Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 20:07:37 GMT
16 thoughts for the Halfway Point of the Season
We’re basically half-way done with the regular season, and pretty much every division title is still in play. Although the league does not have the parity we all expected, there are still a number of teams clinging to playoff contention and a lot of possible scenarios still to play out. With that, here are the 16 thoughts for the halfway point of the season…
1. Minnesota back on top
Dallas’ run at the top of the standings was impressive. But with Minnesota (89-33-13, 191 points) absolutely dominating the Golden Knights in week 9, the Wild find themselves right where most pundits thought they’d be – in first place overall. An added bonus – the Wild are still undefeated. Just like...
2. The Canadiens, still rolling along
The Habs had a scare in week 8 against the league’s worst team. In the end Montreal (82-38-15, 179 points) snuck out a 7-6 win over Winnipeg. But if there was ever a time for a Habs loss, a matchup with Dallas in week 9 would have been it. Alas, the old Carey Price bailed the Habs out and Montreal walked away with an 8-5 win over the Stars, keeping the Habs undefeated on the season and in first place in the Atlantic. But that division title does not look as secure as it did a few weeks ago because …
3. The Senators continue to rise
Since losing to Montreal in week 6, the Senators (76-43-16, 168 points) have racked up three straight wins in impressive fashion, dismantling New Jersey before soundly beating Las Vegas and Philly. Now the team heads into arguably Ottawa’s biggest matchup in years, welcoming Montreal in week 10 with only 11 points separating the two contenders at the top of the Atlantic, for a division title that would pretty much guarantee at least a #2 seed in the playoffs, since …
4. The Rangers look terrible
New York (70-53-12, 152 points) still sits in #3 overall, despite getting pummelled by the resurgent Avalanche in week 9. The Rangers’ place in the standings is probably secure, only because the Metro is so terrible and the Pacific has not been much better. But with the Atlantic and Central both having dominant teams that should find themselves in the 5th and 6th seed, a New York push for 2nd would be extremely beneficial. Luckily New York returns to the comforts of the Metro for three weeks, although a challenger looks to have arisen from the ashes as …
5. New Jersey rides red-hot Kucherov
The Devils (53-67-15) are still 31 points back of New York for the division lead, but with two straight wins over the Kings and the Leafs, New Jersey finds itself only 7 points out of the playoffs heading into the second divisional battles. There is a cluster around the 8th spot, but New Jersey has the benefit of playing in the Metro. If the Devils can rack up some points against the Islanders and Flyers, we might yet see an expansion team sneak into the playoffs. Of course, New Jersey’s playoff chances only exist because…
6. The Golden Knights are in freefall
Three straight losses for Las Vegas (56-63-16, 128 points), including a 12-1 walloping by Minnesota in week 9, a 7-3 loss to Ottawa in week 8 and a 12-3 beatdown by the Stars in week 7 have knocked the Golden Knights off its golden perch into the playoff-battle muck. The Golden Knights entered week 7 in first place in the Pacific, undefeated on the season. But after three matchups against playoff calibre teams, the Golden Knights don’t look in any way like a contender. Which has opened the Pacific door to …
7. The Flames, who don’t look much better
Calgary (68-58-9, 145 points) finds itself alone in first place, currently holding the #4 seed despite having the 7th best record in the league. Its first-place spot comes even after losing to the lottery-bound Islanders in week 9. Calgary has lost four of the last five weeks, and if the Flames don’t turn things around fast, they will be another bubble team fighting for its playoff life before long. All of which leaves the Pacific firmly in the crosshairs of …
8. The Avalanche, finally looking like a contender
Look what getting even league-average goaltending from Mike Smith can do! Colorado (55-65-15) destroyed the Metro-leading Rangers 11-4 in week 9, and with Matthews and McDavid back firing on all cylinders the Avalanche are starting to look like the team that made the playoffs last year. If the week 9 Avalanche show up over the next three weeks, Colorado could find itself knocking on the door of the Pacific division title over the last third of the season. Unlike …
9. The Kings, losers of two straight
Los Angeles (50-70-15, 115 points) only finds itself 13 points out of playoff contention, but losing to New Jersey and St. Louis over the past two weeks really takes a toll on the team’s chances. With the most difficult schedule of all the Pacific teams still to come, including matchups against the Senators, Canadiens, Wild and Rangers, the Kings are a long way from contention. Which is also true of …
10. Winnipeg, still winless on the season
The Jets (33-91-11, 77 points) showed signs of life behind Louis Domingue over the past three weeks, including a 7-6 loss to Montreal and a 7-5 loss to Buffalo. But Winnipeg remains the only team without a win or a tie, and is a virtual lock for the best odds at Jack Hughes. Except that Montreal owns the Jet’s first round pick, which is bad news for …
11. Buffalo, stuck in no-mans land in the Atlantic
Buffalo (50-72-13, 113 points) won two of three over the last stretch after stinking out the divisional matchups the first time through. Of course, their loss was a 12-1 blowout to the Wild, which eliminates many of the gains they made with wins over Colorado and Winnipeg. The result is that the Sabres are bunched up with the other playoff challengers, 15 points out of 8th and hoping for the Knights implosion to continue. But to leapfrog the group, they’ll have to contend in week 10 with another bubble team in no-mans land….
12. The Toronto Maple Leafs, still losing more than winning
With their loss to New Jersey in week 9, the Toronto (46-73-16, 108 points) continued an uninspiring season. More impressive was the week 8 match in Philadelphia, where the Flyers and Leafs tied 7 categories in Toronto’s 5-3 victory, which has to be some kind of record for ties on a week. Toronto finds itself 20 points out of 8th, just trailing…
13. The Islanders, an established member of the Metro futility club
New York (49-72-14, 112 points) got a rare win in week 9 over the Flames. That came after two tough matchups against the Canadiens and the Wild. The Islanders have had a difficult schedule to start the season, so their 3-6 record might not reflect where they truly are at. But at 40 points down in the division and 16 points back of the playoffs, and with Anti Raanta done for the season, New York does not have much margin for error the rest of the way. Good thing they get to face a team even further behind than they are in week 10 in…
14. The Philadelphia Flyers, last in the worst division
The Flyers (45-80-10, 100 points) have now lost seven matchups in a row to bring themselves firmly into Jack Hughes contention. They have another trip through the Metro coming up, and considering they went 10-35 on the last divisional circuit, the next three weeks will likely prove painful for Flyer fans. Unfortunately for Philly’s tanking hopes, Winnipeg remains 23 points down from the low bar being set in Philadephia. With a long half-season ahead, the Flyers may end up bringing the race for Hughes down to the final week, where they’ll play…
15. St. Louis, firmly in control of playoff destiny
The Blues (63-52-20, 146 points) remain solidly in the playoff picture in their attempt to break one of the longest playoff droughts in the DHL. They lost a close one to potential playoff matchup Rangers, but sandwiched that around two wins over Pacific foes Colorado and LA. The Blues continue to roll along as the third-best team in a tough Central, which makes for a very interesting matchup in week 10 against a team they’ll try to leapfrog …
16. The Dallas Stars, out of first but still looking good
For most of the season Dallas (86-41-8) has dominated and been in first place. They fell from the top after a week 9 loss to Montreal, and look to be still a notch behind the top two teams. After tying St. Louis in week 5, the Stars may have a handful with the Blues in week 10 in a matchup that may come to define 2nd place in the Central. Either way, Dallas has impressed everyone through the first 9 weeks. If they can continue to play this well, this is a team that will be a tough out in the playoffs.