NHL playoff standings: Will the Capitals get the wild card?
Typically when one thinks of a playoff contender, one would imagine that this team would have a strong goal differential. Certainly not minus-30.
But, the Washington Capitals have continued to be one of the NHL’s most enigmatic clubs this season, and despite being on the wrong side of that lopsided statistic, they remain very much in the mix for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Heading into tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames (8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network), the Caps are one point behind the Detroit Red Wings, with a two-game regulation win advantage and two games in hand. They are tied with the New York Islanders in standings points, but they have a five-game regulation win advantage and have a game in hand.
Beyond the matchup against Calgary, the club heads back to D.C. for a challenging gauntlet that might tell us ultimately where they are headed: They’ll host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday, the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, then the Red Wings on Tuesday, March 26. Of their remaining 16 games, 11 are against teams currently in playoff position, and they also have two against the Buffalo Sabres, who are after the wild card as well.
So the odds seem to be stacked against them. But perhaps they’ll continue to abide by the “never tell me the odds” credo and pull this off.
As we traverse the final stretch of the regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2024 NHL draft lottery.
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