NHL playoff standings: Projecting the Eastern wild cards

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In Tuesday's edition of the NHL playoff watch, we looked at the race for the two Western wild-card spots in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

With just two games on the docket Wednesday -- but all four teams mathematically in the mix for a wild card -- let's shift our focus back East.

After Tuesday's monstrous 13-game slate, the two Eastern wild-card tickets belong to the Detroit Red Wings (79 points through 65 games) and Boston Bruins (78 through 64).

The Montreal Canadiens (just a point ahead of the Red Wings) are in action Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+); the Sens have 73 points through 63 games. While that game is proceeding, the…