We’re midway by the NHL season, which is now meant as a tool to make everybody look silly. Or actually, to make me look silly, which isn’t all that tough, as a result of I’m silly. After 41 video games, we should always have an concept of who’s what and who’s going the place. However within the Japanese Convention, we actually don’t. There are arguably six to eight groups which can be vying for 2 wild-card spots and one or two automated playoff spots. And because of the three-point video games the NHL likes to toss at followers, particularly within the second half of the season when issues tighten up, it’s solely going to get murkier.
Proper now, solely a pair groups have separated themselves. The Rangers, Bruins and Panthers look to be the category of the convention, and have locked in automated playoff spots. None are actually good, although it’s scary that the Rangers are right here with out Igor Shesterkin taking part in all that effectively, and the Bruins don’t have any top-six centers worthy of the title. However they’re the place they’re.
The remaining? A blob. The wailing from Philadelphia can already be heard, because the Flyers’ gulag will scream that they’re 4 factors away from the wild-card spots proper now and that just about cements them into the playoffs, and certain into the automated spots. They’re nonetheless the Flyers, who aren’t purported to be right here and Carter Hart has been backing up since a sizzling begin. We’re one Tortorella meltdown from true hilarity, and that’s at all times across the nook with him.
That leaves eight groups inside six factors of one another for the third spot in each divisions, in addition to the 2 wild-card spots. Making this worse is there are two groups who don’t have any enterprise within the midst of this, however are gumming this up. And they’re the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders.
The Capitals are supposed to merely exist as a car for Alex Ovechkin to chase down Wayne Gretzky’s all-time targets report. As a substitute, Ovi isn’t scoring and the Caps are one way or the other good. Besides each “somehow” and “good” must be in quotes, as a result of it’s unclear what they do effectively and the way they’re the place they’re. The Caps don’t carry play in any respect, and, in actual fact, are severely underwater in possession metrics of any form. They’ve one of many worst energy performs within the league, the penalty kill is merely common and so they solely get OK goaltending. They don’t generate a lot off either the rush or off the forecheck They’ve a -24 goal-differential and but are one level out of a wild-card spot. They should regress again into the expected muck for everybody’s sanity.
The Islanders may be even worse, however no less than they’re explainable. They get nice goaltending at even-strength, which retains video games shut sufficient that they will normally get to time beyond regulation because of the one line of competence they’ve in Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. The Isles have 10 OTLs, probably the most within the league, and you may be certain most of these needs to be regulation losses that they stretched past 60 minutes because of Sorokin or Varlamov. Their goal-difference is -20, they stink, they’re boring and they should go away, too.
Clouding the image extra are groups which can be good, however both by rotten luck or one explicit facet of their play, can’t appear to claw freed from the clutches of the rabble. The Penguins are probably the greatest even-strength groups within the league and are getting means higher goaltending than anybody would have thought. However the energy play, regardless of sporting 4 Corridor of Famers on it, retains including 2 and a pair of and getting Elephant. In addition they can’t purchase a bucket in time beyond regulation, which isn’t actually something apart from dumb silly luck, as they’re 3-6 at any time when a recreation will get to OT or a shootout.
The Devils are barely holding off the Canadiens at this level, although they’ve the fifth-most regulation wins within the East. Their goaltending has been horrendous and so they can’t hold anybody wholesome. Dougie Hamilton is out till the playoffs (in the event that they make it), Jack Hughes has had two stints on IR, Nico Hischier has missed greater than 10 video games, Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat have each hung out on the shelf, and it feels just like the Devils simply haven’t performed with a full deck at any time this season. And so they’re working out of time,
The Leafs have the primary wild-card spot, however solely have extra regulation wins than the Wild, Hawks, Sharks, Jackets and Senators. They’re on like their sixth goalie. Are they good? Nobody has any concept. The Lightning have a adverse goal-difference, too, whereas holding the second wild-card spot in the meanwhile, however Andrei Vasilevskiy has not been good and each different metric is middling, at finest, for the Bolts. How lengthy are they hanging on? Or extra to the center of the matter, how lengthy can NIkita Kucherov carry them?
Carolina is as soon as once more piling up the perfect metrics and look very deep. But we’ve seen this movie. The Wings are holding onto third spot within the Atlantic, because of capturing the lights out (11.9 shooting-percentage, second-best behind Vancouver) and are relying on Alex Lyon in web. No, you don’t know who that’s and don’t faux.
Which implies one in all these goofus groups goes to must catch hearth to even get into the playoffs, which could set them up for a Panthers-like run having performed do-or-die hockey for months. On the similar time, all of those groups have large flaws that may hold any of them from actually placing an Oilers-streak collectively. Which means the race for the playoffs within the East may seem like that snapshot of Homer Simpson’s sperm trying to get home.
Comply with Sam on Twitter @Felsgate and on Bluesky @feslgate.bsky.social
