The lottery standings picture is coming into focus for the New York Rangers. After last nights action, the Blueshirts can finish anywhere from fourth to eighth place as two more teams were eliminated from contention with New York.
When the New York Rangers lost to the Ottawa Senators it meant that Blueshirts will not be able to catch the Chicago Blackhawks or Vancouver Canucks.
Anaheim did the Rangers a huge favor by beating first place Calgary 3-1. With the win, they have 78 points, three more than the Blueshirts.  Anaheim needs one point in its one remaining game to definitely finish better than the Rangers.  Similarly, one point lost by the Rangers in their last two games will accomplish the same thing.
Anaheim has lost only three of their last ten and are now in eighth place in the lottery standings. The Ducks and Red Wings are the opposite of the Buffalo Sabres, teams that are finishing strong, damaging their lottery standings. Good for them.
The Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are still ahead of the Rangers in the lottery standings. Edmonton remains two points worse. All four teams have two games remaining with some key games tonight.  Buffalo looks like they will clinch fourth place overall, while the red hot Red Wings still have a shot at passing the Rangers.
If the Rangers lose to Columbus and Pittsburgh, they are guaranteed to finish sixth place or as low as fourth.
The standings (Worst is first)
Teams          GR   W-L-OTL  PTS  ROW
1. *Ottawa       2   29-45-6   64   29
2. *Los Angeles   2   30-40-9    69  27
3. *New Jersey    2   30-40-10  70   27
4. Buffalo        2   31-39-10  72   26
5. Detroit        2   32-38-10   74   29
6. Rangers       2   31-36-13  75   25
7.  Edmonton     2   34-37-9   77   31
8. Anaheim       1   34-37-10  78   30
9. *Vancouver    2   35-35-10  80   29
10. *Chicago      2  35-33-12   82   32
11. *Minnesota   2  37-34-9    83   36
12. *Philadelphia  2   37-35-8    82   34
13. *Florida       2   36-32-12  84   33
14. *Arizona      2   38-34-8   84   34
15. *Montreal     2   43-29-8   94   41
Asterisk means the Rangers cannot pass them in the standings.
Second East Wild Card Cut Line:Â Â 94 points
Second West Wild Card Cut Line:Â Â 88 points
Who to root for
It’s a very busy night with 12 games in the NHL. By the end of the last game, a lot could be determined when it comes to playoff standings and wild card contention. In the East, three teams (Montreal, Carolina & Columbus) are all still fighting for two playoff slots, separated by one point.
In the West, Arizona is on the verge of elimination, while first place in the Central Division is still very much up in the air. Winnipeg, Nashville and St. Louis are one point apart. Ranger fans should root for the Predators and the Blues to drop the Jets into third place as that could improve the first round pick the Rangers acquired from the Jets.
When it comes to the lottery, there are three games Ranger fans should follow.
Red Wings @ Penguins – This is the big one. If Detroit wins, they jump ahead of the Rangers in the lottery standings into sixth place. If the Rangers can finish in fifth place, they are pretty much guaranteed a top seven pick and would have a 34.5% shot at a top five pick. Sixth place means a 23.3% shot at a pick in the top five. Pittsburgh is still fighting for home ice in their first round matchup with the Islanders so they will have a lot to play for.
Sharks @ Oilers – A win for Edmonton puts them out of reach of the Rangers and guarantees a top six finish for the Blueshirts.  Basically two points gained by Edmonton or lost by the Rangers will guarantee that. The Sharks are locked into second place in the Pacific Division and have lost two in a row. They don’t want to be stumbling into the post-season, so they will play hard.
Senators @ Sabres – Let’s hope that Ottawa is hungover from their win at the Garden and lose to the Sabres. A Buffalo win will pull them within a point of New York and they own the tiebreaker. They end their season Saturday against Detroit. The Senators have nothing to play for except pride.
The Rangers are back in action on Friday night at the Garden versus a motivated Columbus team. If Montreal can come out of their game with the Capitals with a point, they will knock the Blue Jackets out of the playoffs. If the Canadiens lose, the Jackets could clinch a wild card spot Friday night. They will be motivated.
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