flame out in disappointment and dismay.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal has had a strong season on the whole, putting up a 34-18-10 record to sit in a playoff spot.
But the East's competitiveness means that's only good enough for the first wild-card spot – and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators are only four and five points behind the Canadiens in the standings, respectively.
The Habs have the 11th-hardest remaining schedule, according to tankathon.com. But they have gone 8-3-3 in their past 14 games, so there's every reason to believe they'll be competitive the rest of the way. If there's any time for Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault to get hot and provide stable goaltending during the regular season, it's this month.
No playoff position is guaranteed. That said, the Canadiens are only four points away from second place in the Atlantic Division and home-ice advantage in the first round. That would be huge for Montreal.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have done well to be second in the Metropolitan Division this deep into the season. But this month will be extra challenging.
Not only are they without injured captain Sidney Crosby this month, but they're also without Evgeni Malkin for the next three games as he serves a five-game suspension.
What's pretty surprising is the Penguins are second in the Metro despite being 1-9 in shootouts. Considering they're only four points ahead of the Blue Jackets, which sit one spot outside of the wild-card places, it's not an exaggeration to suggest that Pittsburgh could miss the playoffs because they couldn't win a skills competition often enough.
The Pens have the hardest remaining schedule of any team in the league. And the motivation of what could be the final season with Malkin might not be enough to get this transitioning team into the playoffs.
Penguins coach Dan Muse has done well with a dog's breakfast of a roster, but there's definitely a possibility that the Pens end up just out of a playoff position.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have undergone a drastic roster makeover by GM Ken Holland, and they're in a desperate fight to earn a playoff berth.
Heading into Tuesday night's games, the Kings are tied for fifth place in the weak Pacific Division with the San Jose Sharks. They're both one point behind the Seattle Kraken for the second wild-card spot.
There's very much a high-stakes fight for a playoff position for the Kings, and newcomers Artemi Panarin and Scott Laughton will give Los Angeles a big boost through their final 19 games.
The Kings have a game in hand on the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers, which sit second and third in the Pacific. But the Kraken have a game in hand on the Kings.
It's the final run for the Kings in the Anze Kopitar Era, as he's retiring after this season. The team also brought in Ken Holland to not only make the playoffs but also win rounds. So this month will go a long way toward avoiding an ugly playoff miss.
The Kings have the easiest remaining schedule of any NHL team, according to tankathon.com. So it's shaping up to be a dramatic finish in California, and if the Kings cannot make the most of it, they're disappointing themselves and their fans.
Edmonton Oilers
It's stunning to say it, but it's true – one year after making back-to-back appearances in the Cup final, the Oilers must ensure they actually make the playoffs.
Edmonton currently leads the Sharks by just four points, and San Jose has a whopping three games in hand.
The Oilers need a strong month, particularly on the road, as they're just 15-14-4 away from home. They face the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues, Utah Mammoth and Golden Knights on the road the rest of this month.
This team has a ticking clock when it comes to the two-year contract extension of superstar Connor McDavid. They can't afford to crash out and miss the playoffs altogether this year. And because of that mediocre road record, they could use home-ice advantage as well.
That means every one of Edmonton's remaining 18 games is a must-win for them. And make no mistake – this is very much a Cup-or-bust team. The pressure is on Oilers GM Stan Bowman & Co., and failure to make the playoffs could lead to notable change.
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