Who's making the playoffs?

[The Napkin]

We're down to the stretch so who you got?
 
For the purposes of this exercise assume NYR and Philly claim auto-bids from the Metro division.
 
You can pick multiple from the west since I'm limited to only 3 questions and I didn't want to make 2 different threads. Please pick 2 and 2 only to keep the vote numbers make sense.
 
EAST
 

 
DET (7): BOS, BUF, @MON, @BUF, @PIT, CAR, @STL
CBS (8): COL, @PHL, CHI, NYI, PHO, @DAL, @TPA, @FLA
WAS (7): DAL, @NJD, @NYI, @STL, @CAR, CHI, TPA
TOR (6): CAL, BOS, WPG, @TPA, @FLA, @OTT
 
 
WEST
 

 
MIN (7): @LAK, @CHI, PIT, @WPG, BOS, STL, NSH
PHO (7): WPG, @LAK, EDM, @CBS, @NSH, SJS, DAL
DAL (8): @WAS, @CAR, @TPA, @FLA, NSH, CBS, STL, @PHO
VAN (6): NYR, LAK, ANA, COL, @EDM, CAL

 

[TSC]

I picked Wings and Jackets from the East, Wild and Stars from the West.
 
My HOPE is Toronto and Caps for the East, as I think both would be easier opponents for the Bruins - but lettuce be realistic here.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

10 days ago the Rangers had a nice shot of missing the playoffs.  Too bad the other teams "competing" there all decided to take a couple weeks off

 

[cshea]

I voted for Detroit and Washington in the East, Minny and Dallas out West.

I'm pulling more for Columbus to get in, but they've got a tough schedule down the stretch.
They have the benefit of a game in hand on Washington, but of their 8 remaining game, 5 are against current playoff teams, and a 6th is against Dallas who is just out. It's Colorado, @Philly, Chicago, NYI, Phoenix, @ Dallas, @ Tampa, @ Florida. All of those teams are playing for something down the stretch, save for the Isles and Panthers. Tough road.

Edit: CBJ are catching a break on the injury front. Duchene is out for Colorado and Chicago will at least be without Kane when they play. Possibly Toews too, Quenneville says he's day to day.

 

[The Napkin]

I added the current standings and who has who left to the first post. Should have included that from the start...

 

[The Napkin]

Looks like everyone things Minny will hold on. I was real close to including them and just having people pick WC2 but then I looked at Minny's schedule down the stretch so...
I think they're in, but it's going to be interesting. I also hope that Dallas at Phoenix last game of the year means something. They might break 10,000 people there if so.

 

[ForceAtHome]

That trio of games with Phoenix/Columbus, Dallas/Columbus and Dallas/Phoenix at the end could have enormous playoff implications for both conferences. That should be fun.
 
I like Detroit and Columbus (I say the Blue Jackets tie with Washington but win the ROW tiebreaker) in the East with Minnesota and Phoenix in the West.

 

[The Napkin]

21 members have voted and we have 39 votes out of what should be 42 for the west. good times, good times.

 

[timlinin8th]

That trio of games with Phoenix/Columbus, Dallas/Columbus and Dallas/Phoenix at the end could have enormous playoff implications for both conferences. That should be fun.

Not only that, but given the difficulty of Minnesota's remaining schedule there could be a conceiveable scenario where Min, Dal and Phx all go into their final games on 4/13 in a tie. Or even more, come out of their games tied in pts and one gets left out of the playoffs on ROW.

 

[mikeford]

I refuse to vote because NJD could still get in. 

 

[The Napkin]

Huge win for Minny in LA last night.
 
You're right, I probably should have included NJD. Added to poll... (I also plan to do another one next Mon to see how things have changed in a week.)

 

[MoGator71]

I voted Wings/Caps and Dallas/Phoenix. No real rhyme or reason to it except that I just feel like Columbus has a tough road and Minny has Cooke and Heatley, then they added Bryz...basically flipped a double bird at karma. 
 
Columbus may get a break at the end since Tampa may rest guys.
 
Oh, just looked again, Detroit has Buffalo twice. They also have St. Louis at the end so they may be resting, and they've got Boston next and Claude apparently is going to rest people (right after the Flyers game, thanks jerkface). Detroit and their MASH unit looks even better.

 

[The Napkin]

Dallas and Toronto get 2. Jackets get 1. Caps get nothing and will like it.

 

[The Napkin]

The good news for the Devils is they scored twice in the shootout. The bad news is it went like 17 rounds and they lost it 3-2. Have another loser point for your troubles though.
If I were a Devils fan I would think it'd be almost comical at this point if it wasn't so horrifying.

 

[Pumpsie]

The good news for the Devils is they scored twice in the shootout. The bad news is it went like 17 rounds and they lost it 3-2. Have another loser point for your troubles though.
If I were a Devils fan I would think it'd be almost comical at this point if it wasn't so horrifying.

It was obvious right out of pre-season that this team didn't have the offensive talent to go very far.  That simple fact has just been double-clicked on over and over again during the entire course of the season. Great on the power play and penalty kill, awful on five-on-five and the shootout.  It's the lack of talent.  And what talent is there is too old and doesn't have that extra gear, especially at this time of the year.  Fortunately, Jaromir Jagr pulled a pretty terrific season out of his 42 year-old body.  This team would be unwatchable without him. 

 

[TheYaz67]

Wow, Caps looked absolutely cooked last night at home against a team actually trying to get in the playoffs, loosing to Dallas 5-0, and getting loudly booed in their own building.  Now they go on the road for four, and three of their last four are against tough teams.  Have lost four in a row (but got two points).
 
Frankly the best thing for the Caps and their fans would be to miss the playoffs - there is still some denial among the Caps faithful about this team, but more and more folks are waking up to the fact that they probably need to blow up this team - they really cannot win as currently constructed.  I mean when your top 6 in points are a combined -99, that is not good....

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Columbus has games in hand on the two teams closest to them in the chase. They have a couple tough games ahead, but their destiny is really in their own hands.
 
I think Columbus and Detroit get in as the wild card teams in the East in either order.

 

[McDrew]

I think the next version of this poll should have a "who would you rather the B's play in round one" question as well

 

[The Napkin]

Big win for the Devils over the Caps. Devils played most of the game down some forwards after Elias got hurt early, Henrique didn't finish the 2nd, and Josefson only played 2 shifts in the 3rd. This after they only dressed 11 to start.
 
Jackets take a too many men penalty with 20 seconds left in a tie game against Chicago and give up the losing goal with 3 seconds left. Ouch.
 
Coyotes losing to the Oilers after 1. That would be a brutal loss for them.

 

[TheYaz67]

Yeah, that should do it for the Caps, given their upcoming schedule.  They would need the 3 teams in front of them to all go 1-4 the rest of the way, and I don't think that is happening.  And Detroit's little win streak is scrambling the order of the East playoffs since Philly have also dropped 3 in a row...

 

[Toe Nash]

It was obvious right out of pre-season that this team didn't have the offensive talent to go very far.  That simple fact has just been double-clicked on over and over again during the entire course of the season. Great on the power play and penalty kill, awful on five-on-five and the shootout.  It's the lack of talent.  And what talent is there is too old and doesn't have that extra gear, especially at this time of the year.  Fortunately, Jaromir Jagr pulled a pretty terrific season out of his 42 year-old body.  This team would be unwatchable without him. 

No, it's their goaltending.
 
They are a top 5 possession team 5-on-5.  4th in CF% close and 5th in FenwickF % close. Their team shooting percentage is basically average. But they've gotten a .904 SV% in all situations which is 25th in the league, and a .910 5-on-5 close which is 27th.
 
The other teams in the top 5 in possession stats are LA, Boston, Chicago and SJ -- all playoff locks.
 
Basically, they make the playoffs if they just played Brodeur less. They wouldn't be in the upper eschelon due to the lack of offense you describe, but they'd be in the mix. Schneider hasn't been great but he's been league average, while Brodeur has been shit and doesn't deserve to play nearly half the team's games. Or if they had average luck on the shootout.

 

[mikeford]

They'd have made the playoffs if they won even 30% of of the stupid fucking worthless shootouts. 

 

[mikeford]

Also its not REALLY the goaltending. At least not completely. The SV% is bad and looks bad and Brodeur hasn't played well but A LOT of goals scored on us this year have come from complete defensive breakdowns that leave the goalie, whoever it is, hung out to dry. 

 

[MoGator71]

Funny, Marty still manages to play like a hero when he sees the Flyers.