Which Teams Will Battle Their Way Into the NHL Playoffs?
The NHL Playoffs are always the most exciting time of the NHL season. Teams step up to a whole new level, memories are made, and the Stanley Cup is handed out each year. Currently, each conference has eight teams representing them. This includes three teams per division and two Wild Card spots per conference. Last year, the Edmonton Oilers faced the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals in an epic thriller. A rematch is possible, but there are many teams looking to notch their names into the Stanley Cup.
Eastern Conference
With the Eastern Conference, the three playoff spots from each division are fairly obvious. From the Atlantic Division, there are the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Tampa Bay Lightning. All three of these teams are fair-locks for playoffs. From the Metropolitan Division, there are the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, and the New Jersey Devils. This trio of teams is the obvious selection for the three guaranteed playoff spots for each division.
However, the two Wild Card spots for this conference are anyone’s guess. In the Atlantic Division, there’s the white-hot Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens, along with the ice-cold but vastly talented Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. There’s a three-way race in the Metropolitan Division between the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Columbus Blue Jackets for a Wild Card spot. My prediction for the two Wild Card spots for this conference are the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. That being said, don’t be surprised if Detroit regains momentum like they did last season and the Islanders continue their momentum, especially if Ottawa and/or Montreal cool off later in the season.
Western Conference
Similar to both divisions in the Eastern Conference, the Pacific Division has three decently locked choices for the three guaranteed playoff spots for the division. These three are the Vegas Golden Knights, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Los Angeles Kings. There is a different story in the Central Division. This is because while the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars are both safe choices for a division spot in the playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild are both in a tight race for the third divisional spot. The safer choice is the Avalanche, but Minnesota can easily snag a Wild Card spot.
Just like in the East, several teams are gunning for a Wild Card spot. The teams in the hunt to secure that second Wild Card spot include the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and the Utah Hockey Club. If St. Louis can continue their current momentum, expect them and Minnesota in the Western Conference’s Wild Card spots. However, Vancouver currently has the same amount of regular season points as St. Louis while having played fewer games.
