The Box Seats: Hockey Games Recap Edition 26
NHL Hockey Preview for the Week of April 1st - 7th, 2024
THE BOX SEATS (Edition Twenty-Six, The Week of April 1st-7th, 2024)
Hello, and welcome to “The Box Seats” a hockey games recap , a column designed to keep Pro Hockey fans informed, educated, and entertained with the news and notes from around the National Hockey League. So kick back, and read along every week during the National Hockey League season.
It’s finally April in the National Hockey League. With 18 days left in the Regular Season, 16 teams will advance to this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, which is slated to start on Saturday, April 20th. We’ve seen seven teams, the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and the New York Rangers already punch their ticket to the postseason, and more to come in this next week of action on the ice. With every team down to their last ten games, there will be some spots that will be worth betting on, and other spots to avoid heading into the homestretch. Let’s start things off with a quick rundown of each Conference with the NHL Playoff Picture
| Eastern Conference (x-clinched Playoff berth) | Western Conference (x-clinched Playoff berth) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan Division Team Record Points Games Remaining | Central Division Team Record Points Games Remaining |
| Atlantic Division x-Boston Bruins 43-17-15 101 7 (3 Home/4 Road) | Pacific Division x-Vancouver Canucks 46-20-8 100 8 (3 Home/5 Road) |
| Wild Card (Top Two Advance) Tampa Bay Lightning 41-25-7 89 9 (5 Home/4 Road) | Wild Card (Top Two Advance) Nashville Predators 43-27-4 90 8 (4 Home/4 Road) |
Team Trends To Watch For (as of EOD March 31st, 2024)
Dallas Stars: 27-5 Run to the 2nd Period Over when lined at 1.5 goals in their last 32 games overall.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 15-3 run to the 1st Period Over in their last 18 games overall.
Nashville Predators: 16-4 SU last 20 games overall.
New York Rangers: 21-5 SU last 26 games overall.
Colorado Avalanche: 12-3 SU last 15 games overall.
San Jose Sharks: 2-18 SU last 20 games overall.
Anaheim Ducks: 1-12 SU last 13 games overall.
Top Five NHL Teams to Go Past Regulation
1.
 New York Islanders = 24 Games (33.3%)
2. 
Boston Bruins = 24 Games (32.4%)
3. 
Montreal Canadiens = 22 Games (30.5%)
4. 
Toronto Maple Leafs = 21 Games (29.2%)
5. Dallas Stars = 20 Games (27.03%)
NHL FULL SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK:
April 1st
Edmonton at St. Louis 
– 8:00p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
With eight games to open the week of Hockey Games Recap see the Edmonton Oilers travel to Gateway City to battle the St. Louis Blues, who are looking to grab the second and final Wild Card berth in the Western Conference.
April 3rd
New Jersey at NY Rangers – 7:00p ET on TNT/TruTV/MAX
It’s a big clash in Manhattan on Wednesday as the New York Rangers host their hated rivals from across the Hudson River, the New Jersey Devils.
Edmonton at Dallas – 9:00p ET on TNT/TruTV/MAX
Two clubs that have goals of representing the Western Conference in the NHL Finals face-off in Dallas as the Stars host the Edmonton Oilers.
April 4th
St. Louis at Nashville – 8:00pm ET on ESPN+/Hulu
The smoking-hot Nashville Predators look to lock up a Wild Card berth in the Stanley Cup NHL Playoff Bracket as they host the Blues, who are hoping to capture that second Wild Card spot with just a handful of games left.
Los Angeles at San Jose – 10:00p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
The Los Angeles Kings make the short trip up to the Bay Area to take on a San Jose Sharks club that is hoping their awful season will pay off with the number one overall pick in this summer’s NHL Draft.
April 6th
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh 
– 12:00p ET on NHL Network
The Lightning are surging up, hoping to clinch a spot in the postseason, while the veteran Penguins are preparing to miss out on the springtime tournament for a second straight season.
Florida at Boston – 2:30p ET on ESPN+/Hulu
It’s an Atlantic Division battle as the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins clash again in Beantown for a Saturday Matinee affair. Florida has gone Under the total in nine of their last eleven/twelve contests versus Atlantic Division opponents.
April 7th
Buffalo at Detroit 
 – 1:00p ET on TNT/MAX
Two Atlantic Division clubs that will most likely miss out on this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs clash in the Motor City as the Red Wings host the Buffalo Sabres.
Dallas at Colorado – 10:00p ET on ESPN
A big showdown that could determine seeding and a title in the Central Division ends the week as the Dallas Stars take on the Avalanche in a late game out in Denver to close out the Hockey Games Recap
Frozen Fashion: The Hockey Jersey of The Week
Each Week, we will select one NHL team jersey to highlight the design and the history of that specific sweater. This week, we look at a jersey that was worn earlier this season
Philadelphia Flyers 2024 Stadium Series White Jersey
Since the Flyers started in Philadelphia way back in 1967, they have always maintained the same color scheme of Orange and Black, with their iconic “Flying P” logo, the Broad Street Bullies are known for sticking with tradition, but also have made subtle changes over time to keep things fresh, as is the case with the jerseys they wore for the 2024 Stadium Series game against the New Jersey Devils back in February at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands.
With a white base and orange and black accents on the sleeves below the shoulders, this “Modern Retro” styled sweater has a black nameplate, consistent with the Flyers’ penchant for using a contrasting nameplate, as seen with also their current home and road uniform set. Simple orange numbers, which were slightly increased in size for the outdoor viewers, adorn the back and atop the shoulders.
National Hockey League Trivia Question
Last Week: What Goaltender holds the National Hockey League record for most Shutouts in a single season?
Answer: George Hainsworth of the 1928-1929 Montreal Canadiens had an astonishing 22 shutouts in only 44 games played. The late Hall-of-Famer had 94 shutouts in 465 career NHL games, ranking him third All-Time in that category.
Q: Which National Hockey League arena is located closest to the equator?
Hint: It’s in a very sunny location.
Check Back Next Week for the Answer!
Check out all the updated National Hockey League Odds To Win Stanley Cup and more right here at Point Spreads.
