As the regular season comes to a close and playoff season approaches, eliminations and clinches are happening every day. With eight teams already eliminated, both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders are running out of time to clinch their spot.
The teams currently eliminated are, the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Boston Bruins.
On the other hand, the teams that have already qualified for the playoffs are, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Knights, and the L.A. Kings.
The New York Rangers are at risk of falling short of playoff contention. The team is fighting for the second wild-card spot, but they currently are six points behind the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens currently have an easier schedule than the Rangers, making their push towards a playoff spot much easier than the Rangers’ potential. With only 36 wins and 34 losses, the Rangers have only five more games to improve its statistics and push for the playoffs. Depending on the performance of the Rangers versus the performance of the Canadiens, the second wild-card spot could end up with either team.
The New York Islanders are also in a similar position as the Rangers, with 34 wins and 32 losses; they fall one point behind the Rangers in the Metropolitan Division. Statistics show that the chances of the Islanders receiving a wild card and getting a spot in the playoffs remain extremely low, and highly unlikely, but have not yet hit zero. The Islanders currently stand with 78 points, lower than their competitors for a playoff spot, such as the Ottawa Senators (90), the Montreal Canadiens (85), Detroit Red Wings (79) and New York Rangers (79). Their chances remain low, but with six games left in the regular season, they have and continue to fight for a spot.
There are only a few spots remaining in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and it’s yet to be determined who will fill the final six. Can either the Rangers or Islanders take over those few spots, or will they come up short of playoff contention?
