Wednesday, April 10, 2013

2013 NHL Playoff Projections - 10 Games To Play

With 38 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 2013 NHL Playoff Picture: 38 Game Pace
EASTWEST
TeamW Pts Pace TeamW Pts Pace
1. PIT28561.471. CHI29621.63
2. MTL25551.452. ANA25551.45
3. WAS19401.053. VAN21481.26
4. BOS25541.424. LAK22471.24
5. TOR21461.215. SJS20471.24
6. OTT19441.216. MIN22461.21
7. NYR19421.167. STL22461.21
8. NYI18401.058. DET19431.13
9. NJD15391.039. PHO17401.05
10. WPG18381.0010. DAL18391.03
11. PHI17370.9711. EDM16391.03
12. BUF15360.9512. CLB16391.03
13. CAR16340.8913. NAS15381.00
14. TBL16340.8914. CGY14320.84
15. FLA12300.7915. COL12290.76
If teams maintain their 38 game pace, the playoff points cutoff will be 50 (East) and 54 (West), respectively.  The shortened season has kept playoff races tight, with eight teams (New Jersey, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Phoenix, Dallas, Edmonton, Columbus) sitting within 4 points of a postseason slot with only 10 games to play. Don't be fooled by their proximity to the playoffs, however, as neither the 38 game pace nor 10 game pace suggests any of these eight will be skating past April 27th.


Projected 2013 NHL Playoff Picture: 10 Game Pace
EASTWEST
TeamW Pts Pace TeamW Pts Pace
1. PIT36721.501. CHI35751.56
2. BOS33711.482. VAN29641.33
3. WAS26551.143. ANA29641.33
4. MTL31681.424. SJS28641.33
5. TOR27611.275. LAK28601.25
6. NYR24541.126. STL28581.21
7. OTT24541.127. MIN28581.21
8. NYI23511.068. DET25551.14
9. PHI22491.029. CLB22521.08
10. BUF20481.0010. EDM21501.04
11. NJD17460.9611. PHO21501.04
12. WPG21440.9212. DAL23491.02
13. TBL20430.9613. NAS19481.00
14. FLA17400.8314. CGY17380.79
15. CAR17360.7515. COL14340.71
Both the 38 game pace and the 10 game pace projections yield the same playoff participants in each conference. In the West, Vancouver, San Jose and St. Louis each jump a spot in the final standings if the 10 game pace prevails displacing Anaheim, Los Angeles and Minnesota, respectively.  In the East, Boston edges Montreal for the Northeast Division title, and New York leapfrogs Ottawa.  Toronto appears poised to snap their league-leading playoff drought of 7 seasons, a list Edmonton will top if they miss again this spring for the 6th consecutive season.

For 16 teams the real season begins April 30th.  The remaining 14 clubs will have five long months to reflect on what could have been.

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