The Washington Capitals may only be one point back of Columbus for the final wild-card spot in the East, but with the Blue Jackets holding a game in hand as well as the tie-breaker (regulation/overtime wins), the margin for error is a thin one.
The Caps have seven games left, starting tonight versus Dallas, another team in a desperate race to make the playoffs.
It’s estimated Washington will need to go in the neighborhood of 5-2-0 to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2007.