What tonight means for the Vegas Golden Knights' playoff race
The Vegas Golden Knights are 8-2-0, 16 points with a magic number of 145 and a tragic number of 156 — holding Pacific #1 — trying to stay ahead of Edmonton Oilers (next in Pacific).
Tonight they host Tampa Bay Lightning.
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
Playoff berth
Nothing is decided for a playoff berth tonight.
The Vegas Golden Knights can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 145 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 37 games from now.
The Vegas Golden Knights can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 156 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
Games that matter tonight
- Tampa Bay Lightning at Vegas Golden Knights
- Minnesota Wild at Edmonton Oilers
- Colorado Avalanche at New Jersey Devils
- Detroit Red Wings at Seattle Kraken
- Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
5 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 Vegas Golden Knights clinch a playoff spot tonight?
The Vegas Golden Knights can't clinch a playoff berth tonight — the magic number is 145 points, more than tonight's games can take off it. The earliest it could happen is 37 games from now.
Can the Vegas Golden Knights be eliminated tonight?
The Vegas Golden Knights can't be eliminated tonight; the tragic number is 156 and tonight's games can't bring it to zero.
What is the Vegas Golden Knights magic number right now?
The Vegas Golden Knights magic number is 145 and their tragic number is 156.
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.