The Stanley Cup playoffs will soon be upon us, as 16 teams will battle it out over four best-of-seven rounds for the Stanley Cup. As of right now, the playoff matchups are far from set — the battle to get into the final spots in the Western and Eastern Conferences probably won’t be decided until the final day of the regular season, but the contenders have pretty much all locked up their playoff spots. Here are a couple of teams that could make a serious run, and ones that just don’t have what it takes to be champion.
Contenders: New York Rangers
Last year’s Eastern Conference champions and runners-up, the Rangers have catapulted themselves to the top of the Metropolitan division. Goalie Cam Talbot should be in the conversation for team MVP, as he posted a .926 save percentage when Henrik Lundqvist was down with injury. Rick Nash has also had a resurgence this year, with 40 goals as of March 29, one shy of his career high. Head coach Alain Vigneault may have a goalie controversy on his hands come playoff time — where have we heard that one before?
Pretenders: Boston Bruins
Boston — if they even make it into the playoffs — would be easy prey for teams such as the Montreal Canadiens or New York Rangers. The Bruins are a shadow of their former selves. The bruisers that won the Stanley Cup against the Canucks back in 2011 just aren’t a dominant force anymore. They are usually one of, if not the top team at even strength, but this year they’ve been just average, scoring only 128 goals and letting in 121. In comparison, last season the Bruins scored 175 and only let in 110. If these trends continue, there is no chance the Bruins make it past the first round.
Contenders: Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild looked down and out just a few months ago. On January 15, the day they traded for Devan Dubnyk, they had 41 points in 42 games, and were just five points up on Arizona. They have won 26 of the 34 games since then, and have catapulted firmly into a playoff spot as a result. It doesn’t hurt that they do have a pretty good team behind Dubnyk, with NHL superstars Zach Parise — who is currently 11th in the league for goal scoring with 30 goals — and Ryan Suter. At the end of the day, the Wild will go as far as Dubnyk takes them, and if he remains the hottest goalie in the NHL, the team could make a serious run.
Pretenders: Calgary Flames
A popular target for a while now, the Flames are simply punching way above their weight. Their advanced metrics are just terrible, with their Corsi for percentage at a paltry 44.7 per cent, 28th overall — behind even Toronto. They are 28th in Fenwick for percentage, and despite this, they’re in a tight battle with LA for one of the final playoff spots, a spot they are far from guaranteed. Whoever is paired with them first round, if the Flames even make it that far, should consider themselves blessed, as playing this team is pretty much like getting a first round bye.
