Playoff Contenders Nail Key Box - One Flops

Every NHL team jockeying for playoff position hits that one critical checkpoint heading into the stretch run, the kind front offices whisper about in backroom deals. You know the box - the metric that separates pretenders from the real deal this time of year. All but one contender checks it, and that outlier's front office has to be sweating bullets with the calendar flipping fast. The implications for seeding and survival are massive as the deadline looms.