NHL playoff push

The NHL playoffs are on the horizon, but many fans forget how exciting the time before the playoffs can be. Suspense, surprises, heartbreaks and miracles await many teams, but whose paths are most interesting? Who’s surging ahead, who’s lagging? Who are the long shots, and whose playoff positions are under threat?

Surging forward: Nashville, Ottawa

On December 19th, Nashville was in last place in the Western Conference. Now, the Predators have surged into the West’s second wild card spot with a five-game win streak, propelled by Filip Forsberg’s 12-point run.

Sitting at 77 points, they have close to no chance to secure a divisional spot in the loaded central division, but continuing their current form would give them a shot to jump Utah and secure the top wildcard spot.

Over in the East, Ottawa is mirroring Nashville's rise from rock bottom. On January 27th, they sat in ninth place in the Conference with 55 points.

Now they have 85 points, tied for the second wildcard spot, and have won four in a row. They will have to fend off the Islanders, Red Wings and Flyers to keep their playoff spot secure.

Lagging Behind: Los Angeles, Detroit

Despite being huge buyers at the deadline, the Kings have fallen out of a playoff spot and lost four straight. Luckily, they compete in the NHL’s weakest division, sitting just four points behind Vegas for third place in the Pacific.

Los Angeles is incredibly talented and has been a regular playoff participant, but they’ll need to pull it together with 11 games left to make it count in what could be Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar’s last season. Maybe it’s time for younger guys like Quinton Byfield and Brandt Clarke to step up and become the leaders?

Detroit was one of the most improved teams this season, and it looked like the Yzerplan was finally working, but the rise of the Sabres has knocked them down from their second-place Atlantic spot in one month. Now they sit a point shy of the last wildcard.

They’ve earned just ten points in that one month and have lost seven of their last ten. Collapses are fresh in the minds of Detroit fans, who are facing what could become a ten-year playoff drought if the Wings don't turn it around. But hey, at least they have the Pistons.

Long Shots: Winnipeg, Philadelphia

The Jets were once a perennial powerhouse in the Central Division, but being usurped by the Wild this season has left them scrounging for a wildcard spot. Considering this year’s decline, nobody would expect the Jets to be in contention, but the second wildcard isn’t totally out of reach for the 72-point Jets in the top-heavy Western Conference.

They’re riding a two-game win streak, and still have swaths of talent in Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor.

The Flyers looked like the East’s new surprise contenders for much of the season, but a mid-season collapse sent them spiraling out of their divisional playoff spot. History looked primed to repeat itself, and first-year head coach Rick Tocchet was under heavy scrutiny.

Miraculously, Philly has won six of the last 10, including seven straight road games, to find themselves five points out of the playoffs. The cherry on top is that they have games in hand over all the teams competing for wildcard spots.

Under threat: Vegas, Montreal

The Golden Knights have looked fraudulent all season, living off overtime-loss points. They’ve had a winning percentage below .500 for most of the season, but have held on to a playoff spot in the weak Pacific Division.

The cracks are really showing now. Losing 9 of their last 13, they’ve already been jumped by the Oilers and Ducks, with the Kings and Kraken hot on their tail. What LTIR magic will they produce this time?

Montreal narrowly holds the Atlantic’s third spot over Boston, but they're tied on points. The Bruins and Senators have heated up after rocky starts, and the Wings are still a threat, while the Canadiens have been up and down all year.

They’ve won six of the last 10, but their multiple sudden drops this season have fans nervous that another losing streak is coming with 12 games left.

The best thing to do would be to jump Tampa for second place and keep their spot more secure, and having two games against them left provides a golden opportunity. These are four-point games in every sense of the phrase.

Gabe Eisenberg is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email gfe5080@psu.edu