With most teams having between 23 and 26 games left in their season, the race for the postseason is only just beginning.
The standings in each division/conference are tight, physical play is picking up, and every game is taking on more meaning.
In the Western Conference, seeds 3 through 11 are separated by just two points. In the Eastern Conference, seeds 7 through 11 are separated by only three points.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five teams (in no particular order) currently out of the top eight that have the best chance to get into the postseason.
Philadelphia Flyers (current seed: 11th)
With the all the talent that the Flyers have up front, it is a surprise they sit out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.
The team has lost a significant amount of players to random injuries, and that has negatively impacted them.
Should the team get its lineup together and have everyone healthy, there is no reason why the Flyers cannot rally into the playoffs come the end of the regular season. Players like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Danny Briere, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Vorachek, and Brayden Schenn can produce. When they get hot, they’re some of the best forwards in the game.
While the team’s defence and goaltending is still suspect, a healthy Flyers’ offence might just be the ticket to this year’s playoffs.
Nashville Predators (current seed: 11th)
If the Predators had any kind of consistent offence, there is no doubt they’d be in the top eight in the Western Conference.
The Predators are currently ranked last in the league in goals scored, averaging a paltry 2.08 goals per game. At the opposite end, however, the Predators are fifth in the league in goals against, thanks to the terrific play of netminder Pekka Rinne.
For this team to make the postseason, its offence must start putting the puck in the net. The leading scorer on the Predators, Colin Wilson, has just seven goals.
Should the offence come alive at the right time, however, do not be surprised if Rinne can take this Predators’ hockey team deep into the postseason.
Phoenix Coyotes (current seed: 9th)
After getting all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Coyotes have struggled to play with the same consistency they did last season and currently find themselves one point out of the playoff picture.
One of the main reasons for this has been the inconsistent play of starting goaltender Mike Smith. In 20 games this season, Smith is just 10-7-2 with a 2.97 GAA, a .897 save percentage and three shutouts — statistics well below his marks last season.
Offensively, this club is in the middle of the pack, averaging close to three goals a game. Defensively the team is also right in the middle of the league, but that is uncharacteristic.
If Coyotes’ head coach can get his team back to playing solid defensive hockey and get the great goaltending he got from Smith last season, there is no reason why this team will not be back in the postseason when all is said and done.
Washington Capitals (current seed: 12th)
At some point or another, one must think the Capitals will put their whole game together and take over the Southeast Division.
This hockey club has too much offensive talent to go quietly into that good night. The team’s captain, Alex Ovechkin, has to get back to being the superstar he once.
At the other end of the ice, goaltender Braden Holtby needs to find the game that he played with in the postseason last year. That Holtby was consistent, kept the Capitals in every game and was trouble to score against.
With 24 games left in their season, there is still time to turn things around and become the team that they are capable of being.
Dallas Stars (current seed: 10th)
The Stars always seem to get off to great starts and then fizzle out and miss the postseason.
Considering their roster, this should not happen. The team has offensive depth, a solid defensive core, and a goaltender in Kari Lehtonen who has been an absolute stalwart in net.
The Stars find themselves just one point out of the eight spot, so it’s time to start leaning on players such as Jaromir Jagr, Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Derek Roy, and Lehtonen to take this team to the next level.
The question that remains is whether or not this team will fizzle out at the wrong time again and miss the playoffs.