Using Sports Club Stats, here are the records each bubble team needs down the stretch to earn a better-than-50-percent shot of making the playoffs…
Eastern Conference (three bubble teams, two spots available)
Detroit Red Wings — 1-3-1
Boston Bruins — 1-2-1
Ottawa Senators — 4-1-0
No more Washington on the list. If the Caps go 0-4-0, they still have a 58.5 percent chance of getting in. No more Florida either; the Panthers are all but officially done. It’s basically up to the Senators to keep this thing interesting; they host Washington Saturday and play in Toronto Sunday. The stumbling Red Wings, meanwhile, play twice this weekend as well, traveling to Minnesota for a game Saturday before hosting the Caps Sunday. The Bruins get the Leafs at home Saturday, then have three days off. For a more detailed breakdown of the shifting landscape in the East, click here. Suffice to say, Detroit’s struggles are an interesting addition to the late-season storyline. Here’s what the Wings have left:
Western Conference (three bubble teams, two spots available)
Calgary Flames — 2-2-0
Los Angeles Kings — 2-2-1
Winnipeg Jets — 3-2-0
No more Vancouver on the list. If the Canucks go 0-4-0, they still have a 58.8 percent shot. All three of the remaining teams are in action Saturday -- the Flames are in Edmonton, the Jets host the Canucks, and the Kings host the Avs. All three are off Sunday.
Here’s Calgary’s remaining schedule:
As you can see, games against the Kings and Jets loom. But before that, Calgary would be wise to bear down and get wins over the Oilers and Coyotes.