February 21 Seattle Kraken Playoff Chase Update

It's been a mixed bag this week not only for the Seattle Kraken, but also for the teams bunched up with them in the Western Conference wild card race.

While Seattle was earning one standings point Monday with a 4-3 OT loss to Detroit, the Minnesota Wild were scoring seven 3rd period goals to blow by Vancouver, 10-7. Yet Tuesday, the Wild were doubled up by Winnipeg, 6-3.

Also on Monday, the St. Louis Blues dropped a 4-2 decision to Toronto, while the Calgary Flames beat the Jets, 6-3. Tuesday, the Nashville Predators went into Vegas and upset the Golden Knights, 5-3. (You can't count on help from anybody.)

So as of Wednesday morning, this is how the race for "WC2" stands.

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 first chart provides an easy comparison between the Kraken, the team currently occupying "WC 2," and the teams closest to the Kraken "in the hunt."

Categories

"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 can see, estimates widely vary. Remember, this is for entertainment purposes only.