The Buffalo Sabers kept their chance of making the playoffs alive in the NHL thanks in part to hockey national team player John-Jason Peterka. The striker made it 3-2 following a penalty shoot-out at the New York Rangers for the important 1-0 in the first third.
But how exactly do the Sabers reach the playoffs?
Buffalo currently sits fifth in the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference with 87 points. The top three teams in a division automatically qualify for the playoffs. In addition, there are the two best wild card teams in the entire conference.
Will the Sabers catch up with the Panthers?
This is where Buffalo’s chance lurks, because the currently third-placed Tampa Bay Lightning can no longer be caught with 96 points.
The Sabers might still catch up with the seventh-ranked Florida Panthers and eighth-ranked New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference. The Miami club currently have 92 points with one game left, while the Islanders have 91 points.
Buffalo has three games left – so in the best case scenario, they might have 93 points with three wins.
However, the Pittsburgh Penguins also play a role in the awarding of the two wild card places. The ex-champion around Sidney Crosby has 90 points in 80 games played.
Buffalo would not qualify if they still passed the Panthers but the Islanders and Penguins had more points at the end of the regular season.
In the end, does the direct comparison decide?
Should the Sabers be tied with one team following 82 games, various tie-breakers will come into play.
- Games won in regulation time – Florida 36, New York 35, Pittsburgh 31, Buffalo 29
- Games won following regulation and overtime – Florida 40, New York 40, Pittsburgh 39, Buffalo 37
- Games won by regular time, overtime and shootout – Florida 42, New York 41, Pittsburgh 40, Buffalo 40
- points scored in the duels among themselves
The fact is: The Sabers still have a lot of points in the last three remaining games and hope that the competition will lose feathers.
In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday (01:00) it’s once morest the New Jersey Devils. In the night from Thursday to Friday (01:00 a.m.) Buffalo meets the Ottawa Senators. In the last game of the regular season, the Sabers will play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night (1:30 a.m.).
The competition from Pittsburgh (Tuesday to Wednesday once morest the Chicago Blackhawks, Thursday to Friday once morest the Columbus Blue Jackets), Florida (Thursday to Friday once morest the Carolina Hurricanes) and New York (Wednesday to Thursday once morest the Montreal Canadiens) are in the lead once morest Buffalo your own hand.
