Rangers' magic number is now 8
Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, left, celebrates with defenseman Marc Staal at the end of a shutout victory over Boston. (Mar. 26, 2011) Credit: AP
After winning six out of their last seven games, the Rangers are five points ahead of ninth-place Carolina, two points ahead of ninth-place Buffalo and two points behind sixth-place Montreal (with a game in hand). Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to 8. Any combination of eight points gained by the Rangers or lost by the ninth-place team would guarantee them a postseason spot, regardless of tiebreakers.
With six games left, the Rangers could guarantee themselves a playoff spot by going 4-2-0 or 3-1-2 the rest of the way.
Below is a look at the standings and the games remaining for the Rangers, Hurricanes and Sabres as the three teams battle for positioning.
| EASTERN CONFERENCE | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS |
| 1 | Philadelphia | 76 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 102 |
| 2 | Washington | 77 | 44 | 22 | 11 | 99 |
| 3 | Boston | 76 | 43 | 23 | 10 | 96 |
| 4 | Pittsburgh | 77 | 45 | 24 | 8 | 98 |
| 5 | Tampa Bay | 76 | 41 | 24 | 11 | 93 |
| 6 | Montreal | 77 | 41 | 29 | 7 | 89 |
| 7 | Rangers | 76 | 41 | 30 | 5 | 87 |
| 8 | Buffalo | 76 | 38 | 29 | 9 | 85 |
| Outside looking in | ||||||
| 9 | Carolina | 76 | 36 | 30 | 10 | 82 |
| 10 | Toronto | 77 | 35 | 32 | 10 | 80 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 76 | 32 | 32 | 12 | 76 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 75 | 34 | 36 | 5 | 73 |
GAMES REMAINING (key games in italics)
Buffalo (6)
Rangers, Washington, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Columbus.
Carolina (6)
Montreal, Islanders, Buffalo, Detroit, Atlanta, Tampa Bay.
Rangers (6)
Buffalo, Islanders, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, New Jersey.
TRAGIC NUMBERS
A team's tragic number decreases when they fail to gain a point or when the eighth place team adds a point. When the number reaches zero, the team is eliminated from playoff contention.
Carolina - 10
Toronto - 6
Atlanta - 4
New Jersey - 3
Islanders - ELIMINATED
Florida - ELIMINATED
Ottawa - ELIMINATED
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