With only two days remaining before the NHL's All-Star break, the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings features a total of six teams tied with the fewest amount of points.
The New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes have all amassed 49 points to date, and each sits four points back of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the race for the second wild-card playoff spot.
(Courtesy: NHL.com)
Point percentage, however, tells a different story, creating a bit of separation between the six teams and slotting the Islanders in a much more favorable position.
Here's a look at the bottom ten teams as ranked by point percentage:
| Team | Games | Points | Point % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 45 | 53 | .589 |
| Philadelphia | 48 | 52 | .542 |
| NY Islanders | 46 | 49 | .533 |
| Boston | 51 | 54 | .529 |
| Buffalo | 47 | 49 | .521 |
| Carolina | 47 | 49 | .521 |
| Detroit | 48 | 49 | .510 |
| Florida | 49 | 50 | .510 |
| New Jersey | 49 | 49 | .500 |
| Tampa Bay | 49 | 49 | .500 |
Based on the advantage of having fewer games played, therefore, the Maple Leafs appear set to overtake the Boston Bruins for an Atlantic Division playoff spot, with the Flyers and Islanders directly in line to fight for that second wild-card spot, and the Hurricanes and Sabres not too far behind.
There's still plenty of season left, of course, and games in hand only matter if points are actually accumulated. Still, the Islanders in particular should be feeling a bit more hopeful about their situation than the rest, especially after going 3-0-1 under interim head coach Doug Weight.
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