Leafs Tank Tracker: A Chaotic Tuesday and Tonight's Direct Battles

Welcome back to the Tank Tracker. If you were hitting refresh on the out-of-town scoreboard last night, you were treated to a massive slate of hockey that saw a lot of movement in our critical Tank Tracker. 

The hockey gods delivered a few perfect scenarios for our lottery odds, specifically out in San Jose and Edmonton. We saw the San Jose Sharks successfully tie the Leafs in the standings, creating the exact kind of logjam we want. However, we also had a few frustrating missed opportunities from teams trailing us who failed to capitalize.

Tonight, the Leafs hit the ice against one of those very teams that just caught us in the standings, making it arguably the most critical tank matchup of the week. Let’s dive into yesterday’s shifts and the rooting guide for tonight’s action.

Source: NHL League Page @ Elite Prospects

Yesterday’s Recap

Montreal Canadiens @ San Jose Sharks

• Result: Sharks win 7-5

• Tank Impact: Excellent. The Sharks grabbed two massive points in a wild shootout of a game, pushing them to 64 points to perfectly tie the Leafs and crowd our spot in the standings.

Florida Panthers @ New Jersey Devils

• Result: Devils win 5-1

• Tank Impact: Mixed Bag. New Jersey picked up the two points to jump to 62, just two behind Toronto, which is great. But handing Florida a regulation loss keeps the Panthers parked right below us at 63 points.

Ottawa Senators @ Edmonton Oilers

• Result: Oilers win 5-4 (Overtime)

• Tank Impact: Perfect. A three-point game! Edmonton takes the win to hit 68, while Ottawa gets the loser point to hit 67. Both teams pull further away from our basement spot.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Winnipeg Jets

• Result: Jets win 3-2 (Overtime)

• Tank Impact: Great. Winnipeg (58P) grabs two much-needed points, creeping within just 6 points of Toronto and applying pressure from below.

Utah Mammoth @ Washington Capitals

• Result: Mammoth win 3-2

• Tank Impact: Solid. Utah gets the regulation win to move to 68 points, keeping the ceiling well above us.

Nashville Predators @ Columbus Blue Jackets

• Result: Blue Jackets win 3-2

• Tank Impact: Missed opportunity. Nashville (62P) dropping this in regulation means they failed to leapfrog us. Columbus grabs the points, but they were already safely above us anyway.

Colorado Avalanche @ Anaheim Ducks

• Result: Avalanche win 5-1

• Tank Impact: Whatever. Anaheim (69P) gets completely stomped, but since they are already comfortably ahead of us, we aren't sweating it too much.

Vegas Golden Knights @ Buffalo Sabres

• Result: Sabres win 3-2

• Tank Impact: Neutral. Vegas (70P) drops this one in regulation, keeping them right on the edge of our 6-point radius instead of pushing themselves out.

Tonight’s Tank Tracker

Here is your tank guide for tonight, focusing strictly on the matchups that feature teams who’s results have a direct impact on the Leafs. 

Toronto Maple Leafs (64P) @ New Jersey Devils (62P) (7:00 PM EST)

• Ideal Result: Devils win in regulation.

• Tank Impact: Massive direct battle. New Jersey tied us last night at 64 points. A Devils regulation win tonight pushes them to 64 points, tied with the Leafs, helping push the Leafs further towards the basement. 

St. Louis Blues (53P) @ Seattle Kraken (67P) (10:00 PM EST)

• Ideal Result: Blues win in overtime/shootout

• Tank Impact: While we need Seattle to keep climbing, if the Blues have any chance of catching the Leafs in the standings, they’ll need to go on a run. While an 11 point gap is a huge hill to overcome, stranger things have happened. A 3 point game tonight presents the Leafs with a bigger buffer behind Seattle and could bring St. Louis that much closer. 

Games With No Immediate Tank Impact
 

Tonight's Games:

• Carolina Hurricanes @ Vancouver Canucks

• Vegas Golden Knights @ Detroit Red Wings 

• New York Islanders @ Anaheim Ducks 

Check back tomorrow to see how the Leafs fair and how this may impact their Trade Deadline plans.