5 teams, 2 spots: Sizing up East playoff race
Does anyone want the final two playoff spots in the NHL's Eastern Conference?
Six teams in the East have clinched, but third place in the Metropolitan Division and the second wild-card spot remain wide open. It's been a turtle race as of late, with none of the five clubs alive truly separating themselves from the pack. The five teams are separated by just two points, which should make for plenty of drama down the stretch.
Below, we break down each of the hopefuls, ordered by points percentage.
Playoff odds courtesy MoneyPuck.
New York Islanders
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyPoints: 85 (.552)
Playoff odds: 60.3%
Last 10 games: 6-4-0
Games remaining: vs. NYR, vs. MTL, @ NYR, @ NJ, vs. PIT
Many thought the Islanders' playoff chances would be contingent on reigning Vezina Trophy runner-up Ilya Sorokin. But 35-year-old Semyon Varlamov has been handling the bulk of the workload as of late, starting five of the last eight games. He's won four of those and has a .938 save percentage.
Two games left against the division-leading Rangers is far from ideal, but there could be a lot at stake in the final game of the season against the Penguins.
Detroit Red Wings
Dave Reginek / National Hockey League / GettyPoints: 84 (.545)
Playoff odds: 51.5%
Last 10 games: 4-4-2
Games remaining: vs. WSH, @ PIT, @ TOR, vs. MTL, @ MTL
It's the second wild card or bust for the Red Wings, who are the only Atlantic Division squad in this race. Finishing just short would be awfully disappointing for Detroit, which is looking to snap a seven-year playoff drought - the second-longest streak in the NHL.
Detroit arguably has the most favorable remaining schedule of the five teams. Regulation wins against the Capitals and Penguins will essentially be worth four points apiece. The Leafs are pretty much stuck in third in the Atlantic Division and don't have a ton to play for down the stretch. The Canadiens are among the league's worst teams.
The Red Wings were once comfortably in a playoff spot, but five wins in their last 18 games means they're fighting for their lives.
Washington Capitals
Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / GettyPoints: 83 (.539)
Playoff odds: 24.3%
Last 10 games: 3-5-2
Games remaining: @ DET, @ BUF, vs. TB, vs. BOS, @ PHI
Have the Capitals been lucky or opportunistic? Their minus-41 goal differential is the sixth-worst mark in the league and would be the worst by an NHL playoff team in the last 30 years. But despite being blown out a lot, Spencer Carbery's group seems to have a knack for coming out on the right side of tight games.
There are two primary reasons Washington is still alive. First is journeyman goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who's hidden many of Washington's flaws with his superb season. The second is that Alex Ovechkin is scoring again. After an uncharacteristically quiet first half, Ovi has found twine 21 times in his last 31 contests.
Regulation victories against the Red Wings and Flyers, plus another somewhere in between, could be all the Capitals need to head back to the playoffs after missing them for the first time since 2014 last season.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPoints: 84 (.538)
Playoff odds: 38.6%
Last 10 games: 6-1-3
Games remaining: vs. DET, vs. BOS, vs. NSH, @ NYI
Can Sidney Crosby will his team to the playoffs? It seemed improbable at one point, which is why the front office traded star winger Jake Guentzel at the deadline. But the captain has put the team on his back lately, racking up 16 points during Pittsburgh's 6-0-2 run. The Pens are undoubtedly the hottest team on this list.
The Penguins have also been riding the hot hand in net with Alex Nedeljkovic starting eight straight games over Tristan Jarry, who signed a five-year, $26.9-million contract in the offseason. "Ned" has posted a .917 save percentage in that span.
Its schedule is pretty daunting, but Pittsburgh owns tiebreakers over the Flyers, Capitals, and Islanders by virtue of regulation wins.
Philadelphia Flyers
Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / GettyPoints: 83 (.532)
Playoff odds: 25%
Last 10 games: 2-5-3
Games remaining: @ MTL, @ NYR, vs. NJ, vs. WSH
The Flyers were never supposed to be here. Against all preseason projections, they held the third spot in the Metro for much of the campaign. However, they've started to unravel and are clearly the coldest team on this list. Head coach John Tortorella recently rallied against suggestions that the team doesn't belong in the race. Can they get back on track?
An answer between the pipes will make or break Philadelphia's season. Samuel Ersson has started to run out of steam, and newcomer Ivan Fedotov has played just a handful of games in North America. Can one of them make enough saves down the stretch? The Flyers' final game of the season against the Capitals could be a do-or-die tilt.
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