Yes, the NHL is still a thing
Parity has been dwindling in American sports over the last decade. The Golden State Warriors started four All-Stars in their lineup and were a lock to reach the Finals for a few seasons. In the MLB, due to the trade between the Dodgers and Red Sox, fans are already preparing for a Dodgers-Yankees World Series. The NHL is a different story, however. In last year’s playoffs, all four of the division champions were knocked out in the first round. The reality that any hockey club can make a run for the Stanley Cup makes the regular season all the more important. These are the projected playoff teams as the league currently stands.
Metropolitan
Last season, the Metropolitan Division saw five teams make the playoffs. It’s beginning to look like that could be the case this season as well. The Penguins and the Capitals are tied for the lead at 80 points apiece, but the Penguins have one more game to play. The Flyers currently hold the third position, but they’re followed closely by the Blue Jackets, Islanders and Hurricanes. All six of those teams are in playoff contention, but at least one will miss the playoffs. There are too many games remaining to predict which team will miss, but I’m predicting the Blue Jackets to fall out of the playoffs. They have the second-worst goal differential in their division at zero, trailing only the Devils’ -44. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have a differential of 29, despite being fifth in the division with 72 points.
Atlantic
There are two clear frontrunners in the Atlantic Division: the Bruins and the Lightning. Boston and Tampa have the best records in hockey, at 88 and 85 points respectively. The Bruins have more overtime losses than actual losses this season. Tampa Bay isn’t having the historic season they had last year, but they’re legitimate Stanley Cup contenders at the very least. Following Tampa is Toronto with 72 points, trailed closely by Florida with 70. I’m predicting only three teams from this division to move on, and I believe that the team will be the Maple Leafs. Auston Matthews has been terrific this season. He leads the NHL with 43 goals. Toronto has had injury problems as of late, but I expect them to surge ahead of Florida once D Morgan Rielly returns from his foot injury.
Pacific
The Pacific Division is the worst division in hockey this year. The Golden Knights are on top with just 72 points. There are nine NHL teams with more points than the Pacific Division leader. The division is a five-team free-for-all between Vegas, Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary and Arizona. They are separated by four points or fewer. The most surprising team in this division is the San Jose Sharks, who have fallen from grace. San Jose has had a hard time scoring, despite having two of the best offensive blueliners in the game. Despite the talent of Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, the team has a -40 goal differential.
Central
Equally as surprising as the Pacific is the Central Division. At the bottom of the Central are yet again, Minnesota and Chicago. If you ignore those two clubs, the division looks a lot different than in years past. St. Louis is on track to win the division for the first time in five years. Trailing their 78 points are the Stars at 76 and the Avalanche at 75. Winnipeg is surprisingly in fourth, although they’ve won seven of their last 10 games. The Predators, who have taken the division two years in a row, aren’t in the playoff picture. They’ll need to step up their game if they want a shot at the cup.
The Western Conference as a whole is a dogfight, and anything could happen over the next 20 games. My prediction is that the Jets and Coyotes will make the cut, while the Flames and Predators will fall short, but that’s just a guess. And the fact that we’re all in the dark together is what makes the NHL so great.