NHL playoff standings update: Who will win East wild cards?

There are some who say that the Western Conference playoff race is merely about the order in which the eight teams currently in playoff position will finish. The numbers from FiveThirtyEight back that up to some degree, as only two non-playoff teams currently have playoff chances greater than 1%: the Nashville Predators, at 34%, and the Calgary Flames, at 22%.

The East is an entirely different story.

Yes, the Eastern powerhouses all loaded up, so it's unclear whether one of the wild cards will be able to mount much of a challenge against the Boston Bruins or Carolina Hurricanes in a seven-game series. But, at least we'll have an exciting race to the finish.

As of today, the New York Islanders (72 points in 65 games, 91-point pace) and Pittsburgh Penguins (71 points in 62 games, a 94-point pace) hold the coveted final two spots. There are four teams nipping at their proverbial heels:

The Buffalo Sabres have 68 points through 62 games after a narrow loss against the Oilers Monday night. They play in a game of massive importance tonight, as they'll visit the Isles in an ESPN+/Hulu exclusive broadcast. Following that, 10 of their final 19 games will be played against teams currently in playoff position (nine of which are current Eastern playoff teams).

Buffalo's penultimate game of the season is against the Ottawa Senators. The Sens, fresh off their trade for defenseman Jakob Chychrun, had rattled off five straight wins prior to Monday's loss to the Blackhawks, and sit at 68 points through 63 games. They'll play current playoff teams in 12 of their final 19 contests.

Following their Presidents' Trophy last season, the Florida Panthers have had quite the diminished returns this season. But with 68 points through 64 games,