February 23 Seattle Kraken Playoff Chase Update

The Kraken have inched up their playoff possibilities after Thursday's impressive 5-2 victory over the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks at Climate Pledge Arena.

However, they didn't get help in out-of-town games. Fellow wild card contenders also won their games - Blues over Islanders, 4-0, Flames over Bruins, 3-2 in OT, and Predators 4-1 over Kings.

Seattle, which leapfrogged Minnesota by one point with Thursday's win, host the Wild Saturday in a crucial "four-point game" for playoff positioning.

The top three teams in each NHL division qualify for the playoffs. Of all the remaining teams in each conference, the top two also earn playoff berths. These teams are known as "Wild Card 1" and "Wild Card 2."

For now, we'll focus on the Western Conference Wild Card 2 race, as that appears the most likely way for Seattle to squeeze into the post-season.

The above chart provides a comparison between the Kraken, the team currently occupying "WC 2," and the teams closest to the Kraken "in the hunt."

Chart Categories Explained

"Regulation Wins" matters (as opposed to overtime or shootout wins), because if teams end up with the same number of points, regulation wins is the first tie-breaker.

"Games Remaining" show how many points a team can still potentially earn (2x number of games). A related term is "games in hand." If Team A has 20 games remaining and Team B has 18 games left, Team A has "two games in hand."

"Last 10 Results" is useful as an indicator of how contending teams are trending.

"Strength of Schedule" refers to the combined winning percentage of a team's remaining opponents. In this category, a lower number is better - but no guarantee.

Odds Of Making Playoffs

Many online sports sites have developed formulas for determining the likelihood a team will reach the post-season. As you'll see, estimates widely vary. Remember, this is for entertainment purposes only.