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Super 16: Canada could miss Stanley Cup Playoffs

The rapid decline of the Montreal Canadiens has put Canada in jeopardy of being shut out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the NHL-WHA merger in 1979 gave the NHL six Canadian teams.

Of the seven Canadian teams, only the Vancouver Canucks are in a playoff spot entering Friday, and they just moved into it Thursday with a 4-2 win against the Boston Bruins. The Canucks have 16 regulation/overtime wins, which makes them prone to losing in a potential tiebreaker scenario.

It all means that it's entirely possible all seven Canadian teams will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1970, when it was just the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.