The NHL regular season is approaching the end, which means the playoffs are on the horizon.
The Avalanche claimed the best record in the regular season, finishing with 114 points. The President’s trophy curse has lived on, and a team has yet to win the Stanley Cup when winning the award since 2013.
Many teams made impressive jumps and setbacks, with the Sabres putting it all together, the Panthers suffering injuries to their top players, and the Maple Leafs are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
In the Metro, the biggest surprises were the Pennsylvania squads. Could the Battle of Pennsylvania be in effect for the first time since 2018? Dan Muse is a name to watch for the Jack Adams award for the job he has done in Pittsburgh.
Vegas parted ways with Bruce Cassidy while being in the playoff picture. John Torterella will lead them into the playoffs, and this will be the first time he has been in the postseason since 2019.
Edmonton might have the toughest path for an individual player because Connor McDavid will be without Leon Draisaitl to start the playoffs.
The East is dominant, with four teams finishing with over 100 points. Three of those teams are all inside the Atlantic.
Comparing the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, the east has more depth in terms of competition. The Western Conference is top-heavy with teams such as Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas. In the East, all the Atlantic teams are elite, and Carolina stands out for their consistency and well-coached squad.
The Hurricanes have fared well against the other eastern teams with their conference-leading 32 wins and an outstanding 19-4-1 record against their Metropolitan Division opponents (swept Pittsburgh 3-0 and Flyers 3-0).
Cole Caufield has been worth noting this season with 50 goals for Montreal, while Andrei Vasilevsky is back to peak form in Tampa, recording a 2.32 GAA and 38 wins.
With Kucherov second in points, Vasilevsky putting up elite numbers, the Lightning need to be caught in a bottle, or with their firepower, they can be a major contender to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. One downside is that they have been in the box more than any other team, with over a thousand penalty minutes this season.
In the West, the Avalanche have been the storyline, with them leading in save percentage, goals against average, and their offense leads in goals for per game (3.72 goals for).
Injuries to watch out for are Victor Hedman, who is expected to return on April 15, and Draisaitl, who is expected to be back on April 18.
Edmonton continues to be a force on the power play, leading with a 30.3% success rate. Minnesota, Dallas, Vegas and Carolina are the other teams that have been dominant when having the man advantage.
Goaltending is the most important, and the position can take over a series. Edmonton acquired Tristan Jarry in exchange for Stuart Skinner. The Oilers have gotten to the Stanley Cup in each of the last two seasons. Jarry is 2-6-0 in 8 games with a goals against average of 3.00 and a save percentage of .891 in the playoffs in his career.
Can Dallas finally get over the hump? One of the biggest questions is whether they can reach the Stanley Cup. They have reached the conference finals in each of the last three seasons under Peter DeBoer, who is now with the Islanders. Jake Otteinger holds a 2.56 GAA and a .912 SV%.
Is Buffalo going on a run, or is this a one-and-done? Regardless, the Sabres haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, and ironically, Lindy Ruff was under contract as their head coach. They have gotten great production out of their stars with Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been their best goaltender and could be their lead netminder once the playoffs start.
The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t been able to get to the Stanley Cup final, but have put together great regular seasons. At some point, this core should be able to go on a run with how deep their team is. Their new additions, such as K’andre Miller and Brandon Bussi in the cage have done great things for the team.
The playoffs will be full of energy and excitement. With new teams getting a shot to host the Stanley Cup, these playoffs are more optimistic. Does Dallas get to the cup after three straight conference final appearances? Can Carolina get over the hump? Will McDavid be able to get back to the Stanley Cup for the third consecutive year?
Since Florida is out, a new champion will be crowned. The question is, who will be on that team? Many teams have shown this season that they have Stanley Cup aspirations, like Tampa, Colorado and Vegas. But for now, we wait until someone new lifts Lord Stanley’s fabled cup.
NHL Playoff Matchups (Dates and Times are TBA):
Western Conference:
Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah
Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks
Eastern Conference:
Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers