NHL playoff watch standings update: Can the Vancouver Canucks make the playoffs?

On Dec. 5, the Vancouver Canucks fired coach Travis Green and GM Jim Benning. The club was in last place in the Pacific Division, and second-to-last in the Western Conference, with a record of 8-15-2.

That day, they hired Bruce Boudreau, and how their fortunes have changed. In the 39 games since, they've gone 22-11-6, good for a .641 points percentage in that span; to put that in perspective, a .641 points percentage for the entire season thus far would rank 10th in the NHL.

But can this resilient bunch make the playoffs, after GM Patrik Allvin trimmed from the edges at the trade deadline, but avoided dealing away players like J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser?

FiveThirtyEight projections give them a 9% chance of making the playoffs heading into Wednesday's game against the Colorado Avalanche. That will be a tough one, as the Avs continue to overpower most opponents. Thereafter is a critical stretch: at the Minnesota Wild, at the Dallas Stars, a home-and-home against the St. Louis Blues and a home-and-home against the spiraling Vegas Golden Knights. We'll have a much greater understanding of those playoff chances — in a positive or negative direction — following this gauntlet of matchups against playoff (or playoff-adjacent) clubs.

As we enter the post-deadline stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it's time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.

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Eastern Conference

A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC1 Boston Bruins A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Toronto Maple Leafs M1