Keeping pace in the Stanley Cup Playoff races at the 30-game mark

One of the things we talk about a lot in hockey as the season progresses is whether results are sustainable, and how those results will impact things like seeding within a division — or whether a team will make or miss the playoffs at all.

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to check in on how many points teams have put in the bank or left on the table, as the case may be. Over the course of the season, we’ll check in every 10 games to see where things stand. But for the purposes of this exercise — so that we’re not just looking at the standings every few weeks — we will be looking at the paces teams have played at, as well as what they will need to do over their remaining games to make up lost ground or solidify their chances.

Because of all the stuff going on lately, it took forever for everyone to get to 30 games; the New York Islanders have just 12 games played in the last six weeks or so. The disparity is now such that multiple teams are north of 40 games while NYI is still on just 30. That’s life under COVID.

Let’s have a look at the division races: