Looking at the remaining schedule and what would be realistic at this point.
This is the **optimistic** scenario of finding a way into playoffs on final day of season.
Today: 44 GP, 23 W, 18 L, 3 OTL (49 Pts -- 0.557 pt%)
Pre-All-Star: We have three tough games before All-Star break. No reinforcements are expected, so same team as we say against MTL, DAL this week. It would be great if we could pick off a couple of these games, but the realistic number is we gain probably two points out of them. [L, L, W]
1/22: VGK (H)
1/25: CAR (A)
1/27: TBL (A)
All-Star Break: 47 GP, 24 W, 20 L, 3 OTL (51 Pts -- 0.543 pt%)
Before Outdoor Game: After the All-Star game, we some winable games. But are not likely to get Hughes or Siegenthaler back for any of them. Good news is that we have only one back-to-back game. I think around six points from these seven games is realistic. [L, W, L, OTL, OTL, L, W]
2/6: COL (H)
2/8: CGY (H)
2/10: CAR (A)
2/12: SEA (H)
2/13: NSH (A)*
2/15: LAK (H)
2/17: PHI (H)
Through Outdoor Game: 54 GP, 26 W, 23 L, 5 OTL (57 Pts -- 0.528 pt%)
Through Pacific Coast Trip: Around this point in season, we should expect guys to start to return. Hopefully Hughes is back in mid-February and Siegenthaler towards end of month. At this point we will have 28 games remaining and we'd have to go around 18-9-2 to get to 95 points. Maybe things pick up and we get 10 points out of these next seven games [W, L, W, L, W, W, W]
2/20: WAS (A)
2/22: NYR (H)
2/24: MTL (H)
2/25: TBL (H)*
2/27: SJS (A)
3/1: ANA (A)
3/3: LAK (A)
Through Pacific Coast Trip: 61 GP, 31 W, 25 L, 5 OTL (67 Pts -- 0.549 pt%)
Through Trade Deadline: Following road trip out west, we will have a few days until March 8th trade deadline. If we are standing at 67 pts, we are probably just outside the playoffs in 9th or 10th in conference. The NYI were at similar spot last year. Lets say we continue hot streak and steal three points out of possible four before TDL [OTL, W]
3/5: FLA (H)
3/7: STL (H)
Through Trade Deadline: 63 GP, 32 W, 25 L, 6 OTL (70 Pts -- 0.556 pt%)
March: Not clearly in or out, I'm imagine we don't buy or sell, other than some minor moves. This would be the time we would have to grind. There are only four home games and three back-to-backs and one Atlantic trip and one western trip. Lets optimistically say twelve points in these eleven [W, L, L, W, L, W, L, W, L, W, W]
3/9: CAR (H)
3/11: NYR (A)
3/14: DAL (A)
3/16: ARI (A)
3/17: VGK (A)*
3/19: PIT (H)
3/20: WPG (H)*
3/23: OTT (H)
3/24: NYI (A)*
3/26: TOR (A)
3/29: BUF (A)
End of March: 74 GP, 38 W, 30 L, 6 OTL (82 Pts -- 0.554 pt%)
Final Stretch: At this point last year NYI (0.561), PIT (0.554) and FLA (0.534) were batting for the wild card spots. Florida went 6-1-1 and they went on their run. I think that would be the best case scenario. But more realistically, we end up claiming about nine points in final games. [W, L, W, L, W, L, W, OTL]
4/2: PIT (H)
4/3: NYR (A)*
4/6: OTT (A)
4/7: NSH (H)*
4/9: TOR (H)
4/11: TOR (A)
4/13: PHI (A)
4/15: NYI (H)
Final: We reach second wild card spot by tie-breaker with DET with standings below. Face Boston in 1st round.
Tm…..GP --- W --- L --- OTL - PTS
BOS….82 -- 52 -- 18 -- 12 -- 116
FLA…..82 -- 48 -- 27 --- 7 --- 103
TOR….82 -- 40 -- 28 -- 14 -- 94
TBL…..82 -- 41 -- 31 -- 10 -- 92
DET….82 -- 41 -- 32 --- 9 --- 91
BUF….82 -- 36 -- 39 --- 7 --- 79
MTL….82 -- 33 -- 38 -- 11 -- 77
OTT….82 -- 31 -- 46 --- 5 --- 67
Tm…..GP --- W --- L --- OTL - PTS
NYR….82 -- 50 -- 26 --- 6 --- 106
CAR….82 -- 46 -- 27 --- 9 --- 101
PHI…..82 -- 44 -- 28 -- 10 -- 98
NJD…..82 -- 42 -- 33 --- 7 --- 91
PIT…...82 -- 40 -- 32 -- 10 -- 90
NYI…..82 -- 38 -- 30 -- 14 -- 90
WSH…82 -- 40 -- 33 --- 9 --- 89
CBJ…..82 -- 26 -- 42 -- 14 -- 66
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