What tonight means for the Florida Panthers' playoff race

Florida Panthers • Eastern Atlantic • 5-2-2, 12 pts • Scenarios for October 20
Magic # 150
Tragic # 153
Safe tonight

The Florida Panthers are 5-2-2, 12 points with a magic number of 150 and a tragic number of 153 — holding a wild card spot — Toronto Maple Leafs is the first team out.

Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.

Playoff berth

Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.

Clinch

The Florida Panthers can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 150 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 38 games from now.

Elimination

The Florida Panthers can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.

Games that matter tonight

  • Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets
  • Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights
  • Boston Bruins at Dallas Stars
  • Los Angeles Kings at Washington Capitals
  • Anaheim Ducks at New York Islanders

4 other NHL games with a smaller bearing on this race were left out of the enumeration, so a path that depends on one of them isn't listed. Every path shown is a real guarantee.

Every combination of these results (0 in all) was checked with the same conservative math as the standings page, so each path listed is a mathematical guarantee — no tiebreaker assumptions in your favor. Want the result-by-result version? The rooting guide on the team page shows what each game does to the numbers.

Frequently asked questions

How can the Florida Panthers clinch a playoff spot tonight?

The Florida Panthers can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 150 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 38 games from now.

Can the Florida Panthers be eliminated tonight?

The Florida Panthers can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.

What is the Florida Panthers magic number right now?

The Florida Panthers magic number is 150 and their tragic number is 153.

How are these scenarios calculated?

Every combination of results in the NHL games that bear on the race tonight is enumerated, and the magic and tragic numbers are recomputed in each one with the same conservative math as the standings page. The paths listed are the minimal sets of results that guarantee the outcome no matter how the other games end.

Full guide: how magic numbers work →