End of the day the East playoffs are going to be the same as last year save us making it and the Islanders missing.
I'm not completely sold on Boston, but they SHOULD probably make it.
A week ago after the Thanksgiving playoff spot talk I said the East playoffs would be the same 8 teams that were currently in a spot, thought seedings/positioning may change, but that I could see Buffalo making a run and taking Boston's spot.
I no longer see Buffalo having the ability to take that spot. At least not right now.
I think this will probably be a one and done for Travis Green in Ottawa, unless they somehow make the playoffs in the end (doubtful right now) or play well enough for the last 2/3rds of the remaining season to just barely miss. I think they'll rectify that mistake at year's end, unless they make it or just barely miss, but at the current point pace he's probably out after a year.
Pittsburgh could wind up finishing higher than they're on pace for, they did just win 4 in a row before last night. I don't think they'll finish near the bottom of the east, but I don't think they'll make the playoffs either.
I said at that same time that Edmonton would wind up making the playoffs. They weren't in a spot at Thanksgiving, but they're now in the second wild card. Colorado should be in with Calgary out by season's end.
The Flyers cannot lose that game if they want to be a serious team.
I'm not at all sold on them. Won't be fooled again. Last year they had decent underlying numbers though, this year they do not and they hardly have any regulation wins. And their goaltending numbers are very 21-22 Devils-esque last I looked.
Again, hiring Torts/keeping him as head coach for the rebuild might be the worst thing to happen to them. It's just keeping them a mid team rather than a bottom feeder.