NHL Playoffs: The Road Ahead for the Canadian Teams

Edmonton Oilers

Record: (40-30-6, 86 Points, 10th in Western Conference)

Games Remaining: 2

Home - Calgary Flames

Away - Vancouver Canucks

Future Outlook: The young, high-flying Oilers did themselves a massive figure as they squeaked out a 2-1 win over provincial rivals Calgary through a timely Dustin Penner game-winning goal. The crucial victory came a day after the Oilers left from Denver with a devastating shootout loss at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche, a team they were chasing for the eighth and final playoff spot. 

Without Shawn Horcoff, Sheldon Souray, Ethan Moreau and more recently Mathieu Garon, the Oilers have defied logic and put forth an honest effort in their bid for postseason play this April. Relying on the young guns in Sam Gagner, Andrew Cogliano, Robert Nilson and Ales Hemsky, Oil Country still has a lot to cheer about--even if they don't make the playoffs, as their future is brighter than ever.

Key Man Watch: Ales Hemsky

Willing to take more shots than year's past, Ales Hemsky has officially emerged as one of hockey's premier stars. The right-winger has seen his overall point total rise to almost a point per game (73 GP, 71 P) and has become a twenty goal scorer for the first time in his relatively young career with the Oilers.

Vancouver Canucks

Record: (38-30-10, 86 Points, 9th in Western Conference)

Games Remaining: 4

Home - Calgary Flames (2), Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers

Away - None 

Future Outlook: After sitting comfortably above the playoff cut for most of the year, the Canucks now find themselves in a dogfight for the eighth and final spot in the Wild West. Sitting at 86 and 84 points respectively, the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers are in a neck-to-neck race with Vancouver at the moment.

With all four remaining games against divisional rivals (Calgary, Colorado and Edmonton) at GM Place, Vancouver fans will expect nothing less than a birth in Lord Stanley's final round of 16 come April. Until then, the Canucks will have to cope with the massive loss of productive forward Brendan Morrison as he is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

Key Man Watch: Roberto Luongo

Following an uncharacteristic schlacking from the Minnesota Wild, Roberto Luongo will need to bounce back and quickly rediscover the form that has allowed him to be referred to as one of the league's top goaltenders. As far as Vancouver is concerned, the Canucks will only go as far as Luongo can take them.

Calgary Flames

Record: (40-28-10, 90 Points, 6th in Western Conference)

Games Remaining: 4

Home - None

Away - Vancouver Canucks (2), Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers

Future Outlook: With all four games on the road, the Flames will be put through an exhaustive test as they try and close out their regular season with some momentum for their postseason push. Calgary will be hoping to avoid any first round match-up with the Anaheim Ducks as they are gunning for the Northwest Division title. Sitting only three points back of the Minnesota Wild, Mike Keenan's Flames understand the necessity of having that extra home game during the stretch run of the playoffs.

Key Man Watch: Jarome Iginla

For all the talk of Alex Ovechkin as the runaway favorite for the Hart Trophy, Jarome Iginla has shown plenty of 'Hart' while on his way to leading his Flames to what should be another playoff birth. On the brink of notching 50 goals for the season, Iginla has Calgary fans shouting "M-V-P" at every home game at the Saddledome--and rightfully so.

Ottawa Senators

Record: (42-29-8, 92 Points, 5th Place in Eastern Conference)

Games Remaining: 3

Home - Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins

Away - Toronto Maple Leafs

Future Outlook: The Senators will be looking to do themselves one better after reaching the Stanley Cup finals last year under current head coach Bryan Murray. Relying on their vast playoff experience, the Sens should emerge as one of the favorites in a high scoring Eastern Conference. The trio of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley, and Jason Spezza will be called upon to lead towards their quest for a Stanley Cup.

Key Man Watch: Martin Gerber

If the Ottawa Senators are to repeat as Eastern Conference champions, their goaltending will need to be superb. Following the Ray Emery fallout with the Ottawa management, Martin Gerber has emerged as the steadier option between the pipes for the Senators as of late. Whether or not Gerber can handle the day-to-day pressures of the Stanley Cup playoffs is an entirely different story.

Montreal Canadiens

Record: (44-25-10, 98 Points, 1st in Eastern Conference)

Games Remaining: 3

Home - Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs

Away - Ottawa Senators

Future Outlook: Guy Carbonneau: 2008 NHL Jack Adams Award Winner.

Has a ring to it doesn’t it? With only three games left on the schedule, the Montreal Canadiens are gunning for more than just a playoff spot this time around. They want permanent home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs and through the solid work of Carbonneau, Montreal looks to be a team that nobody realistically wants to face heading down the stretch. Alexei Kovalev looks to have found his groove and the Belo-Russian Kostitsyn brothers and Czech youngster Tomas Plekanec are proving to gems for GM Bob Gainey and crew.

However, it's not to say that all is going perfectly for les Habitants at the moment.

The Canadiens have been bitten by the injury bug as of late, perhaps at a very inopportune time right before the start of April. The absence of Mike Komisarek to the Montreal blueline will be a huge void to fill if the defensemen isn't able to make it back in time for the playoffs. Team captain Saku Koivu and Mark Streit both were missing from the Montreal lineup after suffering from their respective foot injuries in their game against Buffalo. Guillaume Latendresse is also day-to-day with a neck injury.

Key Man Watch: Carey Price

Trading away Cristobal Huet was a huge testament towards the faith that Carbonneau and Gainey have invested in Price as he is now the clear-cut number one goalie in Montreal. While Price does severely lack any Stanley Cup experience, les Habitants can be assured of steady goaltending as long as the team in front of him plays smart defensive hockey.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Record: (36-33-10, 82 Points, 10th in Eastern Conference)

Game Remaining: 3

Home - Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators

Away - Montreal Canadiens

Future Outlook:

So much for a lack of motivation.

Despite missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year in a row, the Toronto Maple Leafs looked mighty impressive against their traditional foes in the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night on HNIC. With an uncertain future lying ahead for MLSE and Co., don't be suprised to see the Maple Leafs come out with a few wins as the players will be playing for spots next season on Paul Maurice's roster. Leaf veterans Darcy Tucker, Jason Blake, Pavel Kubina and Bryan McCabe are all targets for potential buyouts and trades to other clubs willing to digest their hefty salaries.

As if things couldn't get any worse for Leaf Nation, it appears that the Leafs are out of the running of the Stamkos sweepstakes as they are likely bound for a 5th-10th overall pick in this year's draft. 

Key Man Watch: Jiri Tlusty 

Earning some valuable icetime along with team captain Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov, the former first round selection's future with the Leafs looks quite promising. Blessed with quick and agile feet, Tlusty's development will only continue to grow as he heads into his first offseason with the Maple Leafs under head coach Paul Maurice.

"It's a great opportunity for me to be playing with the best two guys on the team, Mats and Antropov, to show what I can do,'' said Tlusty following Toronto's 4-1 victory over Montreal.