TOKYO -- Shohei Ohtani seems impervious to a variety of conditions that afflict most humans -- nerves, anxiety, distraction -- but it took playing a regular-season big-league game in his home country to change all of that.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers' Opening Day 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Dome, Ohtani made a surprising admission. "It's been a while since I felt this nervous playing a game," he said. "It took me four or five innings."

Ohtani had two hits and scored twice, and one of his outs was a hard liner that left his bat at more than 96 mph, so the nerves weren't obvious from the outside. But clearly the moment, and its weeklong buildup, altered his usually stoic demeanor.

"I don't think I've ever seen Shohei nervous," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "But one thing I did notice was how emotional he got during the Japanese national anthem. I thought that was telling."

As the Dodgers began the defense of last year's World Series win, it became a night to showcase the five Japanese players on the two teams. For the first time in league history, two Japanese pitchers -- the Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Cubs' Shota Imanaga -- faced each other on Opening Day. Both pitched well, with Imanaga throwing four hitless innings before being removed after 69 pitches.

"Seventy was kind of the number we had for Shota," Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. "It was the right time to take him out."

The Dodgers agreed, scoring three in the fifth inning off reliever Ben Brown. Imanaga kept the Dodgers off balance, but his career-high four walks created two stressful innings that ran up his pitch count.

Yamamoto rode the adrenaline of pitching in his home country, routinely hitting 98 with his fastball and vexing the Cubs with a diving splitter over the course of five three-hit innings. He threw with a kind of abandon, finding a freedom that often eluded him last year in his first year in America.

"I think last year to this year, the confidence and conviction he has throwing the fastball in the strike zone is night and day," Roberts said. "If he can continue to do that, I see no reason he won't be in the Cy Young conversation this season."

Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki went hitless in four at bats -- the Cubs had only three hits, none in the final four innings against four relievers out of the Dodgers' loaded bullpen -- and rookie Roki Sasaki will make his first start of his Dodger career in the second and final game of the series Wednesday.

"I don't think there was a Japanese baseball player in this country who wasn't watching tonight," Roberts said.

The Dodgers were without Mookie Betts, who left Japan on Monday after it was decided his illness would not allow him to play in this series. And less than an hour before game time, first baseman Freddie Freeman was scratched with what the team termed "left rib discomfort," a recurrence of an injury he first sustained during last year's playoffs.

The night started with a pregame celebration that felt like an Olympic opening ceremony in a lesser key. There were Pikachus on the field and a vaguely threatening video depicting the Dodgers and Cubs as Monster vs. Monster. World home-run king Saduharu Oh was on the field before the game, and Roberts called meeting Oh "a dream come true."

For the most part, the crowd was subdued, as if it couldn't decide who or what to root for, other than Ohtani. It was admittedly confounding: throughout the first five innings, if fans rooted for the Dodgers they were rooting against Imanaga, but rooting for the Cubs meant rooting against Yamamoto. Ohtani, whose every movement is treated with a rare sense of wonder, presented no such conflict.

TEN YEARS AGO in Tampa, Kyle Tucker was on the verge of a special achievement: breaking Plant High School's home run record, held by his brother Preston, then a rookie with the Houston Astros.

Fans and scouts lined the fences at Wade Boggs Field to watch the latest star -- as well as pitching prospect Jake Woodford -- at a school known for churning out baseball talent. But Tucker hadn't had a hit in three games and was struggling -- at least by his standards -- according to his coach, Dennis Braun.

"The entire grass was full from dugout to dugout with scouts, which I've never seen before," Braun recalled from his office. "Kyle hadn't had a hit in like three games then he nubs a ball back to the pitcher and he didn't make it to first base."

Braun -- as old-school as they come -- wanted to pull Tucker for the lack of hustle, but he also didn't want to risk hurting his player's reputation with scouts watching.

"I'm like, 'son of a b----,' but I let him play," Braun said.

Instead, Braun delivered his message in private after the game, telling Tucker to always run out every ball and to just relax and play his game no matter the stakes.

Message received. In the next game, Tucker went 4-for-4 with two home runs, finishing the season with 31 home runs, breaking his brother's career mark. Braun understood then what the rest of the baseball world has learned in the years since as Tucker made his ascent from south Florida prep star to a big league outfielder projected to earn $300-$400 million in free agency next offseason.

"Hands down, his sixth tool is he's both mentally and physically the toughest kid I've ever seen," Braun stated. "It's not even close."

That's saying something, considering who else has walked the halls at Plant High. The Panthers play their home games on a field named after a Hall of Fame third baseman who is still their most famous alum, but they have also produced major leaguers Pete Alonso, Mychal Givens, Woodford, Corey Brown and Darren Clarke along with 2024 first-round pick Jac Caglianone and the Tucker brothers.

The younger Tucker graduated from Plant with the best high school career of them all, culminating in being selected by the Astros with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 MLB draft. Since then, he has improved every year, including a monster half-season in 2024 in which he produced 4.7 fWAR despite being limited to just 78 games because of a shin injury.

After being dealt to Chicago in a blockbuster trade during the offseason, the Cubs hope Tucker can lead them to the playoffs for the first time in a full season since 2018 before he hits free agency. His high school coach believes Tucker -- and his sweet swing -- will deliver no matter the pressure, just as he always has.

"They started nicknaming him Ted Williams," Braun said. "That stuck for a while."

UNLIKE THE HEADLINING stars of recent free agent classes -- Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto -- Tucker is not a household name. Some of that comes from his quiet personality as you won't find him bat-flipping or making waves with his postgame comments, but his former teammates insist there is a funny, loose side the public has rarely seen.

"Last year at spring training people got a glimpse of it," Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena said with a smile. "He got miked up for a whole day. All the fans kept saying, 'I didn't know Kyle Tucker spoke.' But to us it was normal. He was our DJ. He's very outgoing. He's funny. I feel like the fans will enjoy that side of him."

Alonso -- high school teammates with Tucker for two seasons -- likens his personality to his game. Steady and consistent, from his prep days into his major league career.

"Honestly, he's the same guy," Alonso said after a recent spring training game. "He hasn't changed a bit. I mean, he keeps the game simple. He's just got this even-keel emotion about him both on and off the field."

Tucker is aware of his reputation but says he does speak up when he needs to -- even if he prefers to let his game do the talking.

"I feel like people think I'm pretty quiet and reserved, which I guess I am, but people probably think I'm more [reserved] than I actually am," Tucker said recently. "I'm decently outgoing."

Tucker also has been able to fly under the radar while putting up MVP-level numbers during his career because of all the talent around him. During his seven seasons with the Astros, he played for loaded teams, with stars like Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa and Yordan Alvarez getting most of the spotlight.

That could change with his new team this year as Tucker now enters the season as undoubtedly the best hitter in his own lineup. But there's always been a time when Tucker was the center of attention, whether as a prep sensation drawing crowds to a Florida high school or as one of the most coveted players in the majors entering his platform season: It's whenever he unleashes his swing at a baseball.

"It's God-given talent," Yordan Alvarez said through Houston's team interpreter. "It's a natural swing. ... It hurts me that I'm not going to be sharing time with him. When he's on a hot streak I think he's one of the top hitters in baseball."

IN AN ERA of constant mechanical overhauls to even the game's best hitters, Tucker's swing looks just as it did when he was breaking records in high school.

"Why would you mess with Ted Williams?" Braun said with a half-serious laugh, crediting the lack of rotation of his back foot that allows Tucker to stay in the zone longer than most hitters and evokes comparisons to the Splendid Splinter.

The praise of the swing from Tucker's high school coach is echoed by others who work with elite hitters around the sport.

"It's only unique in some of the bat shapes he gets in early," said Troy Snitker, his former hitting coach with the Astros. "The swing itself is elite. It may look a little different in the way he slots the bat and some of the wrist angles and the flatness of his bat but after that it's an elite swing."

Tucker's new hitting coach with the Cubs, Dustin Kelly, agrees with his American League counterpart: "The length that he has, the way he sets [the bat] flatter and creates a ton of rotation. So impressive."

The effectiveness of Tucker's swing goes beyond the aesthetic qualities that leave coaches and teammates raving. When he steps to the plate, the quiet, mild-mannered Tucker transforms into something else.

"What makes Kyle Tucker such a great hitter goes beyond the mechanics," Pena said. "When he steps up to the plate he believes that he's the greatest hitter on earth. ... He's a player that's going to go in there, beat you and go home, play some video games, show up the next day and beat you again and keep doing it.

"He's a silent assassin."

Tucker's biggest improvement over the last few seasons has come as much from understanding when not to swing as when to try to drive a pitch. In 2021, his walk rate was just 9.4% -- 59th among qualified hitters. It has jumped in every season since, rising all the way to 16.5% last season -- third in the majors, behind only Judge and Soto.

"The last couple of years I really tried to hone in on not chasing and trying to just control the strike zone better," Tucker said. "Because you can be a drastically different player if you change nothing else but just swinging at strikes and not balls. I think I've done a better job at that."

AS HIS ABILITY to lay off of pitches has moved into the class of Judge and Soto, so has Tucker's potential offseason payday. He nearly broke the arbitration system over the winter as it couldn't account for the massive numbers he put up in only half a season last year. Tucker and the Cubs finally settled on a contract worth $16.5 million for 2025. If he picks up where he left off, he'll be due another huge raise when he hits free agency. He and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. appear to be the top free agents in next winter's class, both likely to command mid-nine-figure deals.

"The numbers are crazy these days but if he has a Tucker-like year, how can he not command $400 million or more?" one executive of a small-market team said. "I'm not saying this either way, but some people believe he's better than Soto."

Tucker will turn 29 next winter while Soto signed with the Mets two months after turning 26, so the odds of his deal approaching Soto's record $765 million contract are nonexistent. Still, those who have shared a dugout with Tucker point to his all-around ability as a difference-maker.

"He was the complete player," said A.J. Hinch, who managed Tucker in Houston from 2017 to 2019. "He could come up and change the game in a few different ways. On a team that was pretty talented, he still stood out."

During his time with the Astros, Tucker showed his diverse skill set in making three All-Star teams, winning both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, twice belting 30 home runs, stealing 30 bases in 2023 and becoming one of the sport's elite players.

"I think him and Manny Machado play the game so similarly because the game's easy for those guys," Alonso said. "It's very fluid, very relaxed, because for them it's just natural. Things came natural [to Tucker] and he just has one of those swings that it plays and it's always played.

"He's one of the best in the game, and the only thing that's going to change about him is his contractual situation, not his play, not his attitude towards the game. He's just like he was back then."

Georgia have risen to 11th in World Rugby's rankings - one place above Wales, who have dropped to the lowest position in their history after 17 consecutive Test defeats.

The former Leicester forward's side have now won 17 second-tier titles and he says they need a greater challenge.

"We feel we are probably a little bit too strong for this tournament although the other teams are improving, especially Spain and Romania, but for us to improve we need to play at a tougher level," the 54-year-old told the BBC Radio Wales Breakfast programme.

"We need to go and get challenged and we need to lose games. We need to lose games to know what it feels like to play at the level the Six Nations is at, as Italy had that opportunity in the early 2000s.

"We feel we've earned the right, not to be given that place, we want the opportunity to prove that potentially we're good enough to compete on a regular basis at that level."

Cockerill does however admit the prospect of a play-off in the near future is unlikely.

"I don't think so. If you're in the Six Nations you wouldn't want to be voting for that type of play-off, would you?" he added.

"Because it might be you, and the ramifications of not being in the Six Nations, from a rugby point of view but also from a financial point of view, would be very, very difficult.

"It's a bit like a Championship football club getting into the Premiership isn't it? You know it would be the richest game in world rugby.

"That would be a game people would want to watch and the money involved and the profile involved for Georgian rugby would catapult us into a completely different sphere if we were good enough to beat whoever finishes bottom.

"And if we lose, well we re-group, we keep developing and we fight for the opportunity to do that again. I don't see that as an unreasonable request."

Based on how things have been trending for the past several weeks, hockey fans should get ready for the fourth straight edition of the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs; the clubs have been passing the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds back and forth in recent days.

But what if one of those teams moves out of that second slot into first?

It could be the Kings, who have a game in hand on the Vegas Golden Knights. And it also could be the Oilers, who we know are capable of going on a heater from time to time. Edmonton's mission begins Tuesday night against the Utah Hockey Club (9 p.m. ET, ESPN), a team they have beaten in both previous meetings this season.

Beyond the game against Utah, the Oilers face opponents currently in playoff position in six of their final 14 games. This run includes one game against the Golden Knights and two against the Kings, matchups that take on extra meaning if the standings remain close. Of the other eight games, three are against the already-eliminated San Jose Sharks and two are against the soon-to-be eliminated Seattle Kraken.

Speaking of the standings, the Golden Knights are currently in the top spot with 86 points and 36 regulation wins through 67 games, the Oilers have 82 and 28 through 67, and the Kings have 81 and 31 through 66.

There is a lot of runway left until April 17, the final day of the regular season, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 New York Rangers
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Vancouver Canucks
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 Minnesota Wild
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings

Tuesday's games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m.
Calgary Flames at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Washington Capitals, 7 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Nashville Predators, 8 p.m.
Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars, 8 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Utah Hockey Club at Edmonton Oilers, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Winnipeg Jets at Vancouver Canucks, 10 p.m.

Monday's scoreboard

Buffalo Sabres 3, Boston Bruins 2 (OT)
Tampa Bay Lightning 2, Philadelphia Flyers 0
New Jersey Devils 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Toronto Maple Leafs 6, Calgary Flames 2
Minnesota Wild 3, Los Angeles Kings 1

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Florida Panthers

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Tampa Bay Lightning

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 101.6
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Toronto Maple Leafs

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 15
Points pace: 101.6
Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Ottawa Senators

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 16
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 98.7%
Tragic number: N/A

Montreal Canadiens

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 88.2
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 18%
Tragic number: 32

Detroit Red Wings

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: @ WSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 11.5%
Tragic number: 29

Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 2.1%
Tragic number: 24

Buffalo Sabres

Points: 60
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 74.6
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 21

Metro Division

Washington Capitals

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 117.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Carolina Hurricanes

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

New Jersey Devils

Points: 80
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 13
Points pace: 95.1
Next game: vs. CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 94.6%
Tragic number: N/A

New York Rangers

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 14
Points pace: 86.8
Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 44%
Tragic number: N/A

Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 85.7
Next game: vs. FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 15.3%
Tragic number: 29

New York Islanders

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 84.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 15.1%
Tragic number: 29

Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 78.4
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 21

Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Points pace: 76.1
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.3%
Tragic number: 19

Central Division

Winnipeg Jets

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 118.2
Next game: @ VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Dallas Stars

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 16
Points pace: 108.1
Next game: vs. ANA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Colorado Avalanche

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 14
Points pace: 102.5
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Minnesota Wild

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 14
Points pace: 97.7
Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 91.1%
Tragic number: N/A

St. Louis Blues

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 88.0
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 44.5%
Tragic number: 29

Utah Hockey Club

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 86.9
Next game: @ EDM (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 24.5%
Tragic number: 29

Nashville Predators

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 72.1
Next game: vs. STL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 18

Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 60.0
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 7

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights

Points: 86
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 15
Points pace: 105.3
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Edmonton Oilers

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 100.4
Next game: vs. UTA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Los Angeles Kings

Points: 81
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 16
Points pace: 100.6
Next game: @ CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A

Vancouver Canucks

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 15
Points pace: 89.3
Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 22%
Tragic number: N/A

Calgary Flames

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 16
Points pace: 88.2
Next game: @ NYR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 18.3%
Tragic number: 31

Anaheim Ducks

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 15
Points pace: 79.6
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 23

Seattle Kraken

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 76.0
Next game: @ CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 19

e - San Jose Sharks

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 14
Points pace: 54.3
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: 1

Note: An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

1. San Jose Sharks

Points: 45
Regulation wins: 13

2. Chicago Blackhawks

Points: 49
Regulation wins: 17

3. Nashville Predators

Points: 58
Regulation wins: 21

4. Buffalo Sabres

Points: 60
Regulation wins: 21

5. Seattle Kraken

Points: 63
Regulation wins: 23

6. Philadelphia Flyers

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 17

7. Anaheim Ducks

Points: 65
Regulation wins: 21

8. Pittsburgh Penguins

Points: 66
Regulation wins: 19

9. New York Islanders

Points: 68
Regulation wins: 24

10. Boston Bruins

Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23

11. Columbus Blue Jackets

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 23

12. Detroit Red Wings

Points: 70
Regulation wins: 24

13. Utah Hockey Club

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 22

14. Montreal Canadiens

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 23

15. Calgary Flames

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

16. St. Louis Blues

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 24

There is less than one month left in the 2024-25 NHL season but much remains to be determined:

• Which teams will secure spots in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs?

• Which team is under the most pressure in the final stretch?

• Who will earn the Hart Trophy as league MVP?

• And which two clubs will be squaring off in the Stanley Cup Final?

Read on as our ESPN hockey family debates those key questions.

Which team currently outside of the playoffs makes it?

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Let's go with the St. Louis Blues. Figuring out a defensive identity has been an issue the past few years. That's why they hired Jim Montgomery, and that led to improvement. Since they hired Montgomery in late November, the Blues are just outside the top 10 in fewest goals allowed, goals allowed per game and shots allowed per game. They have been one of the NHL's more consistent defensive teams in that time, and have won seven of their most recent 10 games.

Victoria Matiash, NHL analyst: Look out for the Utah Hockey Club. Riding a 9-4-2 record since Feb. 4, Utah hasn't lost two straight in regulation since Jan. 26. Outside of the crease -- Connor Ingram is out indefinitely after entering the NHL's player assistance program -- this is one of the healthiest teams in the NHL.

Clayton Keller is scoring, as usual. The second line duo of Dylan Guenther and Barrett Hayton is contributing. Utah's third line -- Jack McBain, Lawson Crouse, Josh Doan -- is proving tough to play against. Sean Durzi's long-awaited return bolsters the blue line in tangible fashion. If goaltender Karel Vejmelka can perform to near-optimal ability, this club has the wherewithal to sneak into that second wild-card spot in the West.

Arda Öcal, NHL broadcaster: Give me the Columbus Blue Jackets. They were in the second wild-card spot in the East, but after losing to the New York Rangers on Saturday, those two teams swapped places.

The East is a gauntlet and won't be decided until the last game. According to Stathletes, Columbus has the 10th-easiest schedule the rest of the way and fourth easiest in the East. The Jackets have a terrific 20-8-4 record at home, and play nine of their remaining games at Nationwide Arena. Plus a playoff berth would cap off an incredibly emotional season.

Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Let's go with the Montreal Canadiens. There's such spirit to that team, and the players radiate belief in themselves. It has been apparent in how the Canadiens are hitting a stride at this critical juncture. Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine have been especially strong leading the way on offense, and it has been encouraging to see the depth Montreal has exhibited.

GM Kent Hughes didn't make adjustments at the trade deadline. Clearly he too had faith in Montreal to be a playoff team without making additions. The Canadiens have a strong power play -- Laine is the point man there, too -- and their goaltending has improved. If Montreal can navigate a heavier schedule down the stretch -- including two more meetings with the Florida Panthers -- they can punch a postseason ticket.

Greg Wyshynski, NHL reporter: I predicted the Utah Hockey Club would make the playoffs before the season and I'll stick to that, because we're finally seeing what this team was supposed to look like. The Hockey Club is 6-3-2 since defenseman Sean Durzi returned to the lineup from injury. They missed him and John Marino for a majority of the season. Their returns have reset the Utah blue line, and the team's even-strength defense has been better for it: 1.50 goals against per game in its past 10 games, second only to the Winnipeg Jets and Carolina Hurricanes.

Utah is top 10 offensively at 5-on-5 in that stretch -- but if it's going to make the cut, it needs more from young star Logan Cooley, whose goal on March 16 ended a six-game scoreless streak. Utah will also have to ride Karel Vejmelka down the stretch, with the hopes that he continues his brilliant bounce-back season ... and that 25-year-old rookie Jaxson Stauber can produce the spot starts needed with Ingram in the player assistance program.

Which team is under the most pressure in the final month?

Clark: It's the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks' journey to the second round last season raised questions. Namely, was this just one strong season, or could it be the start of something more substantial?

Reaching the playoffs for a consecutive season would at least establish that the Canucks can be a consistent postseason participant, which hasn't been the case in more than a decade. But missing the playoffs would only amplify the concerns about what happens going forward.

Matiash: The Edmonton Oilers need to get their collective act together before the postseason, or it's going to be a short ride against whomever they face (the Los Angeles Kings, probably) in the first round. And that's not going to cut it with the Edmonton faithful, never mind stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

While Draisaitl and McDavid have a combined 46 points since Jan. 30, the rest of the Oilers' forward corps has a total of 48. Everyone else needs to figure out how to effectively pitch in, and soon. Meanwhile, the Oilers have allowed a fifth-worst 3.41 goals-against per game over that same stretch, partly due to Stuart Skinner's sub-mediocre play. Riding a 7-9-1 record since the end of January, Kris Knoblauch's squad needs to fix all that ails it in a hurry.

Öcal: If the Rangers fail to make the postseason, after making the conference finals two out of the past three years, you have to wonder what kind of changes we will see in Manhattan over the summer. It has been a tumultuous season for the Blueshirts already, with so many things -- memos to 31 other teams, captain trades, Ilya Sorokin scoring a goalie goal before Igor Shesterkin -- for fans to point to as reasons why the club took a step backward.

Shilton: The Toronto Maple Leafs have spiraled lately, and need to prove it's just a temporary glitch. The Leafs were riding high going into the 4 Nations Face-Off break but have stumbled badly against good teams since, with losses against the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators.

Toronto's offense has stalled, the power play is sputtering and their goaltending -- a strength all season -- appears headed toward average (at best). Every team goes through rough patches, but this is a particularly poorly timed span of poor play by the Leafs. If it's nothing to worry about, they'd better start stringing some victories together before the postseason hits.

Wyshynski: The Detroit Red Wings. Teams fire coaches for a variety of reasons. For example, the Blues fired Drew Bannister because they're the NHL embodiment of the "guy looking at the other girl" meme when it came to Jim Montgomery's sudden availability. The Red Wings, meanwhile, fired Derek Lalonde and hired Todd McLellan for one explicit reason: to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, ending the longest playoff drought in this Original Six franchise's history and offering a scintilla of credibility to GM Steve Yzerman's vision for their revival, a.k.a. "The Yzerplan."

But they've remained a wildly inconsistent team under McLellan, who briefly managed to turn their season around before a disastrous stretch in which the Wings won twice in 10 games around the 4 Nations tournament. There's still a chance that Cam Talbot and Petr Mrazek could drag their anemic offense to the playoffs. But there's a greater chance they miss again, leading to yet another offseason with more questions than answers

Name your Stanley Cup Finalists with one month left.

Clark: Dallas Stars vs. Carolina Hurricanes. Deep down in all of us lies pettiness and a Hurricanes-Stars Cup Final with Mikko Rantanen at the right wing of it all, providing a level of drama that just can't be manufactured.

Matiash: Winnipeg Jets vs. Florida Panthers. I'll take the league's stingiest defense and third-best offense, buttressed by the game's greatest netminder, against a Florida squad that appears even more dangerous than last year's Cup winners following the key acquisitions of Brad Marchand and Seth Jones. Why overthink it?

Öcal: Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. A 2022 rematch isn't out of the realm of possibility. Both teams leveled up in key areas at the trade deadline. The Bolts picked up Yanni Gourde and Oliver Bjorkstrand and now the top nine is stacked. They still have one of the best goalies in the league in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Meanwhile, Colorado added Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle, Erik Johnson, Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey. I like the needs the Avs addressed before the deadline, and they look legit.

Shilton: Dallas Stars vs. Washington Capitals. Before the season began, there was a zero percent chance I would have suggested Washington was in position to reach the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. The Capitals are just having a special season, and those are rare. All things being equal, Washington should be able to translate its regular-season success into a long playoff run.

As for Dallas -- it's just time. The Stars have been circling a Final date for too long not to get there. Mikko Rantanen is on board. Miro Heiskanen will be back. Dallas should be formidable in every respect. It's their moment to shine.

Wyshynski: Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers. The Stars were my Stanley Cup pick before the season. Assuming it's all-systems-go for their wounded players -- Heiskanen, especially -- I'm still on them to break through after consecutive trips to the conference finals. Give me Jake Oettinger, Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston in any series; most importantly, give me Rantanen with something to prove on a stage he has owned for the past several postseasons.

Originally, I had them playing the New Jersey Devils, but that's not happening without Jack Hughes. So give me the Panthers' third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Their core is built for playoff glory. They have Playoff Bob. GM Bill Zito has done a nice job addressing depth concerns. And adding Brad Marchand to a team that already has Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett is, ahem, a tactical advantage no other team can boast. Bring your earplugs.

Who's your pick for Hart Trophy right now?

Clark: Connor Hellebuyck. It has been exactly a decade since Carey Price was the last goaltender to win the Hart. Price was beyond crucial to his team's success, while also leading the NHL in wins, goal-against average, save percentage and goals-saved above expected average. He was also in the top five in minutes played and saves.

Hellebuyck is atop the league in wins, GAA, save percentage, GSAA and shutouts, and has been going back and forth with Andrei Vasilevskiy for the lead in minutes played. There's no denying what forwards such as Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon have done. It's just that what Hellebuyck stands to achieve is on par with what we expect out of a goalie being Hart-worthy.

Matiash: Leon Draisaitl. Stubbornly siding with Nikita Kucherov -- still underrated as a game-changing asset to his team -- for a good part of this season, I can't help but now shift to the only projected 50-plus-goal scorer of 2024-25.

According to Evolving Hockey, Draisaitl boasts a league-leading 24.6 goals above replacement (GAR), 4.0 wins above replacement (WAR), and a whopping 7.6 standings points above replacement (SPAR). If that doesn't define "most valuable to their team," I'm not sure what does.

Öcal: Definitely Leon Draisaitl. He and MacKinnon will be neck and neck on points all the way to the last games of the regular season, but Draisaitl is running away with the Rocket Richard (49), currently 13 goals above William Nylander in second (36). Draisaitl also leads the league in even-strength goals (34). Plus, he's earning his Hart Trophy votes on a team that has Connor McDavid.

I'm picking Leon to win his second Hart in five years. Leon has been so good this season he could have helped Kino Loy swim away from Narkina 5.

Shilton: Nathan MacKinnon. Yes, we're talking back-to-back Hart Trophy wins. The last player to do it? Alex Ovechkin, in 2009. It doesn't happen often.

But MacKinnon has undeniably dragged Colorado back into the fight this season. Remember when we were counting out the Avalanche? MacKinnon never relented. Colorado lost Rantanen, and as devastating as that was, it almost seemed to light a larger fire under MacKinnon to keep Colorado in contending position. Now, if Hellebuyck takes it from MacKinnon that's incredibly well-deserved, too. But for me, it's MacKinnon, for how he has been the Avs' most valuable player practically every single game.

Wyshynski: Connor Hellebuyck. Let's not overcomplicate things. As of Monday, Hellebuyck had 39 of the Jets' 47 wins. He led the league in save percentage, and his goals-against average had dipped below two goals per game -- while that's considered a team stat rather than an individual one, it's fairly obvious who's responsible for it when backup Eric Comrie's GAA is half a goal higher.

There are certainly other worthy candidates: Draisaitl has an incredible case this season, and Zach Werenski deserves a shoutout for what he has done for Columbus. (And a louder shoutout to Quinn Hughes, who might have been the choice were it not for his injury.) But the Jets have been one of the NHL's best teams this season, and everything tracks to Hellebuyck as the foundation for that.

Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has said he is hoping to return to football in time for next week's FA Cup clash against Fulham, although he will have to do so with a protective mask.

The striker was on the wrong end of a wildly reckless tackle from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts in an FA Cup fifth-round clash earlier this month that saw Mateta kicked in the head and needing to be taken to hospital.

In an interview published by L'Equipe on Sunday, Mateta said that most of the damage was to his ear, which he said was "just destroyed," adding that he was lucky the outcome was not much more severe.

"I was afraid I'd have broken bones or blood in my brain, but in fact, my ear was just destroyed," Mateta said.

"At the last moment, I had the reflex to turn my face. I was lucky because if I hadn't, I would have taken his foot right in the head, and it would have been much worse.

"After that, I never lost consciousness. I was lying on the ground, and I said to the doctor: 'I'm fine, I want to play again.' But he, seeing my ear, replied, 'No, you have to go.'

"A plastic surgery specialist came and took pictures of my ear, which he refused to show me, so as not to let them stay in my head.

"Obviously, it didn't look like an ear any more. At the beginning of the operation, the surgeon had a lot of trouble, but afterwards, as he explained to me, he found a way to save my ear. He did a hell of a job."

Mateta was later discharged from hospital, while Palace went on to earn a 3-1 win over Milwall and offending goalkeeper Roberts was handed a six-game ban.

Palace face Fulham in the FA Cup quarterfinals later this month, with Mateta hoping to return in time.

"I have to be careful to prevent it from getting infected, I have to wash it every time I sweat," Mateta added.

"Next week, I should be able to participate in training matches, but for that, I'll need a mask while my ear finishes healing.

"I've been sent several models, and I'll have to choose between those that just cover the ear and others that cover the whole face."

Adelaide United midfielder Josh Cavallo, who was men's football's first openly gay active player, said he receives multiple death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other players to come out due to the sport's "toxic" environment.

The A-League player came out in October 2021 and said that despite his club and coaches' support his openness about his sexuality had brought him a lot of pressure and negativity.

"There's multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still, and it's quite sad to see," he told FIFPRO's Footballers Unfiltered podcast.

"In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It's something that not everyone would be able to handle and go through.

"I still think we're a very, very long way from acceptance in this space.

"So, these are factors that people will consider in their coming out and they might not be out now, but coming out brings all this attention, it brings all this pressure, brings all this negativity that will affect their game in the long run."

Cavallo has received homophobic abuse from football crowds when playing for Adelaide and been vocal about the problem on social media.

"It's difficult to say to people, 'Absolutely, come out, be yourself,'" he said. "But it also comes with a mountain of downsides as well that I don't think people realise."

Cavallo said having a support network around him had helped him "put up a wall" to protect him from abuse.

He also said he wished he had come out earlier, rather than waited until he was 21, because he felt himself living a lie.

"I was tired of being hidden and tired of having to go around and hide from people and not live my authentic self," he said.

"And then I would be like why hasn't this happened in football? Why hasn't no one ever came out to be themselves and be successful and play.

"And I understand that now looking back, all the negativity, all the things that come your way."

United States men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino has said he would still be interested in returning to manage Tottenham Hotspur in the future, but not before the 2026 World Cup.

Pochettino helped Spurs to reach the Champions League final before leaving in 2019 and going onto manage Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and now the USMNT.

In an interview with Sky News published on Tuesday, the Argentine coach said he still uses Spurs chairman Daniel Levy as a sounding board but he would not return to the club before leading the U.S. at a home World Cup next year.

"It's always about the timing," Pochettino said when asked if he there was ever a possibility he could be managing England rather than the U.S.

"I was talking with my former president Daniel Levy and he says always football is about timings and he always told me, 'Mauricio, always it's timing.'

"It's true because he has experience in football and it's a privilege to be head coach of the England national team but the timings sometimes are not in the same, in the moment that you can be available like this and this option disappears."

Levy has hired four permanent managers at Spurs since Pochettino's exit, with incumbent Ange Postecoglou under pressure amid a continued run of poor form.

When asked if the timing could ever align for a return to Spurs, Pochettino said: "Look, when I left the club I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham and that is of course."

"I am in the USA, I am not going to going to talk about that, but what I said then still after six years or five years, I still feel in my heart that, yes, I would like one day to come back. We see the timing, like Daniel said."