This just in: NHL teams that spend more, win more

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Money, it seems, not only talks, it wins, at least in the NHL.

Of the nine teams that were estimated to be more than $5 million under the salary cap only two made the Stanley Cup playoffs -- Carolina ($6 million under) as the sixth-place team in the Eastern Conference and Columbus (nearly $7 million under) as the seventh-place team in the Western Conference.

There were four teams more than $10 million under (Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders and, yes, the Kings). Those teams combined had a .414 winning percentage and an average of 77 points. It took 93 points to get into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference and 91 to qualify in the Western Conference.

What’s it all mean? Well, you get what you pay for, apparently (something season-ticket holders should note). Maybe they could re-name it the Stanley Pay-up Playoffs?

-- Chris Foster