Playoff seeding cheat sheet

Credit Jeremy Zager of Los Angeles Kings PR for putting together the following scenarios:

On Saturday night, the Kings host the Sharks and the Blues host the Blackhawks.

In short:
-If the Blues win they clinch 4th and the winner of Kings-Sharks takes 5th.
-The Kings can clinch 4th if they beat the Sharks in any fashion AND the Blues lose in any fashion.
-If the Kings lose in OT/SO the best they can finish is 5th — with a Blues regulation loss.
-If the Kings lose in regulation they will finish 6th and face the Canucks.
-The only way the Sharks can finish 4th is win a win in any fashion and a Blues regulation loss.

Tiebreakers:
-The Kings own the tie-breaker over both the Blues and Sharks.
-The Blues own the tie-breaker over the Sharks.
-The Sharks lose all tie-breakers.

Probabilities:
-The Kings finish 4th: 33.3 %
-The Kings finish 5th: 25.0%
-The Kings finish 6th: 41.7%

-The Kings play the Blues: 50% (33.3% as 4th seed, 16.7% as 5th seed)
-The Kings play the Sharks: 8.3% (LA would play them as the 5th seed)
-The Kings play the Canucks: 41.7%

Every scenario that can happen Saturday:

If the Kings win in regulation and the Blues win in any fashion
STL: 4 (60 pts)
LAK: 5 (59 pts)
SJ: 6 or 7 (57 pts) – pending what Minnesota does

If the Kings win in regulation and the Blues lose in OT/SO
LAK: 4 (59 pts)
STL: 5 (59 pts)
SJ: 6 or 7 (57 pts) – pending what Minnesota does

If the Kings win in regulation and the Blues lose in regulation
LAK: 4 (59 pts)
STL: 5 (58 pts)
SJ: 6 or 7 (57 pts) – pending what Minnesota does

If the Kings win in OT/SO and the Blues win in any fashion
STL: 4 (60 pts)
LAK: 5 (59 pts)
SJ: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings win in OT/SO and the Blues lose in OT/SO
LAK: 4 (59 pts)
STL: 5 (59 pts)
SJ: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings win in OT/SO and the Blues lose in regulation
LAK: 4 (59 pts)
STL: 5 (58 pts)
SJ: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings lose in OT/SO and the Blues win in any fashion
STL: 4 (60 pts)
SJ: 5 (59 pts)
LAK: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings lose in OT/SO and the Blues lose in OT/SO
STL: 4 (59 pts)
SJ: 5 (59 pts)
LAK: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings lose in OT/SO and the Blues lose in regulation
SJ: 4 (59 pts)
LAK: 5 (58 pts)
STL: 6 (58 pts)

If the Kings lose in regulation and the Blues win in any fashion
STL: 4 (60 pts)
SJ: 5 (59 pts)
LAK: 6 (57 pts)

If the Kings lose in regulation and the Blues lose in OT/SO
STL: 4 (59 pts)
SJ: 5 (59 pts)
LAK: 6 (57 pts)

If the Kings lose in regulation and the Blues lose in regulation
SJ: 4 (59 pts)
STL: 5 (58 pts)
LAK: 6 (57 pts)

For a fancier look at the current standings, LAKings.com has you covered.

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