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The CH is no longer in the playoffs: it’s crazy how close the standings are in the East.

 Marc-Olivier Cook
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The CH is no longer in the playoffs: it’s crazy how close the standings are in the East.
Credit: Getty Images
It is often said that things can change quickly in the National Hockey League.

Proof?

Just 24 hours ago, the Canadiens were sitting at the bottom of the standings for a playoff spot in the East. And since last night, the Canadiens have been surpassed by three teams in their conference standings.

The Blue Jackets (two points) won in overtime against the Penguins (one point), and the Senators were also able to gain a point in their overtime loss to the Red Wings.

This means that this morning, the Canadiens find themselves in 5th place among the wildcard teams:

(Credit: NHL.com)

It’s easy to notice, but it’s tighter than ever in the standings in the East as of the writing of these lines.

The Sabres find themselves at the bottom of the rankings, but they are only seven points behind the Blue Jackets and the last spot that gives a ticket to the spring dance.

And in terms of the winning percentage of each club in the playoff race, it’s ultra close as well:

It’s still crazy to see the Rangers at the bottom of the list shared by Grant McCagg on Twitter…

That said, it proves that there is a nice parity in the NHL right now, forcing all teams to play the right way.

A losing streak can be crucial at this point in the season… And that’s why the Canadiens’ recent successes are even more valuable.

The race for a playoff spot is tighter than ever, and I think this is a good thing for the Canadiens: we will see the identity of this team in a moment like this.

We will see if the Canadiens really have what it takes to be in the mix and it will also allow Kent Hughes to evaluate his players in a different way as well.

Because evaluating a team that has nothing left to lose is not the same as evaluating a team that is fighting for the playoffs.

Now it remains to be seen if the Canadiens will be able to continue their momentum, having won 11 of their last 16 matchups.

They should be able to win games in the context where the team has the 16th easiest schedule until the end of the season (among the 32 teams in the National Hockey League):

(Credit: Tankathon)

In Brief

– Oops.

– The Leafs are searching for a center who can stay in Toronto.

– Good point.

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