With just one month left of the NHL regular season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs picture is taking shape. The regular season concludes on April 17, and the playoffs will begin a few days later. The wild card races are worth keeping an eye on in the remaining weeks.
Both conferences, Eastern and Western, have two wild card spots each. With the races so close, it may come down to the wire for the spots to be determined. Which teams are most likely to score a wild card spot?
Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference race is very tight, especially for the second wild-card spot. Several Eastern Conference teams are in the running for a wild card berth. Teams that have a shot include the Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders.
Ottawa Senators
With 15 games remaining, the Ottawa Senators are sitting in the first wild card spot. MoneyPuck has their playoff odds at 95.6 percent. They’re holding on strong as the season winds down, going 7-2-1 in their past 10 games. The Senators are eight points behind the Florida Panthers and six points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs, so it is unlikely that they would factor into the top three in their division.
The Senators just had a six-game winning streak, which was ended by the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night. The Canadiens are now four points behind the Senators. According to Tankathon, the Senators have the second easiest remaining schedule in the NHL. If they keep playing the way they have been, the teams below won’t be able to catch them for the first wild card.
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens moved into the second wild-card spot after a win on Tuesday night over the New York Rangers. Don’t expect this to stay the same from now through the end of the season since there are many teams in the race. There will be movement, but there’s a good chance that when all is said and done, the Canadiens will sneak into the playoffs. MoneyPuck has their playoff odds at 31.2%. Although the Rangers have higher odds at 35.1 percent, the Canadiens are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games while the Rangers are 4-4-2.
Admittedly, they have a tougher road to grab a wild card berth than the Senators since the Rangers, Red Wings, Blue Jackets and Islanders are all bunched up in the standings. The Rangers are currently just one point behind the Canadiens, but the Canadiens have two games in hand. Considering the Canadiens finished last in the Atlantic Division last year, it would be a remarkable turnaround for them to make the playoffs this year.
Western Conference
Although the Western Conference wild card race is not as stacked as the Eastern Conference, there’s plenty of competition to make it interesting. The Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club are in the running. It’s a tighter race for the second spot than the first.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are in the first wild card position in the Western Conference. According to MoneyPuck, the Wild currently have a 91.7 percent chance of making the playoffs. They’re six points up on the next two teams in the West. They are four points behind the Colorado Avalanche, who are third place in the Central Division. The Wild have struggled with injuries but continue to remain a playoff team. Lately, they have run into a little trouble, though, going 4-5-1 in their past 10 games.
A playoff spot is in the cards for the Wild, but they might face a challenge in keeping the first wild card position. They have some tough match-ups coming up against playoff teams, including games against the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils. Despite this, the Wild will make the playoffs.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are not currently in a playoff spot. They have the same amount of points as the Vancouver Canucks who are in the second wild-card position, but the Canucks have a game in hand. MoneyPuck shows the Blues’ odds of making the playoffs as 44.7 percent, higher than the Canucks, Calgary Flames and Utah Hockey Club, the other teams in the hunt.
With just 13 games remaining, the Blues’ next game is critical, as they play the Canucks on Thursday night. This is a four-point swing, and whichever way it goes will have major playoff implications. Meanwhile, the Flames are just two points back with two games in hand, but they are 3-4-3 in their last ten games. The Blues are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and the Canucks are 5-5-0. Momentum is important, and the Blues are the team with the momentum down the stretch.