NHL playoff tiers released
The Athletic’s latest playoff tiers map out where every NHL team stands down the stretch — the piece is a granular snapshot of contenders, dark horses and lottery‑bound clubs. (nytimes.com) Notably, the Los Angeles Kings are clinging to a playoff spot with a middling.522 points percentage — a statistical oddity for teams that typically qualify. (nytimes.com)
The Athletic’s staff placed seven teams in its top “it’s a lock” tier: Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. (rantsports.com)) That same Athletic grouping put the Los Angeles Kings in the “bubble team” tier alongside Boston, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, Seattle, Ottawa and San Jose. (rantsports.com)) Official standings show the Kings at 28‑24‑16 through 68 games with 72 points, a.529 points percentage, 183 goals for, 205 goals against and a minus‑22 goal differential. (nhl.com)) Published coverage noted a slightly lower.522 points percentage in The Athletic/NYT writeup, a difference that reflects timing and source methodology versus the NHL’s standings snapshot dated March 21. (nytimes.com)) Projection models diverge: MoneyPuck’s simulation gave the Kings roughly a 52% chance to make the playoffs, BetMGM’s market priced them at about –160 to reach the postseason, and PlayoffStatus shows the team carrying measurable, seed‑specific odds across the wild‑card slots. (moneypuck.com)) The Athletic emphasized the compressed nature of the stretch run — roughly 26 days left in the regular season and most clubs with 15 or fewer games remaining — a calendar that raises the value of single wins for bubble teams like Los Angeles. (rantsports.com))
