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points above pace · final standings
1996-97 NHL Northeast standings
The Buffalo Sabres won the 1996-97 NHL Northeast division race on 92 points, 8 points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
🏆The 1996-97 playoffs, series by series
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Northeast standings, 1996-97
| Team | W | L | T | PTS | L10 | Streak |
|---|
| Buffalo Sabres (BUF) y | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | 2-7-1 | L2 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins (PIT) x | 38 | 36 | 8 | 84 | 4-5-1 | L3 |
| Montréal Canadiens (MTL) x | 31 | 36 | 15 | 77 | 5-4-1 | T1 |
| Ottawa Senators (OTT) x | 31 | 36 | 15 | 77 | 7-3-0 | W3 |
| Hartford Whalers (HFD) | 32 | 39 | 11 | 75 | 5-4-1 | W1 |
| Boston Bruins (BOS) | 26 | 47 | 9 | 61 | 2-8-0 | W1 |
Final standings.
Clinch key- x
- clinched a playoff place
- y
- clinched the division
Turning points
- The lead changed hands 10 times.
- The Buffalo Sabres trailed by as many as 6 points on October 16, 1996.
- The Buffalo Sabres took first place for good on February 9, 1997.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins won 6 games in a row from December 4, 1996 to December 13, 1996, the longest run of the race.
- The Hartford Whalers led by 5 points as late as November 20, 1996.
- The Buffalo Sabres went 10-2-4 from February 5, 1997 to March 17, 1997, turning a deficit of 4 points into a lead of 14 points.
- The top two ended the day within two points of each other on 81 of the 171 days played.
- Six teams held first place.
- The Buffalo Sabres spent 80 of the season's 192 charted days in first place.