NHL Post-Olympics playoff picture update

With the medals handed out and players returning to their home teams across North America, hockey fans are turning their attention to the NHL postseason and the Stanley Cup. Teams returned to action on Feb. 25 after their month-long hiatus. Let’s take a look ahead at the playoff picture as the trade deadline approaches and the season winds to an end.

Eastern Conference

The Carolina Hurricanes led the Eastern Conference with 82 points, followed closely by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 80 points and two fewer games played.

Atlantic division

The Lightning are frontrunners in this division, somewhat surprisingly followed by the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings. Both the Sabres and Red Wings are hoping to break their playoff droughts this season, with Detroit’s last appearance coming in 2015-16, and Buffalo’s in 2010-2011.

The second through fifth seeds in the division are close, with the largest point margin being just five. However, the Sabres and Red Wings have at least a ten-point gap between the bottom three teams, making it likely that at least one of them will snap their streak and make the postseason.

Rounding out the division, in last place, are the defending back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. Although not mathematically eliminated from contention yet, it is almost guaranteed they will miss the playoffs and their chance to defend Lord Stanley.

Metropolitan division

The conference-leading Hurricanes hold a comfortable position in the Metro, with a seven-point gap to second-place Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina is third in the league, currently in position to continue their postseason push and looking to finally make it past the conference finals, having won their first game in the round since their 2006 Championship last season. However, the Seattle Kraken just snapped the Canes' 12-game point streak in their last game. The Penguins and New York Islanders both have 75 points and are six points ahead of the Capitals in fourth.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers occupy the bottom of the division, pretty securely out of any playoff hopes. The Rangers are 30th in the league and last in the Eastern Conference.

Wild Card

Currently, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins hold the Eastern Conference wild card spots. However, the race is far from over. The Capitals are just two points behind, and the next three teams are separated by only one point. Montreal is just two ahead of Boston, leading with 75 points over Boston’s 73.

With over 20 games remaining for every team, there could be massive change in the standings. One win or loss, or a perfect combination of the two, could completely rearrange who gets a ticket to the post season.

Western Conference

The West Coast is home to the best and worst divisions in the league. Three of the four top teams in the league are in the central division, while the Pacific’s leader in Vegas barely ranks in the top half of the league, coming in at 13th. All other divisional leaders are in the league’s top five.

Central division

The Colorado Avalanche are dominating the league, but seem to be coming back down to earth as the dog days of the season approach. They boast a .758 win percentage, but nearly half of their season’s losses have come in their last 10 games.

The Dallas Stars, on a 10-game winning streak, are beginning to close the gap on the previously untouchable Avalanche, following closely with their 85 points to Colorado’s 91.

The Minnesota Wild round out the top three with 82 points. Only the top five teams in the league have reached 80 points so far. There is a massive drop off outside of the podium, with the Utah Mammoth sitting in fourth with 68 points.

The bottom three teams have less than 60 points. The Central division is all but locked up, and it is almost guaranteed that the current top three will remain far above the rest.

Pacific division

The Pacific Division is home to the league's worst team, the Vancouver Canucks. They are ten points behind the second-worst team, and are the only club to have not yet hit 50 points, 60 games into the 82-game season.

The Golden Knights lead the division, having just recently broken 70 points but also on a three game losing streak. They are followed by the Anaheim Ducks as the young but talented team is starting to emerge as a legitimate contender for some playoff wins. The Ducks were on a five game winning streak before their loss Tuesday, looking to overtake the Golden Knights for first in the division.

There are not insurmountable point differences throughout the division, leaving room for almost anyone to make an end-of-year push for the playoffs. Just eight points separate first and sixth.

Wild Card

The bottom two teams in the league last season have begun their ascent in the standings, with the Nashville Predators sitting in the second spot of the wild card battle, with 67 points. The San Jose Sharks are in third, just three points behind the Predators for a playoff spot.

The Utah Mammoth is just one point ahead of Nashville in the first wild-card seed. Last year, the Sharks and Predators were 32nd and 30th in the league.

The 31st team, the Chicago Blackhawks are 11 points out of the wild card. While they are still struggling, they are picking themselves up from the bottom of the league.

Jenny Karamus is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email jrk6308@psu.edu.