2012 NHL Playoff Projections - 10 Games To Play

With 72 games banked and 10 to play, the NHL playoff picture is all but set. The chart below projects final standings based on the points-per-game pace to date.

Projected 2012 NHL Playoff Picture: 72 Game Pace
EAST				WEST
Team	W	Pts	Pace	Team	W	Pts	Pace
1. NYR	45	97	1.35	1. STL	45	98	1.36
2. BOS	42	87	1.21	2. VAN	43	94	1.30
3. FLA	36	85	1.18	3. DAL	39	83	1.15
4. PIT	45	96	1.33	4. DET	44	92	1.28
5. PHI	42	92	1.28	5. NAS	42	92	1.28
6. NJD	41	87	1.21	6. CHI	39	86	1.19
7. OTT	37	84	1.17	7. SJS	36	82	1.14
8. WAS	36	78	1.08	8. LAK	35	82	1.14
9. WPG	34	76	1.05	9. COL	38	81	1.12
10. BUF	33	76	1.05	10. PHO	35	81	1.12
11. TOR	32	72	1.00	11. CGY	34	80	1.11
12. TBL	32	71	0.99	12. ANA	30	71	0.99
13. CAR	28	71	0.99	13. MIN	30	70	0.97
14. NYI	29	69	0.96	14. EDM	28	64	0.89
15. MTL	28	68	0.94	15. CLB	23	53	0.74

If teams maintain their 72 game pace the playoff points cutoff will be 89 (East) and 93 (West), a four point downturn from last year's 93 and 97, respectively. Substituting the 72 game pace for that of the past 10 games paints a slightly different playoff picture, as shown below.

Projected 2012 NHL Playoff Picture: 10 Game Pace
EAST				WEST
Team	W	Pts	Pace	Team	W	Pts	Pace
1. PIT	54	115	1.40	1. STL	52	113	1.38
2. FLA	42	98	1.19	2. VAN	46	102	1.24
3. OTT	42	97	1.18	3. DAL	46	98	1.19
4. PHI	50	109	1.33	4. NAS	48	105	1.28
5. NYR	49	106	1.29	5. DET	47	99	1.21
6. NJD	47	100	1.22	6. CHI	45	99	1.21
7. BOS	46	95	1.16	7. LAK	42	96	1.17
8. BUF	39	90	1.10	8. COL	45	95	1.16
9. WAS	41	89	1.08	9. CGY	40	93	1.13
10. WPG	39	87	1.06	10. SJS	39	91	1.11
11. CAR	33	83	1.01	11. PHO	38	89	1.08
12. TBL	37	82	1.00	12. ANA	33	78	0.95
13. TOR	35	79	0.96	13. MIN	32	75	0.91
14. MTL	32	78	0.95	14. EDM	31	72	0.88
15. NYI	32	78	0.95	15. CLB	28	63	0.77

The 10 game pace projections have Pittsburgh stealing the East's top spot from New York, Ottawa beating Boston for the Northeast Division title, and Buffalo bouncing Washington from postseason play. In the West, the top three seeds remain the same with Nashville displacing Detroit for home ice and Colorado taking the final playoff spot from San Jose.

Time will tell which pace prevails. Either way, Florida is poised to snap their league-leading playoff drought of 10 seasons, a list Toronto will top if they miss again this spring for the 7th consecutive season.

A harsh reality for the alleged hockey capital of the world.