NFL
Is your team a legitimate contender for the NHL Playoffs Eastern Conference title and the Prince of Whales Trophy? We will be auditing their hopes and dreams as they sprint to secure their playoff spots in the final month of the season. I will be back in a few days for the Western Conference. The East has no shortage of big matchups with playoff implications. It will only heat up as we inch towards Game 83 and beyond.
To start things off, we will be breaking things up a little bit. Lists can get boring and repetitive (for both you AND me). We have three simple categories:
Contenders– These are the top teams in the league. We can reasonably expect them to make a deep playoff run this season. Maybe even win a Stanley Cup. These teams are the cream of the crop. They will be very difficult to play against in a 7-game series.
Hopefuls– These teams are solidly in playoff contention, barring a massive fall-off. While they could cause chaos in the earlier rounds, they aren’t exactly expected to go all the way this season. Don’t be fooled, these are still very good teams that have enjoyed success this season.
Pretenders– These are the “bubble teams,” so to speak. Teams whose owners would love to get just a little bit of extra revenue from playoff ticket sales. Yet, you shouldn’t expect very much. While solid squads, they are not quite the caliber of some of the higher-up teams in the league. Cinderella stories are possible, though, remember the 2012 LA Kings historic run despite being the 8th seed? Anything can happen.
Contenders
Tampa Bay Lightning
This should be no surprise to anyone. Tampa has played very well throughout the season. Despite a recent loss to Buffalo in one of the year’s best games, Tampa has playoff experience. They have one of the best goalies of our generation to back them up. They currently sit 4 points behind Buffalo in the standings. Expect them to seriously contend for the Prince of Whales Trophy, especially with Florida likely missing the playoffs altogether. If the playoffs began today, Tampa would be slotted against Pittsburgh. I would take Tampa in that series in 6 or less.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Canes rightfully sit atop the Eastern Conference, playing a brand of team hockey not widely employed in the league. Sebastian Aho currently leads the team in points with 68 but ranks 24th in the league. Leading goal-scorer Seth Jarvis sits 28th in the league with 28 goals. While lacking a “true” superstar on the ice like Macklin Celebrini, Conor McDavid, or Nathan MacKinnon, they have a style of play that dictates what happens on the ice. Carolina can slow the game down and play it their way. This controlling brand of hockey may be boring to casual fans, but it is exhilarating if you root for the Canes. Can they get over the Conference Final hump that has cursed the franchise?
Buffalo Sabres
This is a team that not many people expected to compete this season, let alone look like one that could actually make a run for a Stanley Cup. Tage Thompson has taken a huge step forward with this team. He currently finds himself just outside of the top-10 in goals scored. Sabres legend Lindy Ruff has done a great job with the team, but a much more compelling storyline is that the team got a new GM midseason.
Buffalo was dead last in their division on December 15th, and has since gone 25-5-2, overtaking literally every other team in the Atlantic. Now, they are gunning for a potential top seed in the East. Jarmo Kekalainen has thrust himself into GM of the Year contention despite only taking over the team for half a season. If you want to root for an underdog, here it is. The Sabres have not made the playoffs in 14 years. Incredible stuff from Buffalo, I am genuinely happy for their fans.
Hopefuls
New York Islanders
The Isles have a chance to go deep and are currently slated to face the Pittsburgh Penguins if the playoffs started right now. Between those two teams, I would wager the Islanders can make it to round 2. Led by Barzal and coached by fiery former tender Patrick Roy, the culture shift for the Islanders has been tangible. Add in the fact that D Alexander Romanov has been recovering from surgery much faster than anticipated, and you have a mid-playoffs shot of adrenaline that could lead to a deep run.
Montreal Canadiens
How could I mention the Islanders without mentioning the team that currently sits 2 points ahead of them in the standings? The Habs have been a dangerous team throughout the season, falling victim to what has become an insanely top-heavy division. Despite that, they sit only 2 points behind Tampa Bay. They could snatch home ice with the help of a relatively easy remaining schedule and 2 games left against the Bolts. The future is insanely bright for Montreal, even if they don’t make it very deep.
Columbus Blue Jackets
I know what some readers will think: “Columbus is in 9th place right now. How can they possibly be seen as a team that can go on a deep run?” Well, Rick Bowness has completely flipped this season on its head. He is coaching the Blue Jackets not only into playoff contention, but they also look like an entirely different team that could really make some noise. Rick Bowness famously took the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, riding on a backup goalie, and has coached the hell out of what was a bad Blue Jackets team.
Bowness has coached this team to a 15-2-4 record since being hired, which is a league-best .810 points percentage. One of the hottest teams in the league, they currently sit behind the floundering Red Wings and Boston Bruins for a Wild Card playoff berth. Columbus is 5-1-4 in their last 10 games, earning 14 of 20 possible points and outpacing Boston and Detroit in this stretch. Do NOT sleep on this team.
Detroit Red Wings
The Wings started out the season looking like surefire playoff contenders, but since the Olympic break are 4-4-2, sputtering during a crucial time of the season. Detroit is not lacking in talent. What they are lacking is experience. Watching Detroit play lately has looked more like a panicked team without its captain, Dylan Larkin. What we are likely witnessing is a team that simply hasn’t made the playoffs in 10 years starting to show what inexperience looks like. Larkin is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks. However, should Detroit right the ship and secure their playoff spot, expect them to make some serious noise in the playoffs with a return to form. If they are able to make up a couple of points against Tampa Bay and sneak into the 2 spot in the Atlantic, as well as add Larkin into the mix, look out.
Pretenders
Pittsburgh Penguins
I have admittedly not been the biggest believer in Pittsburgh for most of this season. Especially after Crosby went down in the Olympics for the remainder of the year. Coming off a dominant 7-2 victory against the once-thought-to-be invincible Avalanche, they could start to change minds. This Penguins team has gone through some significant challenges this season, yet still finds itself firmly nestled in a playoff spot, sitting 2nd in the Metro and 4th in the Eastern Conference. The main reason I believe this is fool’s gold?
Their 15 overtime losses are tied only with the LA Kings for the most in the league. The Kings sit 9th in the West and are out of a playoff spot as of this writing. Meanwhile, the Pens seem to be comfortable in their postseason hopes. I am predicting a 1st round exit, especially against competition like the Islanders, Canadiens, or Lightning. Sorry, Pens fans, I call it like it is.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins are not in the middle of a rebuild, but rather in the middle of a retooling of their roster. My main concern with this Boston team is that, as the 8th seed, they would not have home ice at all during the postseason. The Bruins’ home record currently sits at a staggering league-best 25-9-1, while their road record is an abysmal 12-14-6. That’s tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference with the Maple Leafs.
With only 6 of their remaining 15 games being at home and facing a very tough schedule, I don’t foresee any leapfrogging of their Metro competition. That is what they would need to have any hope of securing home ice in a post-season matchup in later rounds, which is still unlikely, as they would be relying on a lower-seeded team to advance and would face off against stout teams in the Metro.
Ottawa Senators
While they haven’t been at the top of anyone’s minds this season when it comes to playoff hopes, the Senators sit 4 points out of a playoff spot. Ottawa actually has the 5th highest goal differential in the East. They are coming off back-to-back wins against two Western Conference playoff teams in Anaheim and San Jose. The Senators have gone 7-1-2. They have a .900 point percentage in the last 10 games, and if they can play well down the stretch, they could squeak out a playoff spot, considering the flailing of the Bruins and Red Wings.
If they make it in, though, it would likely be a 1st-round matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. While lacking playoff experience, the Sabres do not lack skill. It would take a great upset for the Senators to get more than a few extra games in before being eliminated in the 1st round.
Up Next…
Coming soon, I will be doing the same deep dive into the Western Conference. The West has arguably the most muddy waters when it comes to playoffs and matchups, with the top-heavy Central Division dominating the standings. Who will come out of the bloodbath that is the Central? Does the Pacific have a true contender lurking, and can Edmonton overcome its goalie troubles? Don’t worry, I will do the thinking so you don’t have to. Until then, drink lots of water and enjoy the condensed schedule playoff sprint to the best playoffs in sports.
