140 replies to this topic

[Dark Knight]

Discuss WC and EC playoff races in this thread. Discuss upcoming games, scenarios, future projections.

WEST

Out: LA, Chicago, Edmonton
In: Detroit, Dallas


EAST

Out: TBL, Toronto, NYI
In: Ottawa, Philadelphia

Your thoughts?

[Always Mighty]

I think that you can add Montreal to the In section for the East. I don't have the standings in front of me, but, I believe that they are a point or two behind Ottawa right now.

[adamrice23]

When you say "In" does that mean they have it locked up, or just have a lot of points?

[Dark Knight]

When you say "In" does that mean they have it locked up, or just have a lot of points?

I mean locked up.

[Duckbill]

where you getting this from? I don't see anything on any set of standings yet indicating that.

[Dark Knight]

where you getting this from? I don't see anything on any set of standings yet indicating that.

Getting it from my opinion of who already locked it up and who is out. What's your opinion?

[DucksPT]

I think San Jose will be there, I'd be very surprised if they didn't get there.

Things are very, very competitive....

[Duckbill]

Getting it from my opinion of who already locked it up and who is out. What's your opinion?

I tend to hold off on such talk until mathematical elimination myself, but I don't dispute your opinion in the slightest. "It aint over til it's over."

[Duckbill]

While i'm not going to make any projections about who has locked up a spot or who won't make it in, this thread does have me thinking, especially about a small handful of teams.


Tampa Bay

Because of the weak Southeast decision the Lightning are only seven points out of a playoff spot AND hold a game in hand on every team in the Southeast Division. At this stage in the season It looks like the Lightning should be out of it, seven points is a lot after all, but if they get hot then they could still make a run. The Lightning end their season with eight consecutive games against division opponents, which put them in a position to directly challenge the teams in front of them.

It's hard to think of this team and not associate them with last year's playoff team and the 2003/2004 Stanley Cup team, but I need to just that and not let nostalgia get in the way of painting a rosy picture where TB salavges their season. The Lightning are going to have an incredibly difficult time of accomplishing this task unless they see some immediate improvement in their defense, specifically their goaltending. A save percentage under 90% is not contusive to winning hockey. I think they will need to do everything they can in the offseason to find a goalie, and good ones are in short supply for the time being.


Pittsburgh Penguins

They're only 3 points out of having the best record in the Eastern Conference and have remained a winning team even without Sidney Crosby in the lineup. Ty Conklin has been great for Pittsburgh this year although his performance hasn't been quite what it was during his ten game winning streak. Like the ducks last year, they're a young team who earned some badly needed playoff experience the year before and are hoping to use that in the next round. That building is going to be awfully hostile for opposing teams too, the Pens just sold out their 41st consecutive home game and tickets are still in short supply. They've only lost three times in regulation 2008!

The only questions left for this team, are how well will Sidney Crosby's ankle hold up when he returns, and if the Penguins beat a team like Ottawa in a prolonged playoff series. The Pens were a good team last year but when they were matched against the eventual East champions they folded easily.

Vancouver Canucks

What in the hell happened to these guys? A month ago they were sitting at #2 in the Western Conference and now they're sitting one spot out of the playoff race and are fourth in their division. The "Lou"s are going to turn into boos if the Canucks fail to meet the expectations their fans placed on them this year. The Nucks are rumored to be a top canididate to land Mats Sundin if the Leafs decide to actually trade him, but Vancouver might not make that type of move now if they don't think it will get them to a Stanley Cup.

You have to give them a little bit of an edge if they make the playoffs. Few teams can say they have a goaltender as good as Luongo, but as last year proved, you can beat Luongo if his teammates can't score in front of him. The Canucks went into overtime in a lot of games and did not have a lot of offensive firepower. Of the five games with the Ducks in the playoffs last season, Vancouver managed to score two goals in regulation only once.

[LightItUp4126]

Bruins will not be in the playoffs this year. Too many injuries and not enough talent.

[Poker Face]

If the Blues keep their slump going for a few more games then I think you can add them to the "Out" group. I think the Wild will make it to the postseason too, they've been good all year.

[Duckbill]

I'd agree with the Blues being on the outside looking in, I would have disagreed with you last month because they were playing okay and had a big games in hand advantage like San jose. That gap with the rest of the league has closed though with the Blues not being able to do much about it.

[Poker Face]

I'd agree with the Blues being on the outside looking in, I would have disagreed with you last month because they were playing okay and had a big games in hand advantage like San jose. That gap with the rest of the league has closed though with the Blues not being able to do much about it.

The Blues have been struggling offensively for pretty much the whole season, except during the first month when Kariya, Boyes and Tkachuk were clicking. Since then they've been placed on separate lines from time to time for more balanced scoring but that hasn't helped the Blues at all and adding McDonald to the group has not provided the offensive firepower they needed. Plus their PP sucks but the Blues are a young team and it can only get better from here. But they won't make it to the playoffs this year though.

[DropThePuck]

Ask around and you'll hear the conventional wisdom that it'll take 93 points to ensure a playoff berth in the Western Conference. Detroit and Dallas should have their spots wrapped up in a week or so. Anaheim -- anyone notice they're 11-1 over the last month? -- and San Jose aren't far behind. Calgary and Minnesota, tied atop the Northwest Division thanks to the Flames' 1-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday night, look like safe bets to advance.

That means six of the eight available berths appear to be accounted for. While only Los Angeles is truly out of contention, it says here that the race for the final two spots will come down to three teams.

<link to teams on the bubble analysis>

[DropThePuck]

You know the league would love for Ovechkin to make it. There hasn't been a human highlight like this guy in the league since Gretzky — and even No. 99's feats were sometimes so subtle that the average ESPN viewer wouldn't get it. Ovechkin hits you over the head with goal after goal — he is exactly what the NHL needs, in a market that was dying, no less.
...
The series of the playoffs however, could be in Round 1 if Anaheim and San Jose meet right away. Yikes — either of those teams could go to the Cup, but only one might make it to the second round.

<link>

[DropThePuck]

There were three factors, according to Reinhart, that determined the outcome of a playoff series, he said, riffing on an old real estate line. "The first is goaltending," he said, pausing briefly for dramatic effect, "and the second and third are goaltending and goaltending."
...
"When you look at teams that win in the end, the three things that really stick out are goaltending; winning games in overtime, which is really significant, really important; and no injuries."
...
--- Question: How will Anaheim, after being shut out in back-to-back games, fare down the stretch without their second-leading scorer Corey Perry, out with a lacerated leg, probably for the rest of the regular season and maybe into the first playoff round as well? Perry's 29 goals led the Ducks; from there, it's a long drop down to Ryan Getzlaf at 21, Chris Kunitz at 19 and then Todd Bertuzzi at 13. Here's how thin the Ducks offence gets. After only 13 games, Teemu Selanne has seven goals; among the forwards who've been on the roster all season, only the aforementioned four have scored more.

<Globe and Mail link>

[DropThePuck]

From The Point: Eye towards the playoffs

Meanwhile, center Ryan Getzlaf might be feeling a bit nostalgic. The Oilers swiped mammoth winger Dustin Penner in the off-season, and now an errant skate blade (belonging to Avs goalie Jose Theodore) sliced Corey Perry’s right quad tendon and the ultra-smooth right winger figures to miss at least the first round of the post-season. The Ducks recalled Bobby Ryan to replace Perry.

<link to THN's tongue-in-cheek look at rest of the teams>

[DucksSnip]

well the way its looking right now, i think if we dont win the div.(which will be tuff)we will be either the 4th or 5th seed..since the 4th and 5th seed will most likey be from the pac. it wont really matter if we are the 4th or 5th seed....
so what im thinking is that i looks like in the 1st round we will most likely play either dallas or san jose...that is a very tuff 1st round, hope we can some how find a way to win the div.

[DropThePuck]

Stars, Sharks and Ducks - oh my! - make for tight Pacific Division race

[DropThePuck]

With 11 games left in the regular season, the Ducks are in line to be seeded No. 5.

They still have work to do to lock down a playoff spot, but a near-collapse would be the only thing that would prevent the defending champions from advancing to the postseason.
...
* San Jose.
...
* Minnesota.
...
* Dallas.
...
* Calgary.

<link to LAT article posted in Media Roundup>

[DropThePuck]

Thanks to Itlan for finding this article!

If there is to be a North-South playoff showdown in California this spring, the series will feature two of the League's elite teams and will no doubt be contested at a much higher level. San Jose's 88 points place the Sharks third overall in the NHL, while defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim's 85 points tie them for fifth overall. Both teams are among the NHL's toughest defensively, with the Ducks ranking third in goals against per game (2.31). The Sharks, who have yet to lose since obtaining defenseman Brian Campbell from Buffalo on Feb. 22, rank fourth (2.32).

<link to NHL.com article posted in Media Roundup>

[Duck304]

It's pretty obvious that Dallas is going to be our first round opponent, home ice or not.

[DropThePuck]

"Everyone always says home ice doesn't matter, but if it comes down to a Game 7, every team would rather play that at home," defenseman Sean O'Donnell said. "I think a lot of these series in the West, especially, are going to be going six or seven games."

<link to OCR article posted in Media Roundup>

[Poker Face]

DK, I think you were a bit quick to count out the Oilers As of today, the Oilers are still not completely out of it and if they keep playing their last 8 games like they have played their previous 10 games then god knows what could happen. But for that to happen either the Canucks, Flames or the Avs would have to suck very badly.

[Duck304]

The Oilers won't qualify, but they sure won't be a lottery pick.