Ducks’ clinch scenario
Anaheim can clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Vancouver Canucks in any fashion, according to the league’s published clinching scenarios. That makes their upcoming matchup a simple mathematical trigger: one victory seals their spot. (nhl.com)
Anaheim’s playoff math was simple on Sunday: beat Vancouver, and the Ducks were in. They did not get it done. (nhl.com) The National Hockey League’s published scenarios for April 12 said Anaheim would clinch a berth with any win over the Canucks, whether in regulation, overtime or a shootout. The game was set for 8 p.m. Eastern on April 12 at Honda Center. (nhl.com) Vancouver beat Anaheim 4-3 in overtime on April 12 after Marco Rossi scored the winner with 9.5 seconds left in the extra period. The loss left the Ducks at 42-32-6 and 90 points. (espn.com) Anaheim still held third place in the Pacific Division after the loss, but the margin was thin. The Associated Press game recap carried by ESPN listed Vegas at 91 points, Edmonton at 90 and Anaheim at 90, with Los Angeles at 87. (espn.com) That one-game trigger mattered because Anaheim is trying to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. The Ducks had entered April 12 with a direct path: one win against the last-place Canucks would end the wait. (nhl.com) The stakes were higher because Anaheim had just stopped a six-game slide with a 6-1 win over San Jose on April 11. National Hockey League.com said that result put the Ducks back on the verge of clinching with three games left. (nhl.com) Instead, the Ducks extended a rough stretch to seven losses in eight games, going 1-5-2 over that span. National Hockey League.com said after Sunday’s game that Anaheim could still secure a playoff spot with a win at Minnesota on Tuesday, April 14. (nhl.com) The format behind the scenario is straightforward: the top three teams in each division qualify, plus two wild cards in each conference. Anaheim’s immediate target is to stay inside the Pacific Division’s top three rather than leave its season to other results. (nhl.com) Sunday’s miss was especially costly because Vancouver brought the Western Conference’s worst record into the game. ESPN’s recap listed the Canucks at 56 points, 17 fewer than Calgary, the next-closest team above them. (espn.com) So the Ducks’ clinch scenario was as clean as playoff races get: win one home game, punch the ticket. Now the same chase moves to Minnesota, with no berth sealed yet. (nhl.com)
