With the 2018-19 NHL season winding down, the race for the final wild-card spot in the East is getting tight.<\/p>\n
As of now, it looks like three teams will be battling for the final two Wild-card spots. This includes the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>, Columbus Blue Jackets<\/a>, and the Montreal Canadiens<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here is a current snapshot of the standings<\/a>, and a break down of how things might pan out in the coming week.<\/p>\n The Carolina Hurricanes currently hold the first wild-card spot in the East with 91 points and a 42-28-7 record.<\/p>\n Since the new year, the Hurricanes has been one of the hottest teams in the NHL. A big reason for their success is due to Jordan Staal<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s return and impressive two-way play. Additionally, Nino Niederreiter<\/a><\/strong> has been a major contributor (26 points, 31 games) since being acquired<\/a> from the Minnesota\u00a0Wild<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n Carolina currently has one game in hand over the Montreal Canadiens. Additionally, they have one more point than the Blue Jackets despite playing the same amount of games (77).<\/p>\n With a rather easy schedule<\/a> (plays the Philadelphia Flyers<\/a> twice and the New Jersey Devils<\/a> once) it looks like it is their playoff spot to lose.<\/p>\n If the Hurricanes are able to win three of their final five games, one must like their chances of securing a wild-card spot in the East.<\/p>\nCarolina Hurricanes<\/h2>\n
Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h2>\n