What tonight means for the Ottawa Senators' playoff race
The Ottawa Senators are 6-3-0, 12 points with a magic number of 150 and a tragic number of 153 — holding Atlantic #3 — trying to stay ahead of Florida Panthers (next in Atlantic).
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
Playoff berth
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
The Ottawa Senators 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.
The Ottawa Senators can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
Games that matter tonight
- Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights
- Boston Bruins at Dallas Stars
- Los Angeles Kings at Washington Capitals
- Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets
- 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.
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Frequently asked questions
How can the Ottawa Senators clinch a playoff spot tonight?
The Ottawa Senators 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 Ottawa Senators be eliminated tonight?
The Ottawa Senators can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 153 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
What is the Ottawa Senators magic number right now?
The Ottawa Senators 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.