It seems as if this NHL season has gone by in the blink of an eye, and teams and fans are eyeing the start of the playoff race.
If you are unfamiliar with how the playoffs work in the NHL, here’s a briefer. Of the 32 teams in the league, only 16 of them will be able to participate. In each division, the top-three teams make it in, totaling 12 teams. The rest of the spots are decided by wildcard spots within the four divisions.
As of right now, each of the divisions except the pacific division have their two top teams clinched for the playoffs. Sitting at the top of the Atlantic Division are the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.
After the Bruins’ record-breaking season last year where they won the Presidents’ Trophy and established a new record for regular season wins, they followed it up with another stellar season.
Sitting in fourth place in the league, they notched 43 wins and 17 losses in 75 games played. With their elite goaltending tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, along with sleek goal-scorer David Pastrňák, they are a team to keep your eye on as the postseason progresses.
Next up with the Metropolitan Division, the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes are your top two teams.
The Rangers, sitting at the top, have their eyes set on the Presidents’ Trophy. They have had an incredible season compared to the past few years. With the new addition of the aggressive forward Matt Rempe and their unparalleled tandem of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, these New York foes are going to be chosen as the Stanley Cup favorites in many NHL fans’ brackets.
Now moving onto the Western division, the Dallas Stars and 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche hold the top two spots.
In terms of the league standings, the Stars are just below the Rangers, at the No. 2 spot. Just like the Bruins, the Stars have a special goalie tandem with Jake Oettinger at the forefront and Scott Wedgewood as the backup. The team has been able to notch 47 wins and 19 losses in 75 games played. The Stars are looking for another Stanley Cup to their name after winning in 2018 and it’ll be interesting to see how their postseason pans out.
Lastly, the Pacific Division.
The Vancouver Canucks are the only team so far to have clinched a spot in the playoffs. The Canucks are usually a team you see sitting at the bottom of the standings, but with new captain defenseman Quinn Hughes and new head coach Rick Tocchet, they have had quite the run this season with 46 wins and 20 losses.
Even though the second spot in the Pacific Division hasn’t been clinched, the Edmonton Oilers have their eyes on it. After a scary start to their season, they moved their way up to eighth in their league and look like a team capable of going far in the playoffs.
In terms of wildcard spots, the teams vying for a clinch include the Capitals, the Golden Knights, the Jets and the Leafs.
As we reach the end of the regular season, NHL fans should keep their eyes glued to the league standings and the last few games as they start making plans for their playoff brackets.