GoHabs2002 Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 (edited) I always forget how "magic numbers" work, but here is my version, which I think is similar to the ones commonly quoted for baseball. The Habs' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 14. That is any combination of Montreal earning/Atlants failing to earn 14 points in total, and Montreal clinches. Atlanta has 20 possible points remaining. [EX: If Atltana loses 4 games, 1 in ot/shootout, that means they've lost 7 points. If Montreal wins 3 games and loses 1 in OT/Shootout, the teams gained 7 points. Atlanta would have only 12 possible points left with 77 pts, leading to a maximum of 89 points. Habs would have 90 points] So any combination like that example that would lead habs gaining/atlants losing 14 points in total, and Habs have the playoffs! Edited April 14, 2006 by simonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 Let us not forget the Panthers are just a point behind the Thrashers and the Leafs no matter how far out are still mathematically in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoHabs2002 Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 Let us not forget the Panthers are just a point behind the Thrashers and the Leafs no matter how far out are still mathematically in. That doesn't matter for the magic number tho. Atlanta is used as the benchmark because they are the nearest team and all teams have same number of games played. If FLA jumps ahead of atlanta then they'll be used. Magic Number using FLA is 13. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy26 Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 Call me pessimistic, but I say the magic number is 18! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoHabs2002 Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 Call me pessimistic, but I say the magic number is 18! How so, pessimistic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy26 Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 How so, pessimistic? Knew that was coming.. I figrue our chances are solid if we win every game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Puck Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 That doesn't matter for the magic number tho. Atlanta is used as the benchmark because they are the nearest team and all teams have same number of games played. If FLA jumps ahead of atlanta then they'll be used. Magic Number using FLA is 13. Yes but you can't count Atlanta's lost points against Florida and vice versa. Thus if we gain 7 points and Atlanta misses out on 7 that doesn't guarantee us a playoff spot and it doesn't eliminate Atlanta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoHabs2002 Posted April 1, 2006 Author Share Posted April 1, 2006 (edited) Yes but you can't count Atlanta's lost points against Florida and vice versa. Thus if we gain 7 points and Atlanta misses out on 7 that doesn't guarantee us a playoff spot and it doesn't eliminate Atlanta. I'm not sure I agree with you.. Let's say for the remainder of the season the Habs win 3 games and gets an OT lost, the rest they lose in regulation, that's 7 points earned, brings the habs to 90 points. During the same period, Atlanta gets 6 wins, loses one in OT and 3 in regulation. They lose 7 points, but earn 13. That gives them 89 points. If, during the same period, FLorida wins 7 games and loses 3 games in regulation. THey lose 6 points, but earn 14, that gives them 89 points. If Toronto wins 7 games, and loses 3 in regulation, they lose 6 points, but earn 14, that gives them 89 points. So, yes, if Atlanta loses/Montreal earns any combination of 14 points in total. It doesn't matter who the points are lost against. If FLA and ATL played tonight, and FLA won in OT. They both would have 77 points with 9 games left. The Magic number would remain at 13 for FLA, but would be reduced to 13 for Atlanta. If both teams would then win 6 games and lose 3 in regulation, losing 6 points, and Montreal wins as above, then they would end up with 89 points against Montreal's 90. We can't solely look at Atlanta, but since the Magic Number with them is the highest, its the easiest way to look at it. It's 14 for Atl 13 for FLA and Tor 9 for NYI 4 for BOS (we can elimate the Bruins from at least from catching us with 1 win in regulation) Edited April 1, 2006 by GoHabs2002 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Puck Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 I always forget how "magic numbers" work, but here is my version, which I think is similar to the ones commonly quoted for baseball. The Habs' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 14. That is any combination of Montreal earning/Atlants failing to earn 14 points in total, and Montreal clinches. So any combination like that example that would lead habs gaining/atlants losing 14 points in total, and Habs have the playoffs! I'm not sure I agree with you.. So, yes, if Atlanta loses/Montreal earns any combination of 14 points in total. It doesn't matter who the points are lost against. This is wrong. The fact that our magic number versus Atlanta is 14 points merely means that any combination of points missed by Atlanta and points gained by the Habs totalling 14 points means the Habs will finish ahead of Atlanta. If Atlanta loses their next 7 games in regulation that gives a total of 14 points lost but it doesn't mean we clinch a playoff spot. We have other teams behind us to worry about. Or say we win the next 5 games and then lose the final 4 games in regulation while Atlanta win the rest of their games except for 2 loses in regulation. This gives the 14 points indicated by the magic number. But if Florida were to win all their remaining games under this senario we would finish behind Florida. Also this would not elminate Atlanta, they could still get in behind Florida and us in this senario if the Devils and Lightning were to bomb down the stretch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy26 Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Such senseless arguing... let's just win the next 25 games! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Puck Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Such senseless arguing... let's just win the next 25 games! This is not arguing and certainly not senseless arguing. Senseless arguing is when you say Ribeiro should be centering the Habs number 1 line and I say he should be traded for a bag of pucks. This is explaining how magic numbers work. I do agree though that we should just keep on winning. However, if we don't win the next 9 games we might become very interested in what the other teams (both those ahead of us and those behind us) do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoHabs2002 Posted April 1, 2006 Author Share Posted April 1, 2006 This is wrong. The fact that our magic number versus Atlanta is 14 points merely means that any combination of points missed by Atlanta and points gained by the Habs totalling 14 points means the Habs will finish ahead of Atlanta. If Atlanta loses their next 7 games in regulation that gives a total of 14 points lost but it doesn't mean we clinch a playoff spot. We have other teams behind us to worry about. Or say we win the next 5 games and then lose the final 4 games in regulation while Atlanta win the rest of their games except for 2 loses in regulation. This gives the 14 points indicated by the magic number. But if Florida were to win all their remaining games under this senario we would finish behind Florida. Also this would not elminate Atlanta, they could still get in behind Florida and us in this senario if the Devils and Lightning were to bomb down the stretch. Well that's why I then listed the magic number with respect to all the teams...But when I said the team's general Magic Number is 14 its because 14 for Atl 13 for FLA and Tor 9 for NYI 4 for BOS So with the magic number being 14 Any combination of Montreal earned points/individual opponent's lost points to equal 14, allows Montreal to clinch. It's 13 for Fla, so if we get 14, it's even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Good news guys! The Islanders just lost 4-nothing to.. the Penguins haha and Florida lost 3-2 (in regulation) to Carolina So magic numbers becomes Atlanta : 14 Toronto : 13 Florida : 11 Islanders : 7 Boston : 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy26 Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 This is not arguing and certainly not senseless arguing. Senseless arguing is when you say Ribeiro should be centering the Habs number 1 line and I say he should be traded for a bag of pucks. Hmm.. there's a slight chance I wasn't being completely serious.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Doesn't matter what the magic number is. The simple fact is Montreal controls their own desitny and need to win as many games as possible and claim as many points as possible. Who cares what other teams are doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HateThoseLeafs Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Heres the simplest way to look at it. Our magic # is 14 points which can be accomplished by us winning 7 games or the team in 9th place losing 7 games. Any win by us reduces the number by 2 and any loss by the team in 9th reduces the number by another 2. When it reaches 0 we are mathematically in the playoffs. As a sidenote for Leaf haters....the majic number to ELIMINATE them from any chance of the playoffs is 12 points. This means that everytime the team in 8th ( currently 3 teams tied with 83 points in 6th) wins a game that number goes down by 2 and every loss by the Leafs drops it 2 more. When it hits 0 they are officially booking TEE TIMES :king: :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HateThoseLeafs Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 MN is 12 now guys :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Wow, Buffalo is in a funk, Toronto pounded them 7-0. Thats embarrasing. Almost wished the playoffs started today and we played Buffalo. They look like junk. Maybe there're falling apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark_faerie87 Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 Wow, Buffalo is in a funk, Toronto pounded them 7-0. Thats embarrasing. Almost wished the playoffs started today and we played Buffalo. They look like junk. Maybe there're falling apart. They were missing Briere courtesy of a two-game suspension, but that's no excuse for what happened last night. All I can say is that I'm looking forward to our two remaining games against them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 i was wondering technicly how many wins did the habs need to clinch a playoff spot...so we can stop worrying at one point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Technically speaking 8 wins. But that would cause the panthers or atlanta to virtually run the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Technically speaking 8 wins. But that would cause the panthers or atlanta to virtually run the table. so i guess we will never really be sure until the end of the season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 so i guess we will never really be sure until the end of the season not necessarily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HABBER-oooooKNOWS Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 All the teams fighting are playing really well....Everyone is on a streak as good as ours. This may go to the wire. The jersey games will help. I think Tampa is going to lose out and Atlanta is coming in. Habs just need to keep winning. That would be the best formula........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs_in_the_blood Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 All the teams fighting are playing really well....Everyone is on a streak as good as ours. This may go to the wire. The jersey games will help. I think Tampa is going to lose out and Atlanta is coming in. Habs just need to keep winning. That would be the best formula........ yeah indeed it would be the best formula... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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