LEV and Salavat’s Official Playoff Entrance on Hold

Game Recaps

Salavat had an easy opportunity to get into the playoffs on Saturday, but they lost in regulation to Metallurg Magnitogorsk 5-2.  Metallurg Mg is locked in a tight battle with Ak Bars Kazan for the best record in their division.  The division winner will likely be the Eastern Conference's top seed for the playoffs and the second place team will be the third seed.  Metallurg controls their own destiny for the opportunity to take the East's top seed.  They have played one less game than Ak Bars Kazan and have three more points.  Barys Astana has an outside chance to take the top seed, but they are six points behind Metallurg (two games) with eight games remaining.

An Avangard Omsk loss would have also gotten Salavat into the playoffs, but they destroyed Dinamo Minsk 7-2.  They are now tied with Traktor Chelyabinsk; both teams have 63 points and are holding on to the eighth seed (and final playoff spot).  Traktor failed to keep an edge on Avangard by losing 5-3 to Neftekhimik on Saturday.

Admiral is in the 10th spot, but are only one point behind Avangard and Traktor.  They had a chance to take the eighth spot, but they lost to CSKA Moscow on Sunday 2-1.  CSKA's win put them in the 4th spot in the Western Conference, but they have played two more games than the other teams fighting for home-ice advantage in the first round and are more likely to finish as the seventh seed.

Continuing with the Western Conference, LEV Praha did their part to get into the playoffs by beating Sibir 3-1 on Sunday.  They needed an Atlant regulation loss to clinch a spot, but Atlant picked up a point against Ak Bars Kazan--losing in overtime 2-1.

Playoff Scenarios

Amur joined Metallurg Nk in being officially eliminated from the playoff picture.  Dinamo Minsk will be the next team officially out of the playoffs with anything less than a regulation win down the stretch or if Lokomotiv can pick up a single point.  If Lokomotiv can pick up two points in any game down the stretch, or if Vityaz loses, then Vityaz will be added to the group of eliminated teams.

Salavat Ufa and LEV Praha are both in if they can pick up a point in their final eight games.  

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