Crunch time: A quick update on NYR playoff chances

Hello from Ottawa ladies and gents, hope you all enjoyed St. Patrick's day...

We're expecting the same lineup for the Blueshirts tonight as deployed in the 1-0 loss to the Sharks. So the scratches would be Dorsett, Falk, Diaz and Haggerty, and Talbot as the backup goaltender.

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As of this morning, the Rangers have a 71.1 chance of making the playoffs, according to SportsClubStats, a probability website that updates daily.

If the Rangers get two points against the Senators tonight---in regulation, OT or shootout---the odds rise as high as 79.4 percent.  Gaining just a point drops them to 69.5

Making the playoffs as just a wild card, however, sets up an unenviable challenge, facing either the Bruins or Penguins, who would have home-ice advantage, in the first round. For the Rangers, avoiding that early showdown, especially against Boston,  certainly appears to be a must.  

With the top nine Eastern Conference playoff contenders playing tonight, (counting the on-the-fringe Caps, at 74 points), this will all change by this point on Wednesday, and it sets up a massive matchup for the Rangers in Columbus on Friday.

The Blue Jackets first visit Montreal Thursday; the Rangers will practice and be waiting in Columbus. At that point, the Jackets will only have one game in hand.

Just guessing, but I estimate that the Rangers will need 93 points to make the playoffs. At 76 points currently, and with 13 games to play, that’s 17 out of a possible 26. 

So 8-4-1?  

A win tonight at Canadien Tire Center would move that to 7-4-1, or 15 out of a possible 24. Doable, but not easy.