Playoff Percentages: Lightning crashing
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.
The Washington Capitals became the first team to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with their win Saturday, and in the process dealt an enormous blow to a potentially dangerous opening-round opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tampa's second consecutive loss in regulation has seen its postseason odds cut in half over the space of 48 hours. Though it could have been much worse, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Islanders only managed one point apiece in their games.
Here's a look at the rest of the postseason picture after Saturday's action:
Eastern Conference
| Team | Result | Playoff Chances | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruins | idle | 90.0% | +2.3% |
| Maple Leafs | L 2-1 (OT) vs. Blackhawks | 62.8% | +1.4% |
| Islanders | L 3-2 (OT) vs. Blue Jackets | 25.1% | +1.5% |
| Lightning | L 5-3 vs. Capitals | 19.5% | -7.6% |
Western Conference
| Team | Result | Playoff Chances | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | W 2-0 vs. Kings | 99.4% | +0.5% |
| Blues | W 3-0 vs. Coyotes | 97.6% | +2.3% |
| Predators | L 4-2 vs. Hurricanes | 89.6% | -4.5% |
| Kings | idle | 18.2% | +0.6% |
To see percentages for the entire NHL, visit Sports Club Stats.
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