2013 NHL Playoff Projections - 10 Games To Play

With 38 games banked and 10 to play, the NHL playoff picture is all but set. The chart below projects final standings based on the points-per-game pace to date.

Projected 2013 NHL Playoff Picture: 38 Game Pace
EAST				WEST
Team	W	Pts	Pace	Team	W	Pts	Pace
1. PIT	28	56	1.47	1. CHI	29	62	1.63
2. MTL	25	55	1.45	2. ANA	25	55	1.45
3. WAS	19	40	1.05	3. VAN	21	48	1.26
4. BOS	25	54	1.42	4. LAK	22	47	1.24
5. TOR	21	46	1.21	5. SJS	20	47	1.24
6. OTT	19	44	1.21	6. MIN	22	46	1.21
7. NYR	19	42	1.16	7. STL	22	46	1.21
8. NYI	18	40	1.05	8. DET	19	43	1.13
9. NJD	15	39	1.03	9. PHO	17	40	1.05
10. WPG	18	38	1.00	10. DAL	18	39	1.03
11. PHI	17	37	0.97	11. EDM	16	39	1.03
12. BUF	15	36	0.95	12. CLB	16	39	1.03
13. CAR	16	34	0.89	13. NAS	15	38	1.00
14. TBL	16	34	0.89	14. CGY	14	32	0.84
15. FLA	12	30	0.79	15. COL	12	29	0.76

If teams maintain their 38 game pace, the playoff points cutoff will be 50 (East) and 54 (West), respectively.  The shortened season has kept playoff races tight, with eight teams (New Jersey, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Phoenix, Dallas, Edmonton, Columbus) sitting within 4 points of a postseason slot with only 10 games to play. Don't be fooled by their proximity to the playoffs, however, as neither the 38 game pace nor 10 game pace suggests any of these eight will be skating past April 27th.

Projected 2013 NHL Playoff Picture: 10 Game Pace
EAST				WEST
Team	W	Pts	Pace	Team	W	Pts	Pace
1. PIT	36	72	1.50	1. CHI	35	75	1.56
2. BOS	33	71	1.48	2. VAN	29	64	1.33
3. WAS	26	55	1.14	3. ANA	29	64	1.33
4. MTL	31	68	1.42	4. SJS	28	64	1.33
5. TOR	27	61	1.27	5. LAK	28	60	1.25
6. NYR	24	54	1.12	6. STL	28	58	1.21
7. OTT	24	54	1.12	7. MIN	28	58	1.21
8. NYI	23	51	1.06	8. DET	25	55	1.14
9. PHI	22	49	1.02	9. CLB	22	52	1.08
10. BUF	20	48	1.00	10. EDM	21	50	1.04
11. NJD	17	46	0.96	11. PHO	21	50	1.04
12. WPG	21	44	0.92	12. DAL	23	49	1.02
13. TBL	20	43	0.96	13. NAS	19	48	1.00
14. FLA	17	40	0.83	14. CGY	17	38	0.79
15. CAR	17	36	0.75	15. COL	14	34	0.71

Both the 38 game pace and the 10 game pace projections yield the same playoff participants in each conference. In the West, Vancouver, San Jose and St. Louis each jump a spot in the final standings if the 10 game pace prevails displacing Anaheim, Los Angeles and Minnesota, respectively.  In the East, Boston edges Montreal for the Northeast Division title, and New York leapfrogs Ottawa.  Toronto appears poised to snap their league-leading playoff drought of 7 seasons, a list Edmonton will top if they miss again this spring for the 6th consecutive season.

For 16 teams the real season begins April 30th.  The remaining 14 clubs will have five long months to reflect on what could have been.