There are six NHL games on the schedule tonight involving Eastern Conference teams that are still in the playoff hunt and there's something up for grabs in every single one of them.

Buffalo at Pittsburgh

• Buffalo has all but clinched first place in the East. Two points tonight seals the deal for them.
• Pittsburgh is sitting in second in the Atlantic and is going toe-to-toe with the Devils for the division title. My money is on the team that didn't fire their coach yesterday.
• Desired Outcome: It doesn't matter much, though the loser of the Devils/Penguins battle is the most likely to pull off a first-round upset.

Philadelphia at Toronto

• Philly doesn't matter at this point.
• Toronto is clinging to life and needs a win. They can't be eliminated tonight, but they can be put on life support if they lose and Montreal and Tampa win.
• Desired Outcome: It depends how much you despise the Leafs. Go Flyers!

Boston at Montreal

• An Original Six matchup featuring two historic rivals with a playoff spot hanging in the balance. Boston is out of it but they'd love to play the spoiler and help bump Montreal out of their 8th spot.
• A Montreal loss spells trouble for them if Toronto or Carolina wins tonight.
• Desired Outcome: I still say Montreal will be a dangerous opponent, especially with Huet coming back. I'm pulling for the Bruins.

Ottawa at New Jersey

• The Devils, under new head coach Lou Lamoriello, can hang on to the Atlantic lead with a win.
• Ottawa can still theoretically catch Buffalo but they'd need to win out and the Sabres would have to go winless over four games. Not likely. The Sens are also jockeying with New Jersey and Pittsburgh for the 4th spot and 5th spots, which doesn't change the matchups in the opening round but it does determine home ice.
• Desired Outcome: It's a matter of preference again, but the winner of the Atlantic title is the most likely second round opponent of the Thrashers, and I like the sound of a Thrashers/Devils series. Go Jersey!

Rangers at Islanders

• The Rangers are one of the hottest teams in the east and are trying to hang on to the sixth spot. They're a point ahead of Tampa Bay and could clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. They can still clinch if they get a point if Toronto loses and Carolina is limited to a point.
• The Islanders are dead in the water and probably aren't getting Dipietro back this season. What does that mean? It means Chris Simon is still going to have upwards of a dozen games to serve on his suspension at the beginning of next season because the Islanders aren't going to the playoffs. Good luck finding a GM to sign you when you have to sit for the first month Chris.
• Desired Outcome: I want no part of the Rangers. Hot goalies are more dangerous than a hot offense, so I'd rather see New York slip to seventh.

Carolina at Tampa Bay

• This is the big one folks. If Carolina wins the Thrashers can claim the Southeast Division title tomorrow night with a win over the Capitals.
• Tampa can put pressure on the Thrashers with a win, and clinch a playoff spot with the combination of a win and loss of any sort by Toronto.
• Carolina can vault back into the think of things and move as high as a tie for eighth (they'd lose the tie-breaker) with Montreal id the Canadiens and Leafs both lose tonight.
• Desired Outcome: Carolina all the way, even though I'd rather have Tampa move ahead of the Rangers. The dream scenario is for the Lightning to lose tonight and the Thrashers to win at Philips tomorrow. The playoff spot wasn't clinched at home, so it would be nice to capture the Southeast crown in front of our fans.

As a bonus, here's the text from today's daily NHL press release outlining all of the playoff scenarios that are on the line tonight:

Crystal clear, right?