A wild last two weeks coming up
In the coming weeks, the NHL regular season will come to a close. As of Tuesday, six of the 16 playoff teams have been decided, but the playoff picture is still up in the air. Neither the Vegas Golden Knights nor the Washington Capitals, who both made it to the Stanley Cup last year, have clinched playoff berths. With so much in question, this postseason will be as unpredictable and exciting as ever. According to me, this is how it will all shake down.
Eastern Conference
Unlike last season, this season has a clear frontrunner for the Stanley Cup. The Tampa Bay Lightning have been nothing short of phenomenal this year. With 122 points and five games left, they’ve already clinched the Presidents’ Trophy, which is awarded to the team with the best regular season record. Along with Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins have also clinched a playoff spot. The third spot currently belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have an eight-point lead over the Montréal Canadiens.
The Metropolitan Division is much more interesting. There are still five teams that have a chance of winning the division. The Capitals, New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins are the frontrunners for the division. Washington has 96 points, followed by New York and Pittsburgh’s 95. The Carolina Hurricanes aren’t far behind with 91 points, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are in the race with 86 points. The most likely scenario is that the three frontrunners take the division spots, and the Hurricanes take a wild card spot.
The second wild card spot will be a toss-up between the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets. Both teams have difficult games coming up, but Montréal gets the worst of it. Montréal faces only teams with 78 points or more, while Columbus faces three teams with 71 points or fewer. The key matchup will be the Canadiens playing the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Thursday. Montréal’s fate rests in their own hands, but I think Columbus will take the second wild card spot.
Looking down the road, I think Tampa Bay will probably continue their dominance and win the East and then the Stanley Cup. My dark horse candidate in the East is the Islanders. They’ve only won one playoff series since 1993, but they’ve improved drastically since last year. They’re ranked 22nd in goals scored this season and struggle offensively, but they’re a defensive juggernaut. They lead the league in goals against and shutouts, and they’ve only allowed one shorthanded goal this season.
Western Conference
In the Central Division, the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators have secured their divisional spots. However, the division title is still up for grabs. Winnipeg has 94 points, Nashville has 92 and the St. Louis Blues are close behind with 90. Not a single team from the Central Division has been eliminated from playoff contention. The Chicago Blackhawks are last in the division with 76 points and have seven games left. The Jets, Predators and Blues will likely win the divisional spots, and the Dallas Stars, who currently have 84 points, are a strong bet to win a wild card spot.
In the Pacific Division, the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks have clinched playoff spots with 101 and 95 points, respectively. The Vegas Golden Knights are a surefire bet to clinch the last spot because they have an 11-point lead over the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes are the closest team in the Pacific Division to the second wild card spot with 79 points. Personally, I think they will get it. Arizona trails the Colorado Avalanche by two points, but the Coyotes have a much easier schedule. The two teams face off Friday. Unfortunately for Wild fans, Minnesota’s upcoming schedule is as bad as it gets, and I don’t think a playoff run is in the cards for them.
Calgary leads the West in points, but they haven’t played well recently. Since the trade deadline, they’ve gone 8-6-0. No team stands out as a favorite, which is why I think the Golden Knights have a great shot at making the Stanley Cup again. Since the trade deadline, only the Lighting and Penguins have scored more points. Their 10-2-1 record since could be indicative of how this postseason is going to go. While other teams struggle late in the season, Vegas just might skate past them.