The nhl is designed to make every ****ty team look like they have a shot at the playoffs cuz of the loser point.
I don’t think any of the teams currently in a playoff spot are truly in danger because they’d have to go on long losing streaks with pretty much all regulation losses for the others to make up ground
This is proven out every season
That is mostly correct - for example the Flyers have 19 of 20 points in their last 10 and have climbed up the standing but they are still 8 points out of the playoffs.
Based on projections they would need a winning percentage of 70.4% to make it in by end of season. Calgary are at 66% for the season and Bolts 76.5%
As you said, this would only change IF a team in a playoff spot lost most of the rest of their games.
However - Carolina is only 1 point out of the playoffs and they could knock one of the other teams out. But they are probably the only team in the East still in the race.
As for the West - it's become a race to the bottom, especially in the Pacific. Parity is definitely alive and well over there