Playoff Percentages: Lightning, Islanders need a miracle
Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff race, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
Two of 16 playoff spots remain up for grabs after the Boston Bruins clinched their berth Tuesday, and barring a miracle, those spots are going to the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning - the former winners and the latter losers Tuesday - are still alive, but only barely, while the Carolina Hurricanes were officially eliminated after losing in Minnesota.
So #tblightning needs 3 regulation/OT wins plus either Toronto or Ottawa to lose final three. And #Isles now tied with TB (hold tiebreaker)
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) April 5, 2017
Here's what the math looks like in the Eastern Conference:
| Team | Result | Playoff Chances | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senators | W 2-0 | 97.6% | +5.3% |
| Islanders | W 2-1 (OT) | 2.9% | +0.5% |
| Maple Leafs | L 4-1 | 97.6% | -0.6% |
| Lightning | L 4-0 | 2% | -11.5% |
To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.