All teams and factors
No team in this race has more than 18 games remaining on the regular season slate. March is the last full month of the regular season, and we’re really starting to see the playoff picture take shape. However, there’s still enough action left for a good range of teams to have a chance.
Most of the teams in this race are from the Metro, with two from the Atlantic also. Those teams from the Metro include the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers.
The two teams from the Atlantic are the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings. It’s hard to argue that the Panthers are not the hottest team of the bunch, and they have the most games remaining. But we can focus on that later.
This will be a tight and entertaining race down the stretch. Obviously, the amount of games remaining and points so far are two of the most important factors in determining the percentages. Also, the strength of the teams of late, and the recent history in clutch time are significant factors.