2017 MRFHL Playoff Clinching Scenarios

As we head in to the final weekend of the MRFHL season, we have a few close matchups that could decide who is in, who is out, who is at home and who wins divisions and conferences. There’s a lot at stake and we’ll breakdown the many matchups that will shape the playoff picture.

2^nd Place in the Stefan Division – Nashville (93 Points, 35 ROW) & Chicago (92 Points, 33 ROW)

Friday: Nashville Predators @ Winnipeg Jets

Friday: Chicago Blackhawks @ Los Angeles Kings

·         Predators clinch home ice advantage with a win

·         Blackhawks clinch with a win and a Predators loss

What we know already is that both teams will meet each other in the first round and that they must travel after their last game of the season, it’s just matter of figuring out who will travel home.

Eastern Conference/1^st in the Daigle Division – Ottawa (112 Points, 44 ROW), Toronto (110 Points, 43 ROW) & Rangers (110 Points, 40 ROW)

Friday: New York Rangers @ Ottawa Senators

Friday: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday: Ottawa Senators @ New York Islanders

Saturday Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers

·         Senators clinch conference with a win over the Rangers

·         Senators clinch division with a regulation win, as they hold tiebreaker over the Leafs

·         Leafs need at least 3 points and two Senators regulation losses for them to clinch division/conference.

·         Rangers need a win over Ottawa, at least a point against Pittsburgh and one more point than Toronto/Ottawa to win the Eastern Conference.

A lot is happening in these matchups. Rangers are locked in to the Brendl Division lead, but what is at stake here is who plays the higher and lower of the wildcards, and the loser of Toronto and Ottawa will have to host the Lightning in the 1^st round.

3^rd in Bosignore Division/1^st West Wildcard – Anaheim (94 Points, 31 ROW) & Edmonton (93 Points, 31 ROW)

Friday: Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks

Saturday: Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks

Saturday: Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers

·         A Ducks regulation or overtime win combined with a loss of a point by the Oilers clinches the division spot, as Ducks hold the tiebreaker

·         If Oilers win both games against the Canucks, they are in.

·         If Oilers pick up 3 points with a regulation win, and Ducks win in a shootout. Oilers are in

·         An Oilers win in regulation and a Ducks loss (regulation or overtime), Oilers are in.

·         If Oilers lose both games and only pick up a point, Ducks are in.

In a way, the Canucks can control who they want to play. Rest their guys and let Oilers in, that is their 1^st round opponent. Try to take them out, the Ducks are lined up with the Canucks. Don’t worry, the consolation to not playing the Canucks is the Winnipeg Jets.

Brendl Division – Washington (102 Points, 42 ROW), Islanders (100 Points, 34 ROW) & Pittsburgh (97 Points, 30 ROW)

Friday: Washington Capitals @ Boston Bruins

Friday: New York Islanders @ New Jersey Devils

Friday: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Toronto Maple Leafs

Saturday: Florida Panthers @ Washington Capitals

Saturday: Ottawa Senators @ New York Islanders

Saturday: Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers

·         Capitals clinch 2^nd in Brendl with a win

·         Capitals clinch 2^nd in Brendl with a point and an Islanders loss. Or just a regulation loss by the Islanders

·         Islanders clinch 2^nd in Brendl with at least one more point than Washington.

·         Islanders clinch 3^rd in Brendl with at least a point.

·         Pittsburgh clinches 3^rd in Brendl with two wins and two regulation losses by the Islanders

For the most part it’s all locked up. Islanders can steal home ice advantage away from the Capitals, or limp in to the playoffs. Most likely we will see Capitals vs. Islanders, but only the Islanders and Penguins can finish in the wildcard where they will play one of the teams in the mess of Toronto, Ottawa or the Rangers.

2^nd Wildcard in the Western Conference – San Jose (84 Points, 30 ROW) & Los Angeles (81 Points, 33 ROW)

Friday: Calgary Flames @ San Jose Sharks

Friday: Chicago Blackhawks @ Los Angeles Kings

Saturday: Los Angeles Kings @ Anaheim Ducks

·         Sharks clinch wildcard with a win.

·         Sharks clinch with a point and a Kings loss of a point

·         Sharks clinch with a Kings regulation loss

·         Kings clinch wildcard with two wins and a point or less by the Sharks

·         Kings clinch with 3 points and a regulation loss by the Sharks

The battle of California will ultimately end with only one in the playoffs. The Sharks control their own fate, but are in tough against the league’s best Calgary Flames who they would meet in the first round. If they lose and Kings win on Friday, a matchup on Saturday against the Ducks who also have a lot to play for will be a must watch.

2^nd Wildcard in the Eastern Conference – Carolina (92 Points, 37 ROW), New Jersey (90 Points, 40 ROW) & Montreal (90 Points, 33 ROW)

Thursday: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Montreal Canadiens

Friday: St. Louis Blues @ Carolina Hurricanes

Friday: Montreal Canadiens @ Detroit Red Wings

Friday: New York Islanders @ New Jersey Devils

Saturday: Carolina Hurricanes @ Philadelphia Flyers

Saturday: New Jersey Devils @ Detroit Red Wings

·         Carolina clinches with a win and a loss of a point from New Jersey

·         Carolina clinches with a point and both a Montreal and New Jersey (regulation) loss

·         Carolina clinches if New Jersey and Montreal lose both games, New Jersey with at least one regulation loss

·         New Jersey clinches with a win and two Carolina losses and a Montreal loss in regulation.

·         New Jersey clinches with two wins and a Carolina loss in regulation.

·         Montreal needs to have at least one more point than the others to clinch. So in that case 3 points and two regulation losses by Carolina and 2 points or less by New Jersey is the minimum to clinch.

Even though the Hurricanes are up at the moment, the Devils are in a good spot with the ROW advantage. The Canadiens, the lone Canadian team sitting outside the playoff picture needs to play well and have a lot go right for them to get in. A regulation loss tonight will eliminate the Canadiens. An interesting little tidbit, the Hurricanes play the Blues on Friday. If the Hurricanes make the playoffs, they owe the Blues a 5^th rounder to complete the Pascal Dupuis trade. So we could see the Blues lay down in their game.