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NHL Playoff Death Watch: Will Maple Leafs finally close this out?

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 Tampa Bay Lightning did it again on Friday night, defeating the Montreal Canadiens one day after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are one point out of the last wild card with 92 points. The Leafs have 93 and two games left. The New York Islanders have 90 and two games left.

This isn’t over yet.

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Then again, it could totally be over if the Leafs get a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on Saturday night. The tragic number for the Bolts and Islanders is two.

Two points. That’s all the Leafs need to clinch a playoff spot. Two points gained in their last two games, or lost by both the Lightning and Islanders.

Can they pull it off?

Here are the current standings. The Death Watch tracks the final Wild Card spot and the teams that are chasing it. Their “tragic number” is the number of points gained by the final wild card team or lost by the team chasing it.

Here’s the Eastern Conference:

The Islanders are in New Jersey tonight to face a Devils team that’s 2-6-2 in its last 10 games. The Isles have a 7-percent chance of finishing in the last wild card. Tampa Bay’s chances increased to 11-percent last night. The Leafs still have a 63-percent chance of winning the last wild card and an 81.6-percent chance of making the playoffs, per Sports Club Stats.

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The Leafs could still finish as high as No. 2 in the Atlantic depending on how things break for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins this weekend. The Sens have an 81-percent chance of playing second in the division. The Bruins have a 68-percent chance of placing third. Obviously, Ottawa is in the driver’s seat with the one-point advantage and the game in-hand.

Here’s the Western Conference:

At first glance, it would appear tonight’s the night the wild card gets sussed out, and it could. But let’s say the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators both win, and get to 96 points, and let’s say the Blues (95 points) don’t defeat the Carolina Hurricanes. Well now we’ve gotta wait until Sunday to see if we have a three-way tie or the Blues as the last wild card or the Predators as the last wild card. Wild!

As we explained on Friday, the Oilers can still win the division if they win both games against Vancouver and the Ducks lose to the Kings, but one of those wins for Edmonton has to be in regulation or overtime. Then again, the Oilers can slip to No. 3 in the division if the Canucks sweep them and the Sharks beat the Flames.

Here’s the Money Puck take.

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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