fix: don't label a FINAL playoff card as CLINCHER — those stakes belong to the next game

seriesStatus updates with the just-played game's win, so once a card goes
FINAL the is_clincher / is_game7 / is_pivotal predicates point at the
upcoming game. Gate the stake badge, stake blurb, and elimination_count
tally on a non-FINAL gameState so a completed Game 3 that left the series
3-0 reads "Flyers lead 3-0" instead of "Flyers can close it out — Game 3."

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>

app/playoff.py

@@ -112,15 +112,20 @@ def series_blurb(game):
     g = _game_number(game, state)
     leader_name = _leader_name(game, state)
     trailer_name = _trailer_name(game, state)
+    is_final = game.get("gameState") in ("FINAL", "OFF")
 
-    if state["is_game7"]:
+    # Stake / opener blurbs describe what's *about* to happen. For a FINAL card
-        return "Win-or-go-home \u2014 Game 7."
+    # the seriesStatus already includes this game, so the stake really points at
-    if state["is_clincher"] and leader_name:
+    # the next matchup \u2014 fall through to a generic series-score blurb instead.
-        return f"{leader_name} can close it out \u2014 Game {g}."
+    if not is_final:
-    if state["is_pivotal"]:
+        if state["is_game7"]:
-        return f"Series tied 2\u20112 \u2014 pivotal Game {g}."
+            return "Win-or-go-home \u2014 Game 7."
-    if state["is_opener"]:
+        if state["is_clincher"] and leader_name:
-        return "Series opener"
+            return f"{leader_name} can close it out \u2014 Game {g}."
+        if state["is_pivotal"]:
+            return f"Series tied 2\u20112 \u2014 pivotal Game {g}."
+        if state["is_opener"]:
+            return "Series opener"
     if leader_name and trailer_name:
         return f"{leader_name} lead {state['hi']}\u2011{state['lo']}"
     if state["hi"] == state["lo"]:
@@ -138,12 +143,16 @@ def series_badges(game):
     )
     badges.append(round_abbrev)
 
-    if state["is_game7"]:
+    # Stake badges describe the *upcoming* game. Once a game is FINAL the
-        badges.append("GAME 7")
+    # seriesStatus reflects post-game wins, so the predicate now points at the
-    elif state["is_clincher"]:
+    # next card in the series — don't stamp it onto the one that's already done.
-        badges.append("CLINCHER")
+    if game.get("gameState") not in ("FINAL", "OFF"):
-    elif state["is_pivotal"]:
+        if state["is_game7"]:
-        badges.append("PIVOTAL")
+            badges.append("GAME 7")
+        elif state["is_clincher"]:
+            badges.append("CLINCHER")
+        elif state["is_pivotal"]:
+            badges.append("PIVOTAL")
 
     return badges
 
@@ -217,6 +226,10 @@ def today_meta(raw_games, now=None, day_n=None):
             series_letters.add(letter)
         state = series_state(ss)
         max_round = max(max_round, state["round"])
+        # Only pending/live games can still become the clincher or Game 7
+        # today. Once a card is FINAL its seriesStatus points at the next game.
+        if g.get("gameState") in ("FINAL", "OFF"):
+            continue
         if state["is_game7"]:
             g7 += 1
         elif state["is_clincher"]:

tests/test_playoff_series.py

@@ -105,6 +105,22 @@ class TestSeriesBlurb:
         assert "1" in blurb
         assert "Game 3" in blurb
 
+    def test_final_clincher_falls_through_to_leader_blurb(self):
+        # Post-game seriesStatus (3-0) would trigger the clincher branch, but
+        # the FINAL card is already decided — that stake belongs to Game 4.
+        game = make_playoff_game(
+            top_wins=3,
+            bottom_wins=0,
+            top_abbrev="PHI",
+            bottom_abbrev="PIT",
+            top_is_home=True,
+            game_state="OFF",
+        )
+        blurb = series_blurb(game)
+        assert "close it out" not in blurb
+        assert "lead" in blurb
+        assert "3‑0" in blurb
+
 
 class TestSeriesBadges:
     def test_round_1_always_first(self):
@@ -135,6 +151,12 @@ class TestSeriesBadges:
         badges = series_badges(make_playoff_game(top_wins=0, bottom_wins=0))
         assert badges == ["R1"]
 
+    def test_no_stake_badge_on_final(self):
+        # Post-game seriesStatus shows is_clincher true, but CLINCHER refers to
+        # the upcoming Game 4, not the completed card.
+        game = make_playoff_game(top_wins=3, bottom_wins=0, game_state="OFF")
+        assert series_badges(game) == ["R1"]
+
 
 class TestSeriesSummary:
     def test_opener_summary(self):
@@ -285,3 +307,25 @@ class TestTodayMeta:
         games = [make_playoff_game(round_num=4, series_letter="P")]
         meta = today_meta(games)
         assert meta["round_label"] == "Stanley Cup Final"
+
+    def test_does_not_count_final_games_as_elimination(self):
+        games = [
+            make_playoff_game(
+                top_wins=3, bottom_wins=0, series_letter="A", game_state="OFF"
+            ),
+            make_playoff_game(
+                top_wins=3, bottom_wins=1, series_letter="B", game_state="LIVE"
+            ),
+        ]
+        meta = today_meta(games)
+        # Only the LIVE card counts; the FINAL card describes a completed game.
+        assert meta["elimination_count"] == 1
+
+    def test_does_not_count_final_game7(self):
+        games = [
+            make_playoff_game(
+                top_wins=3, bottom_wins=3, series_letter="A", game_state="OFF"
+            )
+        ]
+        meta = today_meta(games)
+        assert meta["game7_count"] == 0