Interesting tidbit from the NHL’s daily PR email:
Just 16 points separated the 16 teams that qualified for the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That’s the narrowest gap in the 16-team postseason era. The last time there was a smaller gap (in any playoff format) was in 1964-65, when just four teams qualified for the postseason.
Points Separating Entire Playoff Field, Since 1994-95 2014-15: 16 2013-14: 26 2012-13: 22 2011-12: 19 2010-11: 24 2009-10: 33 2008-09: 26 2007-08: 24 2006-07: 21 2005-06: 32 2003-04: 18 2002-03: 30 2001-02: 29 2000-01: 30 1999-00: 29 1998-99: 36 1997-98: 31 1996-97: 30 1995-96: 53 1994-95: 28
The 16-point gap this season was between the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers (113) and the Calgary Flames (97).
Oh, and that huge 53-point gap in 95-96 was the season the Red Wings finished atop the league with 131 points (62-13-7) and the Winnipeg Jets, right before moving to Arizona, got in with 78 points (36-40-6). But it was the Colorado Avalanche, not the Wings, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup, sweeping the Florida Panthers and their rats in the final.
Related: There’s ‘no first-round upset’ anymore (so don’t be mean when our predictions are completely wrong)