Eastern Conference Wild Card Race is Embarrassing

[Golden_Jet]

Guess OP doesn’t know how to read standings . Top teams over 100 points, next 3 are close, that’s why a bigger spread.
West has zero teams over 100. So closer bunching.
NYI never had 5-6 games in hand over any of those teams.

 

[General Disarray]

All these teams are afraid of Boston so are deliberately trying to lose their spot.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

“NYI is pacing for 93 pts, while Pittsburgh is pacing for 92 pts, which is the lowest total of an Eastern 8th place playoff team in the 'Wild Card' era and lowest since 2012 when the Sens made it with 92 (not including lockout/covid seasons). On average, the last Wild Card team has had around 95-97 pts most years, in fact last season Washington had a whopping 100 pts in that spot”

You think having 2 less points than average is noteworthy????

 

[AvroArrow]

That'll give the Lightning an unfair advantage in round 2.

They'll need it without going 20M over

 

[Super Fadio Bro]

It’s a bit better than last year’s “race”.

 

[Pens x]

Mike Sullivan and Ron Hextall are doing everything in their power to sabotage the Penguins.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

The west does have a better 7 seed than the east, but the teams fighting for the 8 seed out west are no better. Maybe the eastern wildcard contenders just have a tougher schedule.

There's only really a handful of teams that are actually playing well going into the playoffs. Not really sure why the East's wild card teams are being singled out for it.

 

[SEALBound]

Watch the Pens ruin the Bruins and the Islanders take the wind out of the Canes sails.

 

[tarheelhockey]

OP isn’t wrong, but the Western Conference race looks no better. Seems like nobody wants to be the one to make it.

 

[Sky04]

"Not a single winning record" from teams who are in the middle of the pack competing for a spot on the middle of the pack, if they had winning records they'd be higher genius.

 

[ThePsychicSaw]

No, I want someone to beat up old man Bergeron and Krejci

what is your avatar and where can I find more pics within its theme? killer

 

[Rodgerwilco]

What a profoundly odd take. Seems like OP just wants to stretch to take a stab at the eastern conference lol.

 

[Salsa Shark]

Islanders whooped the Devils last night, strange timing.

 

[John Mandalorian]

It's like this in the Central. Jets are 5 points up. Then you look at Nashville having 2 games in hand. If they win those 2, they'll chase them down, right? Then you look at their last 10 and their both around .500 and you realize winning two in a row is hardly a certainty.

If so many teams weren't actively tanking, the season would look a lot different. There wouldn't be as many "easy" points and you might also have a better pool of wild card teams.

 

[AvroArrow]

what is your avatar and where can I find more pics within its theme? killer

I made it bro, I was trying to do a white walker theme

 

[BigEezyE22]

Looking at the 'battle' for the Wild Card spots this year in the East has been like watching a bunch of uncoordinated drunks stumbling around trying to win at musical chairs. It seems like no team aside from maybe the Islanders can just get the job done down the stretch and pull away, continuously embarrassing themselves over and over again.

NYI is pacing for 93 pts, while Pittsburgh is pacing for 92 pts, which is the lowest total of an Eastern 8th place playoff team in the 'Wild Card' era and lowest since 2012 when the Sens made it with 92 (not including lockout/covid seasons). On average, the last Wild Card team has had around 95-97 pts most years, in fact last season Washington had a whopping 100 pts in that spot.

When you look at the other teams in the 'race', they have also been pathetic in crunch time. At one point it looked like the Islanders were in serious danger of falling out, with Barzal getting hurt bad (he's still not skating), and teams like Ottawa, Washington, Florida, Buffalo and Detroit all having 5-6 games in hand and being only a couple of points behind. Despite this, they've all stumbled hilariously while NYI has managed to go on a bit of a run and stay ahead of the pack (7-3-1 in March). Florida actually made it into a playoff spot, only to follow it up with a 4 game losing streak (all regulation too). Ottawa was within striking distance, then Dorion thought he had big dick energy and got Chychrun and they've pretty much sucked since. Buffalo looked like they were finally gonna break the drought but goaltending and D let them down spectacularly while they also faced some bad injuries. Detroit was overperforming their underlying numbers and eventually resigned to the fact that this is another failed season and they may as well tank the rest of the way. Washington is old and injured.

Records in March
Pittsburgh: 6-6-1
Florida: 6-5-1
Washington: 5-5-2
Ottawa: 6-7-1
Buffalo: 4-7-3
Detroit: 3-8-1

Not a single winning record and a combined record of 30-38-9 for all these teams fighting for that last spot Can any of the other drunks supplant Pittsburgh or will Pittsburgh be the one that successfully falls backwards into the playoffs?

Shame the Pens couldn't play Colorado more.

Sabres are 18-12-2 against the West. Pitt 18-11-0

WPG 13-17-0 vs the East

Pens are 5-0 against SCF finalists.

 

[Grifter3511]

Is a difference of 3-5 loser points that significant?

 

[GRob83]

It took 72 games for Washington to have Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Wilson, Oshie and Carlson in the lineup at the same time. They traded away Johansson, Orlov, Hathaway, Eller and Gustafsson. It was clear in January that the train was de-railing and that the season was lost so this is no surprise.

 

[Suntouchable13]

It's like this in the Central. Jets are 5 points up. Then you look at Nashville having 2 games in hand. If they win those 2, they'll chase them down, right? Then you look at their last 10 and their both around .500 and you realize winning two in a row is hardly a certainty.

If so many teams weren't actively tanking, the season would look a lot different. There wouldn't be as many "easy" points and you might also have a better pool of wild card teams.

But Bettman said teams don’t tank. Now you’re saying there are so many teams tanking. Bettman lied to us!

 

[Sun God Nika]

Jinx thread will lead to wild card 2 Pittsburgh penguins winning the cup

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Bruins should just get a bye to the second round

honestly yeah. People will quote CBJ upsetting TBL Pres trophy a few years back but that CBJ team was much better than their record after loading up at the deadline. This year's wildcards are a joke. 2nd rounds in the East will be a lot of fun though

Islanders whooped the Devils last night, strange timing.

if you read the post though he's mostly talking about the race for wildcard 2 and acknowledges the Isles have been much better and separated from the pack a bit despite significant injuries...

 

[Salsa Shark]

honestly yeah. People will quote CBJ upsetting TBL Pres trophy a few years back but that CBJ team was much better than their record after loading up at the deadline. This year's wildcards are a joke. 2nd rounds in the East will be a lot of fun though


if you read the post though he's mostly talking about the race for wildcard 2 and acknowledges the Isles have been much better and separated from the pack a bit despite significant injuries...

Guilty!

 

[KeyserSoze81]

Mediocre teams are too mediocre these days.

 

[keglu]

To be fair Western conference race is not much batter with Nashville, Winnipeg and Calgary "competing" for last spot.

 

[2014nyr]

maybe you missed the tallest midget contest going on in the west for the wc spots? this ain't a one conference issue