I don't understand.
If it's virtually impossible for both the Sharks or Kings to win out, and either one of them or the Yotes won't make it, I don't see how we're not already in.
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Why can't the Sharks beat the Kings twice and run out the rest of their games, or vice versa, the Kings beat the Sharks twice and run out the rest of their games?[/font]
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]It seems to me that both teams, obviously, can't run out the season, but one of the two could if they sweep both games, and if they split their two games, neither team will. [/font]
Both teams need 96 points to bump the Blackhawks out of the playoffs, there is no scenario that is possible.
If the Sharks beat the Kings twice and win the rest of their games, that means the Kings would have 94 points and Sharks would have 96 points. If the Kings beat San Jose twice and win out the rest of their games the Sharks would have 92 points while the Kings would have 98 points. If they split the series, the Kings would have 96 points and the Sharks would have 94 points.
If they split the season series with 3 point games, the Kings would have 97 points and the Sharks would have 95 points. We would break the tie-breaker due to the fact that it is impossible for the Sharks to beat us in ROW wins.
There is no scenario that the Hawks can miss as the Sharks are the 9th seed and Kings are the 8th seed, anyone below them cannot catch-up to the Hawks anymore. The only reason this is not official is because its "mathematically" possible for the Sharks and Kings to have 96 points or more, but it's impossible due to the schedule since they are playing each other and both must win out.
On another note: If the Sharks lose their next game (Reg or OT), the Hawks will be mathematically in.
To make things more complicated, the Stars enter the fray as another team that must win out but they play the Sharks twice. They have 89 points and could end up with 99 points if they win out. If they lose both games to the Sharks, they would end up with 95 points and would need 3 regulation wins in their remaining 3 games against the Canucks, Blues and Predators. If they beat the Sharks in any of those games we are in. Really though, it just boils down to the Kings and Sharks as well as the schedule, the Stars just make the situation more complicated. The Yotes are somewhere in there, but their schedule has no conflictions with any team that matters so they can technically win out without effecting the other teams "in the hunt"
