1. The chaos caused by the Metro project creates an opening for issues
I've always believed that the Washington Capitals are solid, yet not exceptional. According to Clear Site Analytics from the past few seasons including the 4 Nations Face-Off, their performance has lagged behind in terms of expected goal differential. It’s normal for teams to go through tough periods, but this trend warrants some scrutiny regarding their overall approach.
When looking at the bigger picture, how might the Metropolitan Division fare in the playoffs? There appears to be potential for an unexpected deep run by one of the teams. While I don't expect them to falter against Montreal or the Rangers in the opening round, they may become more vulnerable during the second round.
2. Could it possibly be Carolina or New Jersey then?
We're set for a matchup between the Hurricanes and the Devils, where Carolina is expected to have an edge, though not too significant. Interestingly, since trading away Mikko Rantanen, the Hurricanes have caught fire. In his place, Logan Stankoven has contributed with six points across 11 games, and the team boasts a record of 9 wins against only 2 losses during this period. Everything appears perfectly aligned now.
The Hurricanes are speedy and top the NHL in shot-attempt differential, which means they will likely dominate many teams. During the playoffs, facing such pressure requires stellar goaltending, but unfortunately for the Capitals, Logan Thompson has sustained an upper-body injury.
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I doubt the Hurricanes consider themselves a major Stanley Cup contender this season, but it isn't entirely out of the question that with a favorable matchup, they could end up in crucial games later in the playoffs. And once they get that far, who knows what might happen?
3. The Canadiens could potentially freeze out the wildcard race by Tuesday.
Could they possibly get caught? Absolutely.
But only if they don't play well.
They have three upcoming games against teams that haven't made the playoffs yet:
Saturday: vs. Philadelphia
Sunday: At Nashville
Tuesday: vs. Detroit
Assuming Montreal wins four out of their remaining seven games, bringing their total to 79 points after 75 games—which seems like a plausible estimate—they’d end up with 89 points. In this scenario, for Columbus to overtake them, they'd need an impressive record of 6-1-1. Meanwhile, the Rangers would have to secure five victories out of their last seven matches to take the position from Montreal; however, their closing fixtures include tough matchups against Carolina away, Florida away, and Tampa Bay at home, making it quite challenging for them.
Therefore, over the coming five nights, Montreal faces three lower-ranked opponents (once they face Detroit on Tuesday, which could determine their elimination and might make them less enthusiastic), whereas the Blue Jackets have matches against three teams that are competing for the playoffs.
A three-game winning streak pretty much seals it for Montreal. Time to step up, Habs fans.
4. The Bruins performed badly ... or did they?
Despite not always finding success, the Toronto Maple Leafs have proven adept at "tanking." After hitting rock bottom during a tough year, they secured Auston Matthews and promptly climbed their way back into playoff contention. This has led to an impressive streak of nine consecutive postseason appearances, the best in the NHL.
This year, the Boston Bruins were a serious contender for both playoffs and the top spot within their division in the Atlantic, yet the season began poorly and deteriorated further. From issues surrounding the Jeremy Swayman contract dispute to ultimately trading away team captain Brad Marchand, things only went downhill.
Nevertheless, if we rewind three months to early January, they were ranked third in the Atlantic division, battling against Florida for a more favorable playoff seeding position. At that time, Florida led them by five points. Just two weeks after that, their standing dropped out of the wildcard positions, and here’s where things stand now:
Way behind at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a goal difference of -55.
I used the draft simulator tool. Tankathon five times, and during those initial five simulations, they selected 5 th , 5 th , 1 st , 1 st and 4 th .
They're more probable to end up picking sixth rather than first, yet the top five prospects in this draft are expected to be exceptionally talented. Despite their underwhelming season, the Bruins possess sufficient high-caliber players such as David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Jeremy Swayman, Elias Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov. They might capitalize on these assets over the offseason and position themselves strongly for a playoff spot next year, potentially securing an upcoming All-Star caliber player through the draft.
5. Is it possible for the Predators to do the same?
This season was a disaster for The Predators, possibly due to their significant offseason acquisitions (Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault), who seemed like rejected suitors, spurned by the teams they had hoped to join. However, as evident from the Tankathon image provided, they're now looking at securing one of the first five draft picks.
However, it's important to mention that the core statistics for the Preds are surprisingly strong for a team in such a position. st They possess the puck. a lot Even after considering score effects and taking into account "Ice Tilt" from AWS, their goaltending performance has been below par compared to usual standards. Could an effective off-season strategy along with some internal development make them a surprising contender next season?
6. The West hasn't fully stabilized yet, but it's nearly there.
The Flames likely aren't fond of the Wild's upcoming schedule. Minnesota still has six games to play, with only one of those opponents currently qualifying for the playoffs.
The Flames would definitely secure a playoff spot in the East, where 90 points would be enough to qualify. However, they're in the West, and the Wild still have six games remaining with a comfortable lead.
Should Minnesota end up with a record of 3-3 in their remaining matches, they would accumulate an additional six points, bringing their total to 95. In this scenario, Calgary would need to secure at least 6 victories out of 7 possible wins to surpass them since they would fall behind based on the regulation win tiebreaker; thus, achieving only 5 wins, 1 loss, and 1 overtime/shootout loss wouldn't be sufficient for Calgary to overtake Minnesota.
The Flames’ schedule:
If the Wild have a record of 2-4, then a 5-2 performance appears much more achievable for Calgary. However, the key factor here is that Calgary needs Minnesota to struggle against weaker teams.
Another possibility is that the Blues falter and end up with a record of 2-3 or even worse, which would allow the Flames to reach 95 points, potentially giving them the edge in tiebreakers by then. This scenario isn’t out of the question considering St. Louis’s challenging upcoming games.
Utah and the Canucks have officially parted ways.
7. So, Dallas?
I must admit, I didn't anticipate this turning into a competition at any stage, however, brace yourselves:
Since the trade deadline, Dallas has suffered two losses and will conclude their season facing three relatively weak teams. With four points separating them and an extra game in hand, the competition remains tight, making this a crucial race for the Jets. Winning now could mean the distinction between reaching the Stanley Cup Finals and being eliminated in the first round.
8. Head-to-head combat
It’s great that Edmonton and Los Angeles will face each other twice towards the end of the season. Their first match is on April 5 in Los Angeles, followed by their second game on April 14. th , in Edmonton. Hockey Night in Canada It’s the first out of the two, which I equally adore. Given that the Kings boast the top home record in the NHL, surpassing them might just be another worthwhile competition to win.
9. The Leafs control their own destiny in the Atlantic
What we're examining here is the consecutive games against Florida and Tampa Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both matches will take place within the state of Florida.
Claim the top spot in the division and face Ottawa, a dynamic young squad that could still commit some errors—unlike the Maple Leafs' previous first-round adversaries who rarely made such slips.
Come in second place in your division, and you're embroiled in a fierce battle just to advance to the next stage.
The Leafs have never claimed the Atlantic Division title before, but they could really set this season apart by beginning their journey there.
10. Exciting races for everyone's season
It's delightful having numerous excellent plotlines during the last couple of weeks of the season, and everything still seems to be thriving. it’s anyone’s Cup as I mentioned earlier.
If Canada has been awaiting an opportunity – and we have – this year presents the gate swinging wide open.