The NHL playoff push has become quite interesting throughout the standings. The top and bottom are equally as intriguing when it comes to the seeding race. Normally, teams want to get the highest seed possible to gain the best matchup, but this year the top spot in the Western Conference could be a detriment.
Things have been wild out West the past few weeks. The only thing that seems guaranteed is Anaheim winning the Pacific Division. The Central has a three-team battle going on with Chicago, Nashville and St. Louis being separated by only a handful of points. It appears those four teams are the only sure playoff bets.
The rest of the conference seems to change day-by-day. Calgary, Los Angeles and Vancouver are jockeying for the other two guaranteed playoff spots in their division. Meanwhile Minnesota and Winnipeg are currently holding the two wild card spots, giving the Central the power in the West right now.
The bottom of the Western Conference becomes highly intriguing to watch due to the potential matchups it could produce in the first round of the playoffs. Most people argue that if the Kings and Wild finish as the Wild Card teams, they would be a tough opponents to face in the playoffs.
Jonathan Quick – file photo by Jack Lima
The Kings have their work cut out for them if they want to make the playoffs. They could find themselves grabbing third place in their division easier than sliding into the Wild Card spot. It is no secret seeding makes no difference to LA as they have won a Stanley Cup as an eight seed recently.
As for the Wild, it seems one player can make a difference. Since Devin Dubnyk arrived in the State of Hockey, his team has become a legitimate playoff contender. Seems leaving the doldrums of Edmonton and Arizona behind changes how good a player can be.
Dubnyk has played spectacular in his 32 games with Minnesota. His .9356 save percentage and 1.76 goals against average have propelled his team to 23 wins in 32 appearances. Numbers like that make the conference’s top teams leery of a visit from the Wild in the opening round.
Corey Crawford – file photo by Brent Clark
The guarantee of playing the Wild Card teams as the division winner may seem less appealing this year than in the past. You could argue the top teams in the Central would rather play each other than the Wild or Kings. If Winnipeg and Calgary end up in the bottom spots, the task becomes far less daunting on paper.
As for the Ducks, their toughest opponent could be themselves. They have yet to settle on a goaltender to lead them and the head coach has a long history of early playoff failures. On paper, nobody scares them in the west as they have a sparkling 32-9-5 record vs. their own conference.
The final few weeks of the regular season should be more fun to watch than in seasons past. The Western Conference has so many possibilities and story lines to play out. Clearly though, finishing second place in your division could be the most comfortable spot entering the playoffs.
Follow Adam on Twitter @Adam_PHN and you can always reach him at adam.minnick@prohockeynews.com
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