There are a handful of unusual afternoon starts to today’s games, with five contests in total on this Sunday. Let’s take a look at each contest, with start times according to Eastern Standard Time (ET).
Hopefully you remembered to change your clocks, by the way.
12:30 pm
NBC Game of the Week - Chicago @ Washington
Hopefully you’re fairly well-informed about this one. If not, feel free to click here, here or here to follow the biggest stories.
3:00 pm
Edmonton @ Pittsburgh
This is as good an opportunity as any for the Penguins to earn some much-needed points (and maybe notch a rare blowout) against a team that’s just as banged up as they are. In fact, if Pittsburgh loses home ice advantage to whichever Southeast Division team comes in second, they might regret a game like this if it slips through their fingers.
Los Angeles @ Dallas
Only one point separates these two teams and the sixth-place Kings actually have one more win (38 to 37) than the fourth-place Stars. In other words, even an overtime win would propel Los Angeles to a brief and probably fleeting lead against Dallas. It’s pretty reasonable to say just about every game remaining on these two teams’ schedules are big, but this still qualifies as an especially crucial contest.
5:00 pm
Ottawa @ Buffalo
While the Penguins will kick themselves if they lose to a lesser team in the Oilers, the Sabres absolutely must beat the scrappy yet lowly Senators if they really want to call themselves a playoff team. Buffalo finds themselves with a loose grip on the eighth spot right now, but after losing to the Maple Leafs last night, they cannot afford to go pointless this weekend.
8:00 pm
Phoenix @ Anaheim
Speaking of Pacific Division teams in tight races, one win could move the 10th-ranked Ducks above the seventh-ranked Coyotes tonight. That’s just how small the margin of error in the erratic Western Conference bubble right now. Phoenix only has two wins in their last eight games while Anaheim is heating up with a two-game winning streak and victories in five of their last six games played.
