We have less than a month left of regular season hockey and the playoff picture is starting to take shape. The top teams in the East and West, the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning, have locked down their playoff spots and will officially play in the postseason.
Last year, the Predators lost in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Lightning missed the playoffs by just one point. Both are (so far) the only NHL teams to eclipse the 100-point mark, but the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights aren’t far behind.
Sadly, the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks have already been eliminated from playoff contention. Maybe next year!
But what teams are currently on the bubble? With, on average, ten games left for each team, who needs to make up some serious ground as March turns into April?
- Florida Panthers: The Panthers surprised the league and won the Atlantic Division back in 2016, but failed to make the playoffs last season. This is a team that needs a postseason berth for so many reasons and their young core of players, including Aleksander Barkov, who is one of the best and more underrated young players in the league, are motivated to get it done. Unfortunately for them the Atlantic has been tough this season and if they want in it will have to be in a wildcard spot.
- St. Louis Blues: The Blues started off hot, but have struggled as the season has gone on. They went 1-9 through a 10-game stretch in February. They’re in the middle of a tough and unforgiving Central Division, which could ultimately grab both wildcard spots when all is said and done.
- Dallas Stars: One point ahead of the Blues is the Stars, who sit just outside the second wildcard spot. The Stars have just two conference games remaining (both against the Minnesota Wild), so they will have to win as much as they can and hope some Central Division foes slip up down the stretch.
And of course, the New Jersey Devils, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings are clinging to their wildcard spots hoping they’ll be playing well into the month of April. We’ll be watching as it all unfolds.
