NHL Roundup: Landeskog for Calder; Sharks Fight On; Sabres with Two Huge Points

Monday evening's four NHL games all carried playoff implications, with six of the eight teams either jockeying for better playoff positioning or battling to be included in the second season. 

Here are the top-three highlights from a light schedule of hockey games:

1. Sabres Defeat Canadiens 3-2 (OT), Gain Critical Playoff Ground

It seemed impossible earlier this season, but the surging Sabres are finding ways to win hockey games and hover around the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tyler Myers' game winning goal 2:59 into overtime Monday night brought the Sabres' point total to 74, jumping ahead of Winnipeg and now just two points behind Washington for the last remaining playoff spot in the East.

Tyler Ennis scored both of the Sabres' goals in regulation, set up by Drew Stafford on both occasions.

2. Landeskog's Effort the Difference Against Ducks

Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog set the tone early with a crushing hit on Ducks defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and sniped the game winner at the 1:52 mark of overtime to keep Colorado as the eight seed in the West.

Landeskog, the 19-year-old Swedish forward, scored his 19th goal of the season last night and now stands at 44 points on the season. He's tied with Philadelphia's Matt Read for the most goals among rookies and is just two points behind New Jersey's Adam Henrique for the most points among all first-year players.

Interestingly enough, Landeskog is taking a page out of Alexander Ovechkin's book and leads all Colorado forwards in hits this season, as well.

3. Sharks Not Willing to Go Away

San Jose snapped a brutal five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Oilers in Edmonton on Monday night. The Sharks got power play goals from Joe Thornton and Logan Couture and an even-strength tally from Torrey Mitchell to edge the Oilers.

With those two points, the Sharks sit just one point behind the aforementioned Avalanche for the last ticket into the playoffs. San Jose still has 14 games remaining, all but one of which are against Western Conference teams, including three vital matchups against the Los Angeles Kings, who sit in 11th place in the standings.

Ryan O'Leary is a writer and researcher for Bleacher Report's Video Production Department with seven years experience in the sports industry. Ryan covered the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Hockey Tournament with CTV and has spent time covering the IIHF World Championships, NHL and Collegiate Hockey during his career.