NHL Death Watch: Here are the tragic numbers for your non-playoff teams
Since we're down to the final moments of postseason life for teams in contention, Puck Daddy solemnly begins a daily countdown to annihilation.
The Winnipeg Jets routed the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, 7-2, tying the idle Rangers with 44 points and keeping two points in back of the Washington Capitals for the Southeast lead.
Said Evander Kane to the Winnipeg Free Press:
"We might have been talking about it but we’ve been doing it," Jets left-winger Evander Kane said after two goals against the Panthers.
"That’s the difference from maybe those five games on the losing streak. Now we’re on a bit of a winning streak. Instead of talking, we’re just going out and doing it and I think it’s good to see."
Alas, the Jets only have six games remaining while Washington has seven and the Rangers have eight. Thus the Tragic Number for Winnipeg remains 12 points lost by the Jets or gained by the No. 8 seed.
Coming up, the playoff pictures for the East and West, as we shift the focus to playoff seeding.
The full NHL standings and schedules can be found on Y! Sports.
All playoff percentages are from Sports Club Stats; tragic numbers and other figures via the NHL. A team is eliminated from play-offs when their "Tragic Number" hits 0; it's a combination of points lost by the trailing team and points gained by the No. 8 seed.
Team (Games Remaining) | Place/Pts/ROW | Tragic # | % Chance of Playoffs | % Chance of 7th | % Chance of 8th |
Ottawa Senators (8) | 6th/46/16 | - | 93.9 | 28 | 17 |
New York Islanders (7) | 7th/46/18 | - | 86.3 | 30 | 27 |
New York Rangers (8) | 8th/44/16 | - | 85.9 | 29 | 29 |
Winnipeg Jets (6) | 9th/44/20 | 12 | 38.3 | 4 | 14 |
New Jersey Devils (8) | 10th/40/13 | 12 | 6.4 | 1 | 5 |
Buffalo Sabres (7) | 11th/38/11 | 8 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
Philadelphia Flyers (8) | 12th/37/16 | 9 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Tampa Bay Lightning (8) | 13th/36/16 | 8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Carolina Hurricanes (8) | 14th/34/16 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Florida Panthers (8) | 15th/32/10 | 4 | 0.0 | - | 0 |
Depending on tie-breakers, the Panthers could be officially eliminated this weekend.
This is shaping up into a four-team race for three spots, unless the Devils can turn their ship around immediately. Keep this in mind for the Senators and Islanders: The former has five of eight games left at home, while the latter plays five of seven away from home.
Meanwhile, in the West:
Team (Games Remaining) | Place/Pts/ROW | Tragic # | % Chance of Playoffs | % Chance of 7th | % Chance of 8th |
Minnesota Wild (8) | 7th/46/18 | - | 92.1 | 35 | 14 |
Detroit Red Wings (8) | 8th/44/17 | - | 55.9 | 15 | 34 |
Phoenix Coyotes (8) | 9th/42/15 | 14 | 24.8 | 6 | 17 |
Dallas Stars (9) | 10th/41/17 | 15 | 21.7 | 5 | 14 |
Columbus Blue Jackets (8) | 11th/41/13 | 13 | 7.4 | 2 | 5 |
Edmonton Oilers (8) | 12th/39/14 | 11 | 2.9 | 1 | 2 |
Nashville Predators (7) | 13th/38/13 | 8 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
Calgary Flames (9) | 14th/32/14 | 6 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Colorado Avalanche (7) | 15th/32/12 | 2 | OUT | - | - |
Gotta love that 0.3-percent chance at the postseason. Keep hope alive, Predators fans!
The Coyotes only have two of their eight games at home, but they do have a game at Detroit looming large. Dallas also has a game against Detroit to end the season, but faces some brutal competition before then: The Sharks twice, at Chicago, at the Kings and at St. Louis.
The Avalanche can mercifully eliminated with a Detroit win at Chicago on Friday night.
