Stadium Series 2018: Leafs At Capitals

The Washington Capitals host The Toronto Maple Leafs, in what will be both their 3rd outdoor game in team history. This will be the second time the Caps host an outdoor game, and the second time the Leafs will be the visiting team.

Both teams happen to be undefeated in 2 previous games. On January 1st 2011 they beat the host Penguins 3-1 and on January 1st 2015, they beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. 

In the two previous outdoor games the Leafs have been apart of, they beat the Red Wings both times. The first time was January 1st, 2014 at the Big House in Michigan, by a score of 3-2(SO) in front of a record crowd of 105,491 fans. Then again January 1st 2017 at BMO Field, coined as The Centennial Classic, by a score of 5-4 in OT. The red Wings tied it up late, with less than 1 second left on the clock to send the game to OT, where rookie phenom Auston Matthews scored the OT winner.

This game, part of the NHL Stadium Series, will be hosted in Annapolis, at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. On Friday, there were some heavy winds that caused the Leafs to practice indoors. The NHL claims to be monitoring the winds to make sure that the game is safe for the players.

Notes:

Ovechkin is 1 goal away from 40 on the season and 3 goals away from #600. 

Backstrom is currently only 3 games away from #800.

van Riemsdyk is 7 games away from #600 and 9 goals away from #200.

Carlson is 10 games away from #600.

Polak is 1 assist away from #100.

Big prediction by our Junior reporter.

Magic Numbers - March23

So, with only a few weeks left in the season, here is the list of magic numbers to have the Leafs eliminated mathematically. Team is on the left, and the number of points they need to be untouchable (by the Leafs) is in the middle, and the record each team needs at minimum to stay past the Leafs in the standings is on the right. All this is assuming the Leafs win their last 8 games. I didn't bother putting in Boston, because they only need 1 point, with 10 games left, to be untouchable for the Leafs.

Team	Points Needed	Lowest Record Needed
Florida	1	0-7-1
Ottawa	2	1-4-1
Washington	6	2-4-2
Buffalo	4	2-5
Winnipeg	9	4-2-1
Carolina	12	6-0

*as of 11:38pm March 23rd 2012.

That being said, these teams still play each other down the stretch. These games are deadly considering how close they all are in the standings. Everyone of these games could go to OT and be 3 point games.
Washington: Florida, Buffalo and Winnipeg
Florida: Washington, Carolina and Winnipeg
Ottawa: Winnipeg and Carolina
Buffalo: Washington and Toronto (2)
Winnipeg: Washington, Florida, Ottawa and Carolina
Carolina: Florida, Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg
So, yes, the Leafs are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but, their maximum points are 5 points short of the usual playoff minimum for the Eastern Conference.