Deen’s Daily: Avs Home-Ice Advantage Hopes Fade Away; The West Race is Hot — The East is Not

The Avs saw their home winning streak come to an end. Is home ice advantage out of the question at this point? Also, the latest on a bitter race to the end for the Eastern Conference’s second wildcard spot.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — March 30.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avs battled through 40 minutes of even hockey against the St. Louis Blues in a matchup between two of the hottest teams in the league.

The third period was eventually the difference, with St. Louis coming out on top.

My latest 10 Observations covers everything about this one. From penalty troubles to fatal mistakes.

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: It’s rebuilding time in Pittsburgh. Which means it’s sink or swim for the two recent call-ups. Both Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen are expected to play in the top six.

Sidney Crosby’s recent record-breaking goal was so unbelievably Sid.

Philadelphia Hockey Now: It’s been two games in the post-John Tortorella era, and the goals are aplenty for the Flyers. Hear from the Philly room after their latest victory. Also, the Flyers got in on the College free agent market.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders made a game out of what started as total domination for Tampa Bay. The result was still a regulation loss.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils beat the Minnesota Wild. This means that the Blues and Wild are tied in points but Minnesota has a game in hand. Suddenly, the Wild could find themselves in the second wildcard spot and at risk of missing the playoffs.

Detroit Hockey Now: In a game that started with two big fights, the Red Wings locked things down against the Bruins.

Ottawa Hockey Now: The Sens beat the Blue Jackets in a matchup with major wildcard implications. Does anybody in the East want that last playoff spot?

Vegas Hockey Now: Winners of six straight, the Golden Knights widened the gap between them and the Avs in the league standings. This could have implications for home-ice advantage if both teams meet in the Western Conference Final. The Knights are two points back of Dallas with hopes of passing them for the same reason.