And the Magic Number is...
I never use my LJ anymore, but I've recently become obsessed with Magic Numbers in the NHL, so I'm going to post a couple here for reference.
The Blues' Magic Number today is... 110 Edit: Sigh I started writing this entry this morning, but by the time I got home tonight the number had changed.
The Blues' Magic Number today is... 102
Haha this is a pretty awful explanation for it actually. It's mostly for my own reference. If you want to read better explanations they are here on the habs forum and here on wiki.
What a magic number is:
The SHORT VERSION:
The Magic Number starts at 165. The number goes down by 2 for every W the Blues earn, and 1 for every OT loss the Blues get. The number can also be reduced by the current 9th place team: 2 for every regulation loss by the current 9th place team, and 1 for every OT loss by the 9th place team, even if the Blues aren't playing that day. When the number hits 0 it means Blues are going to the playoffs~!
The LONG VERSION:
In the NHL, a magic number is the number of points that a team must earn in order to be guaranteed a higher standing than an opposing team. The Blues Magic Number I have given above is the number of points that the Blues must earn between now and the end of the season to be guaranteed at least 8th place in the Western Conference.
In general, a Magic Number is calculated as:
G + 1 - WA - LB
where G is the number of games per season (per team), WA is the number of wins team A has earned, and LB is the number of losses for team B. The +1 is to eliminate the possibility of a tie.
In the NHL, magic number calculation is a little different, since we have a two point W, one point OT loss system. So G = 82*2 (since a team can get maximum 2 points per game), WA actually becomes the number of wins multiplied by two plus the number of OT losses by Team A (i.e points gained from victories + points from OT losses), and LB becomes the number of regulation losses plus number of OT losses by Team B (i.e the points that Team B failed to earn in these losses).
As a sample calculation, the Blues currently have a 14-9-5 record (i.e. 14 Wins, 9 Losses, 5 OT losses). The current team in 9th place are the Ducks, with a 15-13-4 record (i.e. 15 Wins, 13 Losses, 4 OT losses).
The Magic Number for the Blues to be guaranteed a higher standing than the Ducks is:
2*82 + 1 - 2*14 - 5 - 2*13 - 4 = 102.
That means currently, the Blues need to earn at least 102 points between now and the end of the season to be guaranteed a higher standing than the current 9th place team. The number goes down when the Blues either gain points actively by winning or going to OT, or when the ninth place team fails to gain points, either by losing, or only making it to OT. When the number hits 0, that means we're going to the Playoffs~!
The Blues' Magic Number today is... 110 Edit: Sigh I started writing this entry this morning, but by the time I got home tonight the number had changed.
The Blues' Magic Number today is... 102
Haha this is a pretty awful explanation for it actually. It's mostly for my own reference. If you want to read better explanations they are here on the habs forum and here on wiki.
What a magic number is:
The SHORT VERSION:
The Magic Number starts at 165. The number goes down by 2 for every W the Blues earn, and 1 for every OT loss the Blues get. The number can also be reduced by the current 9th place team: 2 for every regulation loss by the current 9th place team, and 1 for every OT loss by the 9th place team, even if the Blues aren't playing that day. When the number hits 0 it means Blues are going to the playoffs~!
The LONG VERSION:
In the NHL, a magic number is the number of points that a team must earn in order to be guaranteed a higher standing than an opposing team. The Blues Magic Number I have given above is the number of points that the Blues must earn between now and the end of the season to be guaranteed at least 8th place in the Western Conference.
In general, a Magic Number is calculated as:
G + 1 - WA - LB
where G is the number of games per season (per team), WA is the number of wins team A has earned, and LB is the number of losses for team B. The +1 is to eliminate the possibility of a tie.
In the NHL, magic number calculation is a little different, since we have a two point W, one point OT loss system. So G = 82*2 (since a team can get maximum 2 points per game), WA actually becomes the number of wins multiplied by two plus the number of OT losses by Team A (i.e points gained from victories + points from OT losses), and LB becomes the number of regulation losses plus number of OT losses by Team B (i.e the points that Team B failed to earn in these losses).
As a sample calculation, the Blues currently have a 14-9-5 record (i.e. 14 Wins, 9 Losses, 5 OT losses). The current team in 9th place are the Ducks, with a 15-13-4 record (i.e. 15 Wins, 13 Losses, 4 OT losses).
The Magic Number for the Blues to be guaranteed a higher standing than the Ducks is:
2*82 + 1 - 2*14 - 5 - 2*13 - 4 = 102.
That means currently, the Blues need to earn at least 102 points between now and the end of the season to be guaranteed a higher standing than the current 9th place team. The number goes down when the Blues either gain points actively by winning or going to OT, or when the ninth place team fails to gain points, either by losing, or only making it to OT. When the number hits 0, that means we're going to the Playoffs~!