Teams Mathematically Eliminated:
CBJ - March 12th
MTL - March 16th
OTT - March 17th
BUF - March 21st
PIT - March 22nd
NJD - March 23rd
NYI - March 24th
DET - March 26th
As it turned out, the Rangers did more than enough last night and have qualified for the playoffs
Rangers can potentially add two more teams to the elimination pile tonight:
If NYR win and OTT lose in any way
If NYR lose in OT/SO and OTT lose in regulation
If NYR win and MTL lose in regulation
With a Rangers win and a Canadiens loss Saturday the blue shirts mathematically eliminated Montreal
Third team added to the list, Ottawa can no longer mathematically catch the NYR
Win 2 points tonight over Winnipeg and a Devils OT/SO or regulation loss to the Penguins, and the Rangers will make it mathematically impossible for the Devils to catch them this season
Rangers didn't eliminate the Devils on Tuesday, but have another chance to do so tonight, with a win and a Devils loss (of any type), or an OT/SO loss and a regulation loss for NJD
Rangers can eliminate the Sabres tonight if the Rangers win, or if the Sabres lose in regulation or if both teams lose in OT/SO
Add Buffalo to the list, and the Devils are just 1 point away (either gained by the Rangers, or lost by the Devils. Pittsburgh too is only 2 points away.
Canes win in OT...can't get rid of these guys
Rangers eliminated the Penguins on Friday night, courtesy of a Pittsburgh loss. Next up is the Devils
Add Devils to the heap of teams that can't catch the Rangers despite their being 12 games left.
Just need 1 more for the Islanders, and 2 more for Detroit
So the Devils beat the Isles today, and that means the Islanders playoff hopes take a hit...and they also can no longer catch the Rangers
Sweet.
Updated Magic Numbers for:
1st Round Home Ice: 3 points - they have to eliminate WSH, which can get a max of 103 points, with the Rangers winning the first tie-breaker
Metro Title: 16 points - Carolina can now get a maximum of 115 points (if they win out). Rangers have 100 already, so would need 16 to guarantee the title
Eastern Conference Title: 18 points - Both Florida and Boston can still get to 117 points and could theoretically get the first tie breaker, though Boston has 6 fewer wins...so that would seem unlikely for them. Florida has 2 fewer wins, so they're a bit closer
President's Trophy: 19 points - Vancouver can still get to 118 points, and are 3 wins behind the NYR, so currently are second in terms of potential points. Dallas, Boston, Colorado and Florida (117) come next, and then Carolina (115) and Edmonton (114) are all still somewhat in the hunt too. Toronto (111) and Nashville (110) probably too little given the number of teams in front of them.
Rangers can clinch home ice for the first round tonight if:
WSH lose in regulation and NYR at least get to OT
WSH lose in OT/SO and NYR win
With 8 games remaining, the Rangers now have 104 points, and a 3 point lead in both the Metro and Eastern Conference.
Magic Numbers:
Metro Title: 12
Eastern Conference Title: 12
President's trophy: 14
Also worth noting that the Rangers lead the first tie-breaker (Wins) by 3 at the moment, so it'll be harder for many of the teams chasing them