Are you ready for a potential play-in, Game 83 style of game that determines the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference?
It’s unlikely, but it could happen.
When you look at the NHL’s current rules for tiebreakers that determine seeding, you’ll notice that there’s only three current tiebreakers: regulation and OT wins (commonly referred to as ROW), points accumulated in a season’s series between the two teams (minus the first home game for the team that has the extra game), and lastly, goal differential.
If the teams are still equal after those three, then a tiebreaking game is needed to determine the seeding.
Looking at the standings, the Flyers occupy the second wild card spot with a record of 41-26-14 for 96 points in 81 games, while the Panthers have put together a 42-30-8 record for 92 points in 80 games. The teams are currently tied in ROW at 39, with Philly leading in goal differential at +3 compared to Florida’s -1.
The only way a tiebreaker game is possibly is if the Flyers loses Game 82 against the Rangers by two goals and Florida manages to win their final two games against the Sabres on Saturday and the Bruins on Sunday in shootouts.
Improbable, but not impossible. The game would be played on April 10th. Panthers fans have even pledged to donate to Henrik Lunqvist's foundation if the Rangers are able to defeat the Flyers on Saturday.
It would be pretty neat to see something like this become permanent in the sport, similar to what the MLB does with their wild cards scenarios. The intensity on a play-in game would have all the emotion of a playoff battle, with a ticket to the post-season on the line. Perhaps this could happen if the NHL decides to expand the playoffs given now that there's now 31 teams with 32 on the horizon.
We just hope the Flyers don’t grab a single vesus New York on Saturday, because we want to see this happen.
(h/t NHL.com)
