"The Stanley Cup playoffs are no stranger to Cinderella teams; the Florida Panthers were the final team in the postseason in 2023 -- and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Do any of this season's potential wild cards have such a run in them?"
"The Boston Bruins hold the East's first wild-card spot heading into Monday's game against the New Jersey Devils. If they finish in that position, they'll take on the division champ with the lower point total."
"Among the Bruins, Red Wings and Blue Jackets, Columbus has the highest chances of making the second round (57.0%), conference"
As the NHL regular season approaches its final month, wild-card positioning becomes critical for playoff contention. The Boston Bruins currently hold the East's first wild-card spot and face the New Jersey Devils on Monday. The Detroit Red Wings occupy the second wild-card position, while the Columbus Blue Jackets trail closely behind. Historical matchups between these teams and potential first-round opponents—including the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes—reveal varying competitive dynamics. The Florida Panthers' 2023 journey from final wild-card to Stanley Cup Final demonstrates that lower-seeded teams can achieve remarkable postseason success. Columbus shows the highest probability of advancing to the second round among the three wild-card contenders.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]