Who Will Capture the No. 8 Seed in the Eastern Conference?

by NESN Staff on Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 8:00AM

As the regular season winds down, the pressure of each game ramps up while points become more and more precious in the NHL standings.

An air of desperation may be beginning to set in for some teams, knowing that they can no longer afford to give away points and stay in the hunt for the postseason.

One of those teams on the bubble right now is the Washington Capitals, who the Bruins welcome to town on Saturday in the first of two games over the weekend. The Capitals are neck-and-neck with a handful of other teams going after the last ticket to the dance, with the Ottawa Senators a sizeable margin ahead of the pack for the No. 7 seed.

Alex Ovechkin and Co. will have plenty of competition for the eighth seed, however. The Winnipeg Jets are playing with house money this season and their incredible home crowds seem to be doing their best to carry that squad into the promised land.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs and even the Tampa Bay Lightning are lurking in the standings too, hoping to make a move and squeeze their way to the next stage. With the games dwindling, it's a full-fledged free-for-all. How long it stays that way, however, is anybody's guess.

Who will capture the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference?