New York Rangers: The lottery standings scenarios
The New York Rangers have two games left this season. They can still finish anywhere from fourth to eighth place in the lottery standings.
The New York Rangers control their lottery destiny to some degree. Winning will mitigate the results of their lottery rivals. If they continue to lose, it will be in the hands of the other teams below and above them in the standings. Here are the scenarios:
- If they improbably win both of their final two games, they can finish from sixth to eighth in the lottery standings. They finish eighth if Edmonton and Anaheim lose. If one of those teams win, they finish seventh. If they both win, the Rangers are sixth.
- If the Blueshirts get three points in their last two games, they will finish sixth or seventh. If Edmonton can get one point in their last game, the Rangers finish sixth. Edmonton loses, they finish seventh.
- If they split the two games they will finish sixth.
- If they get one point in their last two games, they will finish fifth.
- If they lose both games, they can finish fourth or fifth. In order for them to drop to fourth place in the standings, Detroit and Buffalo must go to overtime on Saturday and it doesn’t matter which team wins. No overtime for those teams and the Rangers are fifth.
Confused?
Last night
Buffalo and Detroit are below the Rangers in the standings. The Sabres finally won a game last night, beating Ottawa 5-2. That pulled them to within a point of the Blueshirts. They have one game left, versus Detroit on Saturday.
The Red Wings lost 4-1 to the Penguins and remain one point worse than the Rangers. In order for them to pass New York, they have to win when they host the Sabres on Saturday in their season finale.
Edmonton lost 3-2 to the Sharks last night. They are two points ahead of New York in the standings and own the ROW tiebreaker. One point gained by Edmonton or lost by the Rangers will put them out of reach. Their last game is yet another “battle of Alberta” with the Flames on Saturday in Calgary.
The standings (Worst is first)
Teams GR W-L-OTL PTS ROW
1. *Ottawa 1 29-46-6 64 29
2. *Los Angeles 2 30-40-9 69 27
3. *New Jersey 1 30-41-10 70 27
4. Buffalo 1 32-39-10 74 27
5. Detroit 1 32-39-10 74 29
6. Rangers 2 31-36-13 75 25
7. Edmonton 1 34-38-9 77 31
8. Anaheim 1 34-37-10 78 30
9. *Vancouver 1 35-36-10 80 29
10. *Chicago 2 35-33-12 82 32
11. *Philadelphia 1 37-36-8 82 34
12. *Minnesota 1 37-35-9 83 36
13. *Florida 1 36-33-12 84 33
14. *Arizona 1 39-34-8 86 35
15. *Montreal 1 43-30-8 94 41
Asterisk means the Rangers cannot pass them in the standings.
Second East Wild Card Cut Line: 94 points
Second West Wild Card Cut Line: Playoff teams set
Who to root for
Does anyone want the John Tortorella and the Blue Jackets to come to New York and clinch a playoff spot? Okay, for lottery purposes, who cares, but for self respect we want a decent showing from the Rangers. If anything, it would be a message for future (?) Ranger Artemi Panarin about the competitiveness of the team.
And get this, the Blue Jackets will face either the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Washington Capitals in the first round. Columbus has never won a playoff round and it doesn’t look good for them this year either.
There is one big game for the lottery standings other than the Blueshirts match-up with Columbus. That’s it for games that matter to Ranger fans.
Kings @ Ducks – Anaheim was idle last night and conclude their season tonight hosting the Kings. A win for Anaheim and they clinch eighth place in lottery standings and guarantee a finish for the Rangers below them. After a total collapse, the Ducks have played well down the stretch. They have not beaten the Kings this season so they have pride to play for in front of a hometown crowd.
Next. Making a move for Adam Fox. dark
The season concludes with 15 games on Saturday. While most of the playoff match-ups are set, the lottery standings are not and the Buffalo-Detroit game is a big one.