How many games are in an NHL season?

The Washington Capitals season is coming to a close very soon barring some late miracle that they win out and the stars align and they somehow make the playoffs.

If that were the case they would draw the Boston Bruins in the first round and excuse my negativity but probably bow out in said first round. That would be the fifth win in a row.

Or the Capitals could miss the playoffs. Which is very likely to happen. But to answer your question there are 82 games in an NHL regular season. When it comes to the playoffs it’s best four out of seven with the first team to 16 wins capturing the Stanley Cup.

Let’s break down the nine remaining Caps regular season games:

March 25 at Pittsburgh Penguins: BIG game. The Capitals are 34-31-8 for 76 points. The Penguins are 35-27-10 with 80 points. IF the Caps want ANY shot at the playoffs this is a MUST WIN game. The Penguins may be ahead but they’re slipping. Recently they got spanked by the New York Rangers. Last night they lost to the Dallas Stars.

March 29 vs. New York Islanders: Another big one. The Islanders are 37-27-8 with 82 points and sit at first place in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings. They are two points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and six points ahead of the Caps.

March 30 at Tampa Bay Lightning: The Bolts will look to remain the class of the east as they sit at third in the Atlantic Division with a 42-25-6 record with 90 points. They’ll likely face the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

April 2 vs. New York Rangers: Might be worth going to that game for the Cherry Blossom merch. On a serious note, The Rangers look serious for a Stanley Cup as they acquired Patrick Kane at the trade deadline. This will be a tough matchup.

April 6 at Montreal Canadiens: Maybe this can be a win that will help Alex Ovechkin get some goals closer to Gretzky.

April 8 vs. Florida Panthers: At this point in time we will know which team is more likely to sneak in for that final playoff spot.

April 10 vs. New York Islanders: Maybe the Isles rest their starters before they try to knock off the Carolina Hurricanes.

April 11 at Boston Bruins: The Bruins will more than likely have clinched the number one seed for the east. They will probably rest their starters.

April 13 vs. New Jersey Devils: The season finale features an up and coming eastern conference threat in the New Jersey Devils who will make some noise this spring.