Yeah given the position they are in, a wild card game would mean they’ve slumped the rest of the season. They aren’t blowing the doors off as it is, .500 or so the last 30 games.
And the amount of buildup, stress and thus mental energy expended and then relief to get through (assuming they do) the first round, won’t have them setup well for future rounds.
Questions will be around the pen, around the starters and around Schneider himself, given his last two playoff managing optics. 3 game series would amplify that. 5 isn’t ideal either but they can settle in a little more.
They absolutely need the first round bye, given where they are now.
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