The scent of spring and playoff races are beginning to take wing once more and there’s no extra time to waste a sport right here or there. Each level issues in those previous few weeks and if you happen to get started trending in a single path or any other, it may well be a hallmark of the way your season may finish.
And, are you able to imagine it, one month from as of late the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start. The season has been a flash and now we are ramping up for a very powerful time of 12 months. With that during thoughts, we made up our minds to run down the nineteen groups nonetheless concerned within the playoff race — whether or not deeply or loosely — and pose one query on every of them.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Florida Panthers: Can Sergei Bobrovsky ship?
It is been 5 years since Sergei Bobrovsky gained a Vezina and 4 since he was once at his true height. In his first two years with the Panthers, Bobrovsky’s play was once an issue — .900 save proportion adopted by way of a .906. In seven post-season video games with the Panthers, Bobrovsky has allowed no less than 4 targets towards in 4 of them. Now, there may be explanation why to be hopeful he is figured it out once more in 2021-22. He is twelfth by way of GSAA, has a .916 save proportion and is raising once more in recent years. This Panthers staff is most probably the most efficient the group has ever iced, with loopy intensity at ahead particularly defining them. However one unhealthy stretch from the goaltending can sink all of it and Bobrovsky hasn’t impressed sparkling self assurance in a pair years — so is he as much as the duty?
Tampa Bay Lightning: After back-to-back wins, do they’ve sufficient within the tank for a 3rd?
Glance, the East is shut with a ton of contenders, however if you happen to needed to guess your lifestyles financial savings on considered one of them presently, it will be exhausting not to cross with the Lightning once more. They’ve the goalie who may pull them thru on his personal, by no means thoughts the celebrity energy constructed up that makes the Lightning a power. GM Julien BriseBois even rebuilt his 1/3 line at the fly on the closing date. Their roster is robust sufficient to get out of the East once more, however nobody has performed as a lot hockey because the Lightning over the last two seasons and it is honest to wonder whether they’ve sufficient gasoline left within the tank to head run in the course of the gauntlet once more.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Will Jack Campbell be OK?
Set to go back to the lineup after a few weeks away, Campbell comes again from a rib damage simply as Petr Mrazek is compelled out six weeks. For the reason that Leafs did not herald any other goalie on the closing date, it is all on Campbell from right here — and he has an .882 save proportion since Jan. 1. He has a couple of weeks to stand up to hurry once more and we will have to perhaps permit that to play out a bit of (heh), however there is some unquestionably in-market drive at the goalie to turn he can stabilize issues right here in an instant.
Boston Bruins: Do they’ve sufficient ahead intensity to head on a run?
The Bruins upgraded their blue line on the closing date and, we will have to say, Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy are coming in combination fantastically. However what about up entrance? Playoff accidents are a ensure and groups that cross on lengthy runs have a tendency to have to succeed in past their fourth strains. Now, the Bruins have a very good core of leaders up entrance — Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Taylor Corridor, David Pastrnak. However past that? Jake DeBrusk, with targets in 3 instantly, has been mighty streaky. There was once some query if the Bruins wanted so as to add a second-line centre to improve on Erik Haula; Charlie Coyle has crowned out as a third-liner. Anton Blidh, Jack Studnicka and Marc McLaughlin (who has one NHL sport performed popping out of the NCAA) are the primary 3 to name on. Will or not it’s sufficient?
Carolina Hurricanes: Will they be apologetic about now not doing extra on the closing date?
It was once an competitive building up within the East, the place maximum of closing date season’s largest patrons got here from. And it isn’t that Carolina wanted to do anything else main. On paper, they are lovely entire and are most sensible 5 in 5-on-5 anticipated targets proportion, pictures for proportion and save proportion. They’ve the sixth-best energy play and No. 1-ranked penalty kill. However as everybody round them took some giant cuts, the Hurricanes waited for the closing moment to obtain Max Domi, an all-offence hail-mary they hope hits, or on the very least offers intensity mins. However this staff has struggled to recover from the playoff hump — they have been eradicated by way of Boston (two times) and Tampa Bay previously 3 playoffs, and the Canes earned a overall of 2 wins in the ones 14 video games. In the event that they in a similar fashion peter out in 2022, will they appear again on the closing date in be apologetic about?
NY Rangers: Can they conquer some questionable underlying numbers?
Believe this: the Rangers rank twenty fourth within the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring probabilities towards consistent with 60 mins, twenty third in anticipated targets towards, fifteenth in pictures towards, and thirtieth in Corsi For proportion. All of the ones marks are worst amongst Jap Convention playoff groups and do not scream “powerhouse.” However additionally it is true the Rangers have the fourth-best issues proportion within the league, some unhealthy celebrity ability top within the lineup and doable award winners on ahead, defence and in web. Igor Shesterkin is their difference-maker and there is a explanation why he is getting Hart Trophy buzz. However the playoffs are relentless and there aren’t any cushy touches within the East, so can the Rangers make stronger on a few of these underlying developments come post-season, or will they have the ability to conquer that go with the flow of play if they do not?
Pittsburgh Penguins: Is that this in point of fact the closing dance?
Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust are all nonetheless unsigned, and regardless that we would be stunned if Malkin does in point of fact depart, it sort of feels slightly conceivable the opposite two may. The Penguins are firing on all cylinders, some distance exceeding maximum pre-season expectancies that have been knowledgeable by way of 3 instantly first-round exits. Tristan Jarry may simply be a query right here, following up closing season’s post-season crisis with a cast 2021-22, however this may well be the general run this staff has till a few of that core begins to return aside.
Washington Capitals: Are they a forgotten staff within the East being underrated, or a step under the opposite seven?
The Bruins’ surge has left the Capitals within the mud, and the in all probability first-round opponent for the East’s most sensible seed. Whilst they looked for a goalie on the closing date, the Caps got here away with most effective a few minor provides. They do not have stand-out underlying numbers, backside part of the league in Corsi, anticipated targets and exact targets proportion over the last couple of months and they are 6-9-2 since Feb. 1 towards groups these days occupying a playoff place.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Colorado Avalanche: Can Nazem Kadri steer clear of an premature suspension — and can we want to ask the similar about Nathan MacKinnon?
Kadri is having a profession season simply in time for a brand new contract he may chase as a UFA, and as Colorado’s 2C he holds crucial position of their trail to luck. However there is additionally a troubling historical past right here, as Kadri was once suspended within the 2018 and 2019 playoffs, main the Maple Leafs to industry him, after which was once given an eight-gamer within the 2021 post-season with Colorado. Interim, regardless that MacKinnon has now not been suspended, he has had a pair shut calls this season, first with Nolan Patrick after which with a linesman. He is been taking part in with an fringe of frustration that turns out prone to blow at any second. The Avs can not find the money for to lose both.
Minnesota Wild: Are they ready to step into the higher tier of contenders?
The Wild have been fading in February and at risk of slipping right into a wild card berth, however GM Invoice Guerin threw warning to the wind on this ultimate season ahead of debilitating cap consequences complicate his plans for the following 3 years. Nic Deslauriers and Jacob Middleton for tricky mins up entrance and on defence, and Marc-Andre Fleury to shore up the goaltending that had begun to be a query mark. They are 5-0-1 for the reason that closing date now and Fleury’s most effective performed two video games. How will have to we recall to mind the Wild? They gave the favoured Golden Knights a run to seven video games in closing 12 months’s first around, so they’ve that have, and we’ve got noticed them most sensible of desk — within the first two months of the season they have been tied with Calgary for the second-best issues proportion within the Western Convention. Are they a staff that may most sensible out at successful a around or two, or are the Minnesota Wild ready to step up previous that?
Nashville Predators: Are they all of the long ago, or first-round fodder?
If now not for a fantastic run within the latter levels of closing season by way of goalie Juuse Saros that made him a Vezina contender, the Predators would have ignored the playoffs and who is aware of how a lot extra exchange GM David Poile would have introduced on them in the summertime than he did. Now, this 12 months’s staff is getting throw again years from Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene, a possible 100-point defenceman in Roman Josi, and Tanner Jeannot’s rookie upward thrust out of nowhere. However that West is hard and the Predators may well be taking a look down the Flames or Avalanche in Spherical 1. Acknowledging that, sure, Saros may scouse borrow a chain on his personal, if the entirety is equivalent are the Preds again as a lurking disenchanted or sure to be a first-round warmup?
Calgary Flames: Are they Canada’s superb Stanley Cup hope?
They’ve some of the superb strains within the sport this season, some of the superb defence pairs, and some of the superb, maximum constant goalies. In contrast to Edmonton or Toronto, the Flames did not have a laundry listing of issues to handle, or consider addressing, on the closing date. They did upload a few forwards in Tyler Toffoli and Calle Jarnkrok to construct out some unhealthy intensity, and that may assist them stay tempo with Colorado, a staff they’d 3 tight battles with in March. Closing 12 months’s Habs made it to the general as an not likely Cinderella, however those Flames glance legitimate and is also Canada’s superb hope to win it taken with the primary time since 1993.
Edmonton Oilers: Do they’ve the staff defence to hold directly to a playoff spot and win a around?
Scoring intensity, staff defence and goaltending were the main explanation why the Oilers dropped out of the playoffs early the previous two seasons. All of the ones issues are provide with this 12 months’s staff, too, with perhaps some enhancements. There are those splits within the staff’s play below Dave Tippett, in comparison to how they have been going below Jay Woodcroft since he was once promoted on Feb. 10:
It is been a promising flip needless to say, and one thing that will have to stay up because the video games get harder and tighter. Then you definitely understand how they have blown some contemporary leads — together with Friday’s 4-1 merit over the Blues — and you notice professional causes to doubt this staff nonetheless hang-out the halls. That is any other scenario, regardless that, that in point of fact does additionally boil right down to the goaltending. Mikko Koskinen or Mike Smith do not want to scouse borrow a chain — they simply can not blow one.
Los Angeles Kings: Are they a 12 months forward of agenda, or about to head off?
The Kings have so much going for them and a pleasing mixture of a tender crew of gamers they drafted with an getting older core that is nonetheless striking round and contributing. They have been unquestionably monitoring in the appropriate path entering 2021-22, however did we think them to problem for moment within the Pacific and home-ice merit? Offence is a problem, however operating Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault (who in reality is scoring, by way of the best way) as your most sensible two centres may assist decelerate an opponent’s offence. However is a long term somewhat within the playing cards, or will 2022 be in regards to the “revel in” of the playoffs to construct on for later?
St. Louis Blues: How does the goalie scenario evolve within the ultimate weeks and who begins Recreation 1?
Could not have noticed this coming in the beginning of the season, however Ville Husso has taken over within the web, incomes 10 March begins to Jordan Binnington’s 4. However, as we all know, the goaltending place may also be fickle and a month is a very long time of their global. As just right as Husso has been, we will have to notice he posted simply an .898 save proportion in the ones March begins and so we marvel how this image may nonetheless exchange ahead of Recreation 1, after which what occurs as soon as the puck drops at the post-season. Binnington wasn’t a lot better closing month both, however it seems like there is nonetheless room for an argument to brew right here.
Dallas Stars: Do they’ve sufficient offence?
This isn’t a brand new query for the Stars and, in truth, adopted them into the 2020 playoffs once they went all of the method to the Stanley Cup Ultimate. In that season, Dallas went in averaging 2.58 targets consistent with sport, twenty sixth within the league. This season they are in reality higher, averaging 2.89 consistent with sport to rank nineteenth (targets are up across the league this season). This is higher than most effective Los Angeles amongst playoff groups. They’re successfully a one-line staff relating to scoring. As they confirmed in 2020, this may also be conquer with nice goaltending, which might nonetheless be conceivable now with Jake Oettinger.
Vegas Golden Knights: Bad wild card staff, or slipping out of rivalry?
Robin Lehner seems with reference to returning, in order that’s one certain. Max Pacioretty, Mark Stone, and Reilly Smith all stay out — and regardless that their statuses are unclear, it is going to require some finesse to suit everybody again in if they are wholesome in-season. We aren’t used to seeing Vegas battle like this. During the last two months, their .479 issues proportion is tied with Arizona for twenty third within the league, and it is the lowest amongst all playoff groups. The temptation is, regardless that, that if they may be able to simply get into the playoffs and feature everybody go back, the previous Vegas may well be again and provides the next seed an actual exhausting time. However is that in reality how it will play out in the event that they did finally end up making it? It will be so much to be expecting the staff to straight away flip the faucet again on once more after being so banged up all 12 months.
Winnipeg Jets: What does this closing push imply for the low season?
The Jets don’t seem to be slightly as shut as they seem. Simply 4 issues out of the wild card-holding Golden Knights, Winnipeg most probably has to fret extra in regards to the Dallas Stars, who’re 3 issues forward of them with 3 video games in hand. Extra importantly for Winnipeg, their closing 13 video games will assist tell what comes subsequent within the low season. What wishes to switch after the sort of disappointing season? Who may also be a part of the answer?
Vancouver Canucks: Can Thatcher Demko elevate them to an not likely playoff berth?
We are in point of fact stretching it right here describing the Canucks as “within the playoff race” — they input Saturday with only a 2.3 consistent with cent likelihood in step with Cash Puck. However I am not right here to snuff out hope. The Canucks’ overachievement that appeared they have been striking round has began to offer and now, with odds this lengthy, their street again depends on one participant: Thatcher Demko. The Canucks want a miracle and their most effective hope could be Bubble Demko. Can the goalie scouse borrow all the video games the remainder of the best way? That is principally Vancouver’s trail right here. (Did I simply snuff out hope?)
