NHL West Division playoff tracker: Coyotes on brink of elimination
May 3, 2021, 9:30 PM | Updated: May 5, 2021, 9:10 pm
Arizona Coyotes left wing Michael Bunting, front, celebrates scoring a goal with defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Monday, April 12, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs is on.
As part of the NHL’s realignment efforts in 2021, the postseason will consist of four teams from each division.
While the Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild have a pretty solid grip on the top three spots in the West Division, the Arizona Coyotes are jostling for position with the St. Louis Blues for the fourth and final spot in the postseason.
The Coyotes came into Monday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Kings three points behind the Blues, who have six games remaining.
But after a St. Louis victory and an Arizona loss, the Coyotes now trail the Blues by five points with only three games left to play — meaning they are now on the brink of elimination.
Here’s a closer look at the West standings, with regulation wins (RW) and regulation plus overtime wins (ROW) included:
NHL West Division playoff tracker
| Place | Team | Points (Record) | Games Left | RW | ROW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *3 |  |
71 (33-14-5) | 4 | 27 | 32 |
| *4 |  |
56 (24-19-8) | 5 | 17 | 22 |
| 5 |  |
50 (22-25-6) | 3 | 18 | 19 |
* – Final two playoff spots in the division
