A few notes/stats:
1) We won our game in hand on Minnesota and Colorado last night vs LA, and we are now ALMOST to the point now where we don’t really have to worry about the wild card:
If we go 4-5 in our final 9 games, Colorado would have to go 7-1-1 to catch us. Minnesota would have to go 8-1.
If we go 5-4, Colorado has to go 8-0-1, Minnesota 9-0 (basically they both have to win every remaining game except the when they play each other, and in that one Minnesota would have to win in OT/SO. We are 11 points away from officially clinching, but we are not going to need that many.
2) We are 17-5-5 in our last 27 games, and even more impressively, 12-2-5 in the past 19. And in that 19 game stretch we have played 11 games against playoff teams. We are 8-1-2 in those 11, including wins over Florida, Boston, Chicago, St Louis, Dallas, NYI, and LA.
3) The penalty kill is on some kind of roll. We have killed off 26 power plays in a row. And other than that 0 for 3 anomaly against New Jersey a couple of weeks ago, we are 46/48 since February 13.
4) We have not lost in regulation to the Kings in the past 3 years. We are 6-0-3 against them in that span with only 2 OT losses and 1 SO loss. Also, last night was the first time in 3 years that a game between LA and Nashville wasn’t a one goal game. The previous 8 were all 1 goal games. That is pretty impressive domination against a team that many say is the one team we don’t want to face.
5) We just made it through a tough 3 game stretch (NYI, Wash, LAK) with a 2-1 record. Can’t ask for much more than that. And now our schedule turns pretty favorable the rest of the way. 6 of the last 9 games are at home, and we face Vancouver, Columbus, Colorado, San Jose, Colorado and Arizona. Very manageable home schedule. Still have 3 tough road games though- 2 at Dallas and at Pittsburgh.