Who Will Make It: East

Earlier today I gave my predictions about how the playoff race would shake down in the Western Conference. Now, let's turn our attention to the East, where the race is just as tight. For the purpose of this exercise I'm going to assume that Washington will win the Southeast, so they won't be included. Teams are listed in predicted order of finish, including games remaining and predicted record in those games.

6th: New York Islanders (5 games, 3-1-1 for 56pts) Yes I said it. Not only will the Isles make the playoffs, they'll do so as the number 6 seed. Despite closing out their season with 5 straight road games, the Isles have been just too hot to not get some points. 4 of those games are against teams below the playoff line, with a match-up in Toronto being the only real test.

7th: New York Rangers (6 games, 4-1-1 for 55pts) Given how inconsistent the Rangers have been this year, I know it's a stretch to say they'll get points in 5 of their remaining 6 games. However, consider that all 6 of those teams are below them in the standings, including the Devils and Panthers, who they both play twice. A fortuitous schedule and game in hand over it's rivals will be enough for the Rangers to make it in.

8th: Ottawa Senators (6 games, 2-3-1 for 55pts) Like the Rangers, the Sens also have games in hand, however their schedule looks to be much, much tougher. Games against Pittsburgh, Toronto and Washington twice will all be difficult. Added to that is the pressure of playing in the make-up game in Boston rescheduled for the day after the end of the season. The Sens will be in tough, but seem to have enough of a cushion to still get the 8th seed.

9th: Winnipeg Jets (5 games, 2-3 for 50pts) Honestly I wish I could write that the Jets were going to make it. Those who remember know that nothing is more exciting than playoff hockey in Winnipeg. However in their 5 games they'll play red-hot Washington, the equally hot Islanders and the surprising Canadiens. With Buffalo turning it around lately, the only gimmie game the Jets might have is against Carolina, and it just won't be enough for them this year.

10th: Buffalo Sabres (4 games, 2-2 for 48pts) You've gotta admire the way the Sabres have gone since seemingly giving up on the season and selling at the trade deadline. But with only 4 games left, all against teams ahead of them in the playoff race including the Pens, Isles and Rangers, it's going to be too little too late in Buffalo.

So, should these predictions hold true, and the standings at the top of the conference stay the same, here's how the first round playoff match-ups will look in the East:

1. Pittsburgh vs 8. Ottawa
2. Boston vs 7. Rangers
3. Washington vs 6. Islanders
4. Montreal vs 5 Toronto (!)

I would love to hear your comments about who YOU think will make the playoffs, and please share if you like the content here at WAAP. Lastly, check out this absolutely filthy pass by Alex Semim to set up a goal: