The regular season is winding down, and the Capitals are in a dogfight in the Metropolitan Division.  Entering Tuesday, the Capitals have a one-point lead in the Division over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Capitals have a six-point lead on Pittsburgh, and a nine-point lead over Columbus.

The Capitals have a manageable but winnable schedule down the stretch.  Out of the remaining 13 contests, six are against teams that are not in a playoff position.  If the Capitals win six of those games, they will end up with 102 points in the standings.  Meanwhile, the Flyers have 14 games remaining and six are against non-playoff caliber teams.

While the Capitals have not been dominant on home ice this season, the Capitals will have 8 of their final 13 games on their home ice.  While the Capitals have not made a lot of noise on home ice this year, their motivation should be upped down the stretch in front of their home fans.  In the middle of a tight playoff race, the fans in DC will do their part and will make a lot of noise in hopes to rally the Capitals down the stretch.

DOMINANT BRUINS LOOK TO TAKE THE EAST

Entering Tuesday, the Bruins have 13 games remaining on their schedule.  The Bruins are looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Final after losing in the Final just one year ago.

The Bruins will head West next week, and will face the three California teams that are struggling.  In addition, they will face Buffalo, Ottawa, and Detroit – all Division rivals that are currently rebuilding.

WATCH OUT FOR THE FLORIDA PANTHERS

The Panthers are still in the mix, as the Toronto Maple Leafs only have a one point lead on them in the Atlantic Division.  The race to third place in the Atlantic Division will be tough, as only 3 Atlantic Division teams will likely be in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

THE STANDINGS WILL CONSISTENTLY CHANGE DOWN THE STRETCH

There is no room for error for most of the NHL clubs this time of year.  There are plenty of teams still in the hunt for the remaining playoff spots.  The race to the Cup is heating up.

Down the stretch, the games will get tighter and more competitive.  This is the time of year where having good goaltending and defense can pay off in the close games.  Now is the time for the playoff favorites and playoff bubble teams to get hot.  If any of those teams face a cold spell, it will likely end their playoff hopes.

By: George Foussekis