Contenders:
Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins (45-18-12, 110 Points, First in Atlantic)
The Bruins are one of the frontrunners for the cup. They have put up 62 points since January 1, the best Eastern team in that time. They have good goaltending, good defense, and decent discipline. Marchand leads the team in points with 84 in 64 games played. He’s also one of the favorites for the Hart Trophy. He is one of three players on the team with 30 goals, and one of two players on pace for at least a point per game. Tuukka Rask has been great this year, going 34-11-5 with a 2.28 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. All of this provides the potential for the perfect storm to bring the cup back to Massachusetts.
Tampa Bay Lightning (53-23-4, 110 Points, Second in Atlantic)
The Lightning are another frontrunner for the cup. They are fifth in the East since January 1 with 50 points. Kucherov leads the way on the team with 97 points (38G, 59A), which puts him second in the league behind Connor McDavid. Stamkos is also one of the top producers with 86 points (27G, 59A), but is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury. In net is Vezina Trophy candidate Vasilevskiy, who is 42-17-3 with a 2.62 GAA and a .919 save percentage. This team hasn’t been producing as much and are starting to slow down, but they are still a difficult team to play against and should be feared in the Playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins (45-29-6, 96 Points, Second in Metro)
The Penguins have had an off year compared to their last two. The reigning cup champions have had some questionable games, especially at the beginning of the year, like their 10-1 loss to the Blackhawks. They do, however, have some of the biggest producers in hockey. Malkin, Kessel, and Crosby are the top three players with 96 (42G, 54A), 87 (31G, 56A), and 86 (28G, 58A) respectively. While their production does taper off after those three, they still have consistent scorers in Guentzel and Hornqvist. In the crease is Murray. At 26-16-3, a 2.9 GAA, and a .907 save percentage, he’s had a year that looks more to be an outlier compared to his previous performances. A team that is in the playoffs and trying to defend their title should never be underestimated, however. They have been second in the East since the new year with 55 points, meaning that they are getting hot at the right time.
Columbus Blue Jackets (44-29-6, 94 Points, Third in Metro)
Columbus is going to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. They are sixth in the East since January 1, with 47 points. They don’t have a point-per-game player, although Panarin is close with 77 in 79 games (26G, 51A). What the Jackets have that some other teams don’t is deep scoring. They have seven players with at least 35 points. Their starting netminder, Bobrovsky, has been one of the better goalies this year with a record of 36-22-5, a 2.36 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. While it likely won’t win him the Vezina, it is certainly enough to support his team through a few rounds, and maybe even a deep run.
Philadelphia Flyers (40-25-14, 94 Points, Fourth in Metro)
The Flyers got off to a terrible start this season, having a 10 game losing streak right off the bat. Since then, they have been clawing their way back up to ranks, and now sit in the first wild-card spot and tied with Columbus in points. While they haven’t clinched a spot yet, they are soon going to. The Flyers need just three points to clinch, meaning a win and a Florida loss would clinch. They have been the fourth-best team in the East with 52 points since 2018 began, and are led by 95 point-scorer Giroux (29G, 66A), and 82 point scorer Voracek (19G, 63A). They beat Boston in overtime in their most recent game, continuing to shake up the Metro. The problems with this team are in net. Elliot has been, at best, average, going 21-11-7 with a 2.72 GAA and a .908 save percentage, although they’ve had four goalies in total play at the NHL level this year (Neuvirth, Lyon, Mrazek). If the Flyers can figure out their goaltending issues, they can be this year’s Cinderella story.
Western Conference
Nashville Predators (51-17-11, 113 Points, First in Central)
The Predators have answered their surprise run to the Finals with an absolutely incredible season. They currently lead the NHL in points by three points, although Boston has a game in hand. Nashville, the hottest team in the league with 62 points since the first of the year, has the potential to clinch the entire Western Conference on the third. The team is led by a group of 10 players with over 30 points this season, with Forsberg leading them with 61 (23G, 38A).
In addition, the Preds have one of, if not the, best offensive blue lines in the sport, with their top four above or approaching 30 points. They have incredible depth, and with their newest prospect Tolvanen coming from a record-shattering season in the KHL, they seem to keep producing it. In the blue ice stands Pekka Rinne, one of the frontrunners for the Vezina. At 41-12-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .927 save percentage, this team is the complete package. They are looking to storm to the cup and leave nothing left in their wake.
Winnipeg Jets (49-20-10, 108 Points, Second in Central)
The Jets have been one of the consistently good teams, holding second in the West since January 1 with 56 points. Led by Blake Wheeler with 87 points (20G, 67A), they are also one of the deepest teams in the field with nine players over 30 points. Hellebuyck, another Vezina frontrunner, has a record of 42-11-9 with a 2.36 GAA and a .924 save percentage. If they can get past Nashville, the sky is the limit.
Vegas Golden Knights (50-22-7, 107 Points, First in Pacific)
The newest team in the NHL continues to surprise the league, as they have clinched the first seed in the Pacific. Led by Karlsson and Marchessault with 75 points each (42G, 33A; 27G, 48A), they are one of the best producers of goals in the league. Sitting fourth in the west since the start of the year, they have some of the best chemistry in the league after being written off before they even took the ice for their first practice. In addition, they sport one of the best first lines in the league with Karlsson, Marchessault, and Smith having a +/- of over 30.
In net, Marc Andre Fleury is having another great season. Currently, he is 29-12-4 with a 2.14 GAA and a .931 save percentage. This team shouldn’t be underestimated anymore, especially at home where they have been lights out this season. Look out, because the Golden Knights are here to play.
San Jose Sharks (44-25-10, 98 Points, Second in Pacific)
The third hottest team in the West, the Sharks have gained 54 points since the new year. Led by Pavelski and Burns, each with 63 points (21G, 42A; 11G, 51A), the Sharks have been on a tear as of late. With an eight-game win streak being snapped about a week ago, the team has a dozen 30 point scorers on the roster as they head into the playoffs. If the team has one weakness, it’s in net. Jones is the keeper for them and has been rather pedestrian at 29-20-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The Sharks do have a lot of skill up and down the roster and has the potential to do a lot of damage in the playoffs.
– Hunter Welcher is a Staff Writer for FPC NHL. He covers the NHL. Like and follow on Follow @hunter_welcher//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_NHL//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.
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