The Skinny on the Playoff Chase

For the second time in three days, the Sabres played at home in the only meaningful game in the Eastern Conference playoff rate, and once again they came up short - losing 5-2 to Detroit in Western NY.

The Red Wings win moves them within one point of the Isles, and ties Ottawa for 9th place.

The Playoff Chase

1.      (1^st Metro)  Carolina 96 points (32 RW) in 71 games

2.      (1^st Atlantic) Buffalo 96 (37 RW) in 73

3.      (2^nd Atlantic) Tampa Bay 94 (35 RW) in 71

4.      (3^rd Atlantic) Montreal 90 (28 RW) in 71

5.      (1^st WC) Boston 88 (29 RW,37 ROW) in 72

6.      (2nd Metro) Pittsburgh 88 (29 RW,33 ROW) in 72

7.      (3rd Metro) Columbus 87 (27 RW) in 72

8.      (2nd WC/4^th Metro) ISLES 87 (27 RW) in 73

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9.      (3^rd WC) Ottawa 86 (32 RW) in 72

10.   (4^th WC) Detroit 86 (28 RW) in 72

11.   (5^th WC) Philadelphia 82 (22 RW) in 71

12.   (6^th WC) Washington 81 (31 RW) in 73

Friday's Results:

DET 5 @BUF 2

Upcoming Games:

Sat: 

FLA@NYI

SEA@BUF

OTT@TB

MTL@NSH 

NJ@CAR 

DAL@PIT 

SJ@CBJ

MIN@BOS  

PHI@DET

WAS@VGK

There are two early games on the schedule, both at 1pm ET, as the Isles host Florida and Ottawa faces Tampa Bay. 

An Islander win and they'll skate off in 2nd place in the Metro, an OT/SO loss will leave them 3rd in the Metro, but a regulation loss could push them to the outside even before the other games are played.

Isles have struggled in matinees (2-6-2) - let's see if they can get a win against the Stanley Cup champs, whose reign is near an end; Florida's tragic number is down to 9.