The NHL regular season has reached the homestretch with the final day of the 2014-15 campaign just nine days away on April 11, and there are several races heating up throughout the league.
With the Stanley Cup Playoffs looming in 13 days, starting on April 15, a lot of storylines will reach their climax over the next couple of weeks.
Here are three things to watch for as the NHL regular season winds down.
3) Wild-Card Race: Things are heating up in the wild-card races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences as several teams are making one final push toward the playoffs.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals (94 points) hold the top spot while the Boston Bruins (91) hold the second.
Both teams have five games remaining. The Capitals are just one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders (95 points apiece), so they could force one of those teams into the wild-card position.
The Bruins, meanwhile, are just two points behind the Detroit Red Wings (93) for third place in the Atlantic Division. The Ottawa Senators (88 points, six games remaining) are on the outside, but still in the mix while the Florida Panthers (85 points, five games left) are clinging to hopes.
Out west, the Minnesota Wild (95 points, six games left) hold the top wild-card spot while the Winnipeg Jets (90 points, five games remaining) are in possession of the second slot.
Minnesota is just three points behind the Chicago Blackhawks (98) for the final automatic playoff spot in the Central Division.
The Los Angeles Kings (88 points, six games left) are right behind the Jets, but can also jump the Calgary Flames (91 points) for third in the Pacific Division. The San Jose Sharks (85 points) are on the outside looking in.
2) Presidential Race: The race to the Presidents' Trophy is coming down to the wire as several teams are vying for the most points in the league when all is said and done.
The Anaheim Ducks enter Thursday with the most points as they have 107, but they also only have three games remaining on their schedule.
The New York Rangers (103 points) seem to be the favorite to win since the team still has six contests left on their slate while the Nashville Predators (103) have just four games remaining.
Two teams from the Atlantic Division are also in the mix as the Montreal Canadiens (102 points, five games remaining) and Tampa Bay Lightning (101 points, four matches left) also have a shot at taking home the hardware.
1) Hart and Soul: The race for the NHL's Hart Trophy has heated up lately and there are plenty of viable candidates to take home the honor of the league MVP.
A favorite to win the Hart Trophy and the Vezina Trophy is Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price as he leads the NHL in wins (41, tied), goals-against average (1.92), save percentage (.936) and shutouts (nine, tied) while aiding the team to the top of the Atlantic Division.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is another favorite to win the Hart Trophy as he leads the league with 50 goals, reaching the half-century mark for the sixth time in his career, and he is tied for second in the NHL with 77 points.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is also a possibility as he leads the entire NHL with 80 points and is third in the league with 54 assists.
Other players worth considering are New York Islanders captain John Tavares (tied for second with 77 points) and Philadelphia Flyers forward Jakub Voracek (league-leading 56 assists, tied second with 77 points).
The NHL season begins to wind down as the race toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs continues over the next nine days.
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