FHN Today: Flames Miss the Playoffs, Blue Jackets Still Alive

The Stanley Cup playoffs are all but set, with only one opening remaining after the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues locked in their spot — and kept the Calgary Flames out.

The only spot left in the 2025 playoffs left comes down to Montreal and Columbus.

The Blue Jackets have now won five straight elimination games and remain two points behind the Canadiens.

Both teams play one more game: Montreal tonight against Carolina, the Jackets against the Islanders on Thursday.

Columbus beat the Flyers on Tuesday 3-0.

If Montreal gets a single point tonight, the Canadiens are in; if the Hurricanes win in regulation, the Blue Jackets can get in with a regulation win on Long Island.

The Flames were hoping to make a mad dash and get one of the final playoff spots in the West, but needed to win their final two games — and hope either the Wild or Blues lost on Tuesday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW

• Speaking of the playoffs, the Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Lightning for the fourth time in the past five years. We’re expecting Game 1 to be sometime Sunday in Tampa.
• The Panthers did not have much to play for on Tuesday, but the Lightning did. For a while, anyway.
• Florida ends its regular season with two straight losses after losing 5-3 to the Rangers on Monday night.
• Subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to hear from the Florida Panthers before and after games. Monday, we had Maurice, Nico Sturm, Jesse Puljujarvi, Sam Reinhart, and Dmitry Kulikov. Tuesday’s postgame was from Maurice and Carter Verhaeghe.

NHL NEWS, NHL LINKS

• The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally Atlantic Division champs.
• Marc-Andre Fleury came in during overtime Tuesday for his final regular-season appearance before retirement.
• Gabriel Landeskog is back with the Colorado Avalanche.
• Logan Couture calls it a career, retires from the San Jose Sharks.
• Alex DeBrincat was one member of the Detroit Red Wings who benefited from the midseason coaching change.

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND: GAME 1

FLORIDA PANTHERS at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 

• When: TBA (Likely on Sunday)
• Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• National TV: ESPN or TNT/truTV
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+ or MAX
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule: TBA
• Season Series (Tied 2-2) — At Tampa Bay: Panthers 4, Lightning 2 (Dec. 22); Tuesday. At Florida: Lightning 4, Panthers 0 (Dec. 23); Panthers 2, Lightning 1 (March 3).
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 79-53-19, 10 ties
• All-Time Postgame Series: Tampa Bay Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.