Keeping pace in the Stanley Cup Playoff races at the 50-game mark

We’re past the 50-game mark now, and it’s starting to feel like the only division with anything left to play for is the Pacific. And even that is now more like a race for second, barring catastrophe for the leader.

In fact, the only playoff spots that remain up in the air at this point, it seems, are the last spot in the Pacific Division and the two Western Conference wild cards. Four teams playing for three spots and another 30 games to go. That’s all there is that isn’t fully decided in terms of who’s in and who’s out, despite people acting like certain teams in the West are still in it.

As usual, because of all the stuff going on with COVID-19 a few months ago, it took forever for everyone to get to 50 games. The New York Islanders just got to that number on Tuesday night. The disparity is now such that multiple teams are still four-plus games ahead of them, but the gaps are closing.

Let’s have a look at the division races: