NHL Playoff Clinching Scenarios Tuesday & Expert Predictions

• Playoff spots are on the line on Tuesday for three NHL teams
• Minnesota is 2-0 versus Anaheim this season, outscoring them 10-3
• See the NHL Playoff Clinching Scenarios for Tuesday below, plus my picks

The playoff pursuit continues for three NHL teams Tuesday night. The Wild, Blues and Flames are still in the hunt for the final two Western Conference Wild Card spots, although Calgary’s hopes are on life support.

Minnesota can lock up a playoff berth with a single point against Anaheim, or a St. Louis or Flames loss. The Blues need a regulation win versus Utah to stamp its postseason ticket, or a Calgary defeat. They can also get in with win of any kind coupled with a Wild regulation loss, or an OT/SO victory and any Flames result after regulation time.

A regulation loss by the Wild, or a Blues defeat of any kind opens the door up for the Flames, who host Vegas. Calgary has a game in hand on both Minnesota and St. Louis, but need a win and some help to keep their playoff dream alive.

Tuesday NHL Odds – Playoff Implication Games

Unfortunately for Calgary, both the Wild and Blues are heavy favorites in the NHL odds. Minnesota is the biggest chalk out of the three featured games, drawing the hapless Ducks at home.

Ensure you stay updated on the NHL standings by visiting and bookmarking our comprehensive NHL Playoff Bracket.

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Odds as of April 15 at DraftKings.

Tuesday NHL Expert Pick #1: Wild -1.5 vs Ducks

The Wild haven’t made things easy on themselves, dropping seven of their past 11 games. A four-game losing streak to end March and begin April put them in this bind, but fortunately they landed a punching bag for an opponent on Tuesday.

Anaheim enters play in rough form. They’ve dropped four of their last six, and have been outscored 10-3 in the last two games alone. No team has allowed more high-danger scoring chances than the Ducks, and they’ve actually overachieved, according to expected goals against average.

Ducks vs Wild Advanced Stats

Anaheim has yielded 280.55 expected goals against this season, the highest mark in hockey. They’ve allowed only 255 actual goals, but the difference between their expected goals for and against is one the widest gaps in the league.

These two teams have met twice this season, with the Wild dominating play. They’ve outscored the Ducks 10-3, and Minnesota has a much higher offensive ceiling now that Kirill Kaprizov is back from injury. In three games since returning, he’s racked up two goals and two assists, leading the team with 14 shots on goal during that stretch.

Tuesday NHL Expert Pick #2: Utah vs STL Over 5.5

There was a time during St. Louis’ 12-game winning streak where they looked like a Stanley Cup odds contender. Fast forward a week, and they’ve lost three in a row. The Blues offense has been clicking with 17 goals in the last five games, but the defense has been unable to keep the puck out of the net.

St. Louis has surrendered 19 goals in its last five games, and face a Utah team that can put the puck in the net. The Hockey Club entered play on Monday with wins in five of their last seven games, lighting the lamp 19 times in the last three games alone.

Utah is outpacing the Blues by 34 tallies in the expected goals category, but have also yielded 30 more expected goals against. The Hockey Club will be playing on the second leg of a back-to-back, and tired legs rear their ugly head most often in the defensive zone.

I think this game is going to be full of offensive fireworks, and the market agrees. The line is already juiced to the over, a move that falls in line with Utah’s recent play. Each of their past three games have exceed 5.5 goals, as have 11 of their last 13 contests overall.