New York Rangers playoff picture for Saturday

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 09: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers skates against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on January 09, 2020 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Devils 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 09: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers skates against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on January 09, 2020 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Devils 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 09: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers tends net against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 09, 2020 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Devils 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 09: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers tends net against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 09, 2020 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Devils 6-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

It was a quiet night for the New York Rangers playoff push.  None of their wild card rivals were in action so it was time for a break from scoreboard watching.

The New York Rangers pulled within two points of a wild card spot on Thursday night and with none of the teams contending for the wild card in action, that’s exactly where they are today. Tonight, that will change with the Rangers, Islanders, Columbus and Carolina all in action.

The playoff picture

The Rangers have a 33.7% chance of making the playoffs according to HockeyReference.com’s Playoff Probability Report.   Their odds of winning the Stanley Cup have increased to 1.9%.

According to The Athletic (subscription required) their odds are 31% and they show the Blueshirts falling just short with 92 points compared to 96 points for the Islanders and 94 points for the Hurricanes.

If the cards fall in the Rangers’ favor today, those odds could go up a bit.

Friday, there was only one game worth noting, the Maple Leafs contest in Anaheim.   Toronto dropped a 2-1 decision to the Ducks.  With the loss, they remain five points ahead of the Florida Panthers who have two games in hand.

Toronto is important for one big reason.  If they miss the playoffs along with the Hurricanes, then both of their first round draft picks will be lottery picks and the Rangers get the worse of the two as a result of the Brady Skjei trade.

The standings

Atlantic Div.  GP    W-L-OTL      PTS     RW
Boston            16     43-13-12     98     37
Tampa             15      42-20-5       89    34
Toronto           13     35-25-9        79     27
Met Div.         GP      W-L-OTL     PTS    RW
Washington   15      40-20-7       87     30
Philadelphia   15    40-20-7        87     30
Pittsburgh      16    39-21-6        84     28
Wild Card       GP       W-L-OTL     PTS   RW
Columbus       14     32-21-15     79     24
Islanders        16      35-23-8       78     24
Contenders   GR      W-L-OTL      PTS   RW
Rangers         15     65-27-4        76     30
Carolina          17    35-25-5        75    25
Florida            15    33-26-8        74     28
Montreal         14     31-29-9      71     19
Buffalo            15     29-30-8       66     22
New Jersey     15     27-28-12     66    21
Ottawa            14     24-32-12     60    18
Detroit             13     16-48-5       37     13

Key games Saturday

It’s a really big day for the Blueshirts and by the end of the day, the Rangers have a chance to supplant the Islanders in the last wild card spot. Even better, they could also be one point out of the first wild card spot.  The challenge is they have to win their home game against the New Jersey Devils.

Hurricanes @ Islanders – The good news is this game is a 1pm start time so we’ll know the result earlier.  The bad news is it isn’t easy to figure out who to root for.  Assuming that the Rangers win, if the Isles lose, they are out of the playoffs, replaced by the Blueshirts who will have the same points, but win the tiebreaker.  Carolina would remain one point behind the Rangers and Islanders.

The key question is which team is a bigger threat to the Rangers?  The Hurricanes with two games in hand, or the slumping Islanders.  Flip a coin.  one thing, please no overtime!

Blue Jackets @ Oilers  – This one is easy.  Root for the Oilers to win at home in a very big game for them.  A Columbus loss would leave them as few as one point ahead of the Blueshirts (if they win) with only 13 games left in the season.  Go Edmonton!

Canadiens @ Panthers – If the Panthers can win at home, they will draw within three points of the Maple Leafs with two games in hand.  Strictlyl important for the draft picks.  Go Habs.

Sabres @ Flyers – Not much to think about this game, as the Sabres are ten points below the Rangers and the Flyers are 11 points better.   Pick the Sabres for lottery purposes.

The lottery look

As far as the lottery goes, after a night like tonight in the roller coaster known as the Rangers’ season, there’s no need to even think about the lottery and the Blueshirts, but just in case, here is what happened.

As far as the lottery goes, there were some games worth noting.   In the first, the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks, the team we wanted to lose.

Winnipeg beat Vegas and that was the result we wanted.

There was no overtime in the Coyotes-Flames match and either team winning was okay with the Rangers.

The Canucks upset the Avalanche and that was good for the lottery look.

The standings (Worst is first)

Teams                  GR     W-L-OTL       PT    RW
1. Detroit             13    16-48-5        37     13  (E)
2. Los Angeles   15     26-35-6        58     18
3. Ottawa            14     24-32-12     60    18
4. San Jose          15     29-34-4        62    22
5. Anaheim         14     28-32-8        64    19
6. New Jersey     15     27-28-12     66    21
7. Buffalo            15     29-30-8        66     22
8.  Chicago          14     31-29-8        70     22
9. Montreal         14     31-29-9       71     19
10. Arizona          13   33-28-8         74     26
11.  Nashville      15    33-26-8        74     26
12. Florida           15    33-26-8        74     28
13. Minnesota    15    34-26-7        74     30
14. Carolina          17    35-25-5       75    25
15. Vancouver     15    35-26-6       76     27
16. Winnipeg      15    35-28-6        76     28
17. Rangers         15    65-27-4        76     30
18. Calgary           15    36-26-7       79     25
19. Islanders        16     35-23-8      78     24
20. Columbus      14     32-21-15    79     24
21. Toronto          13     35-25-9       79     27
22. Edmonton      14    36-24-8       80     30
23. Vegas              13    37-24-8       82     29
24. Dallas              15     37-22-8      82     26
25. Pittsburgh      16    39-21-6       84     28
26. Philadelphia   15    40-20-7       87     30
27. Washington   15     40-20-7      87     30
28. Colorado         15     40-19-8      88     36
29. Tampa             15      42-20-5      89    34

Second East Wild Card Cut Line:  78 points
Second West Wild Card Cut Line:  76 points
Playoff  teams in italics.
E= Eliminated from the playoffs

Here is who to root for in Saturday’s games for lottery purposes:

Predators @ Stars – Dallas has more points, so root for Nashville.

Wild @ Kings  – This is an easy one. Kings all the way.

Canadiens at Panthers – We still want the Panthers to finish ahead of Toronto, so pull for Florida.

Sabres @ Flyers –  The Sabres need points, go Flyers.

Blue Jackets @ Oilers – For lottery purposes, this is a toughie.  You would want the Blue Jackets to prevail.  Not a happy choice to have to make.

Schedule