Last two weeks record from the NHL
How the teams have done of the past two weeks and the impact it has on them.
East
Carolina 5-1-1 11 to go to 39-12-5 83, 1st in the Metro, 1st in the East
Carolina has been building their team to this point from when they became a consistent playoff team a few years ago to were they are now has been a great ride. The Hurricanes has this marvellous week spurred on by point streaks from Teravainen and Aho as well as some really good defending was able to help the Hurricanes improve from only a two point lead for the Metro two weeks ago to a 6 point lead now and they are also in the Presidents Trophy contest only two back of Colorado and to me this is a win now team.
New York R 4-2-0 8 to go to 36-15-5 77, 2nd in the Metro, 4th in the East
The Rangers have got some more running left in the tank as they had another nice two weeks winning two thirds of their games and the young team is still going strong. The Rangers who have been led by in my opinion a Vezina trophy favourite Igor Shesterkin and with their potent offense they are a team to watch out for in the playoff race and I would be shocked if they don’t add before the deadline because they are showing they are a good team but they are still a few pieces away from a cup contender.
Pittsburgh 3-1-1 7 to go to 34-14-9 77, 3rd in the Metro, 5th in the East.
Pittsburgh has had a very productive two weeks taking three of their five games that they played this week. Pittsburgh has been on fire the second half of the season and the addition of Malkin into this lineup and a amazing season from goalie Jarry has helped the Penguins continue to be a relevant team in the playoff race this season and although they lost ground for top spot in the Metro I do believe they will be a playoff team.
Tampa Bay 5-1-0 10 to go to 37-12-6 80, 1st in the Atlantic, 2nd in the East.
Tampa Bay has been playing on fire as of late absolutely torching their opponents having won five of six games this week and seven of their last eight games. The Bolts are getting their usual top six production but are also getting depth scoring and Vasilevskiy and their backend have been playing flawlessly these past couple of weeks so with Tampa’s surge they are now top spot in the Atlantic and if they want to keep ahead of their Florida rivals then they will need to continue to play this way.
Florida 2-3-0 4 to go to 37-13-5 79, 2nd in the Atlantic, 3rd in the East.
Florida has been playing a bit worse over the last two weeks and the other team are gaining. The Panthers in my eyes are still one of if not the top team in the East but they have been really shaky as of late really faltering and not getting as good of play. They entered two weeks ago 5 point ahead of Tampa for top spot in the Atlantic and have now fallen a point back of Tampa with Toronto and Boston breathing down their necks so the Panthers have to up their game if they want to be the top team.
Toronto 3-3-1 7 to go to 35-16-4 74, 3rd in the Atlantic. 6th in the East.
Toronto has played at a mediocre level and while they have kept pace with the top dogs in the Atlantic they have also lost a lot of ground to Boston who is now only 2 points back of Toronto for a top 3 spot. If the Maple Leafs want to keep a top 3 spot and stay ahead of the Bruins then I think that their backend and goaltending must improve especially if they are to challenge one the the Florida teams to advance past the first round.
Boston 6-1-0 12 to go to 34-18-4 72, 4th in the Atlantic, 1st Wildcard in the East.
Boston has been waken from the land of the sleeping over the last two weeks going all out winning 7 of their last 8 games and becoming not only relavant in the Wildcard race but have also become relevant in the Atlantic race. Two weeks ago the Bruins were dead in the water and didn’t have a thing going for them, they had fallen to 2nd Wildcard and had the two teams behind team gaining but they have flipped the script to where they are 1st Wildcard and only 2 points back of Toronto for 3rd so with the resurgence the Bruins are a team a lot of people should be scared of.
Washington 2-3-0 4 to go to 30-18-9 69, 4th in the Metro, 2nd Wildcard in the East
Washington has continued their fumbling trying to stand on sturdy ground as they really need to find their footing before it is to late. The Capitals entered to weeks ago the 1st Wildcard and stoped to 2nd so if over the next few weeks they still can’t find footing and Columbus goes like 5, 6-0 and catches up to them how would Washington respond. The Capitals need to play like the team who was a top 3 team in the Metro the first month or two of the season and if they can find that team I have no doubt that they will be ok.
Columbus 3-2-2 8 to go to 28-25-3 59, 5th in the Metro, 9th in the East
Columbus has continued there very admirable comeback attempt with a great record over the last two weeks. Columbus has been on fire as of late and are really buckling in as the underdog. They started the week 9 points back of a playoff spot and are now 10 but they do have a game in hand and if they continue to play the way they do with a great offensive team (especially Laine who’s been tearing it up) then they could wind up closer to Boston and Washington then I think most people realize.
Detroit 1-4-0 2 to go to 24-26-6 54, 5th in the Atlantic, 10th in the East
Detroit had such promise going to play two weeks ago but they fell off a cliff losing four of their five game over the last two weeks. They were coming in hot and had been playing some extraordinary hockey and were only six points back of a playoff spot but ran into some of the best NHL teams over the last two weeks and have fizzled going from 6 back to 15 points back so while i still believe that they are a really good team and have improved it doesn’t look like they will make the playoffs this year.
New York I 3-3-1 7 to go to 21-23-8 50, 6th in the Metro, 11th in the East
The Islanders have been playing pretty mediocre recently getting 7 points in 7 games over the past two weeks and are playing to old and slow right now. The Isles have definitely played better then in the first few months of the season but they haven’t played at the high rate we are used to seeing from the Islanders the past few years and if they had a better start and were playing at the level they are right now then yeah I could see them in the playoff race but they have dropped 2 points more back of a playoff spot to be back 19 of a playoff spot and even with their few games in hand they should definitely be missing the playoffs this season which is a disappointment.
New Jersey 3-3-0 6 to go to 20-31-5 45, 7th in the Metro, 12th in the East,
New Jersey had a half decent two weeks drawing 500 through their games. The Devils are a young team that currently has to have a learning curve before they are playoff contenders but because of injuries (especially in net) the Devils haven’t really had the season they were hoping for so if they can have a decent final quarter of the season and build some confidence for next year with their young guys I think the New Jersey would be happy.
Philadelphia 2-3-1 5 to go to 17-28-10 44, 8th in the Metro, 13th in the East
Philadelphia has had not to bad of the last couple weeks given what had happened to them earlier in the season but they still aren’t doing to well as they lost more then they won. The Flyers are a not so good team as they have had multiple 10 game losing streaks this season and on a year where I personally thought they would have a bounce back season they have played absolutely atrocious now they did have some injuries to key players and are finally relatively healthy but they aren’t the team I thought they were.
Buffalo 2-4-0 4 to go to 18-31-8 44, 6th in the Atlantic, 14th in the East.
Buffalo had a decent enough two weeks and while they did lose 4 of the six games they had played over the two weeks wins aren’t something the Sabres really need right now. The Sabres have t done as bad as I thought when the season began as I thought they would be by far the worst team in the league and while they aren’t about to thrown any parties about how good they are I do think that their youngest players are coming along and they should just be happy with decent play.
Ottawa 1-5-0 2 to go to 19-31-5 43, 7th in the Atlantic, 15th in the East.
Ottawa started out these past two weeks with a win but went narrowly downhill from there winding up on a current five game losing streak and falling even further down the standings. Ottawa is a young team that I personally see making the playoffs in2-3 years but let me remind you that they are still learning and while they may not want to be sellers at the deadline and they want to come out of this dreaded rebuild I do think that they should embrace the last years of the rebuild and look towards better times.
Montreal 6-1-0 12 to go to 15-34-7 37, 8th in the Atlantic, 16th in the East
Montreal has been resurrected from the dead as the Canadiens won six of their seven games in the last two weeks having won seven of their last eight games after losing ten in a row and while their great play lead by their young guys like Caufield and Suzuki has been a sign of hope for Canadien fans the reality is that even with the great play recently they are still 32 points back of a playoff spot and are still on track for a top 5 pick this year but at least this is a good sign for years to come.
West
Colorado 4-2-1 9 to go to 40-11-5 85, 1st in the Central, 1st in the West
Colorado has been a dominant team again over the last two weeks just adding to what has been a almost flawless season from the Avalanche. Colorado has taken another huge bite out of the entire league these past two weeks winning 4 of 7 and having a point in 5 of them and they are just running away with the West as they are now up 12 points on the closest team to them and if the Avalanche aren’t the best team in the league at the end of the year and they don’t add at the deadline I would definitely be shocked.
St.Louis 3-2-1 7 to go to 32-16-7 71, 2nd in the Central, 3rd in the West.
St.Louis had yet another good couple of weeks getting a lot of points and leapfrog the Blues to get to the 2nd place in the Central. St.Louis has been lead by their amazing offense and especially their younger players (like Kyrou and Thomas) and it has helped them win but if they were to challenge in a playoff series the Blues would in my opinion have to bulk up on their Defence so don’t be surprised if the Blues trade for a defensemen.
Minnesota 1-6-0 2 to go to 32-19-3 67, 3rd in the Central, 6th in the West.
Minnesota has faltered and faltered big time as they wound up losing six of their seven games this week and have lost eight of their last nine games in total. Minnesota is a team who is still good and I still project to make a top 3 appearance is just going through a slump right now in my opinion but they have to add something to their team this year before the deadline because of their impending cap problems going for it this year would make a ton of sense.
Calgary 4-1-1 9 to go to 33-14-7 73, 1st in the Pacific, 2nd in the West
Calgary has shocked the hockey world with their brilliant play over not only the last two weeks but ever since February started. They wound up winning two thirds of their games over the past two weeks getting a major boost as they were able to create more of a gap between them and Vegas and Los Angeles so the Flames are definitely heating up at the right time and if they continue to play like they have winning thirteen of their last fifteen games the Flames would have to be considered the most dangerous Pacific division team right now.
Los Angeles 5-2-0 10 to go to 31-19-7 69, 2nd in the Pacific, 4th in the West
Los Angeles has been playing at a very elite level over the past few weeks especially the last two weeks when they won five of their last seven games. Los Angeles looks like a playoff team right now and have definitely recovered after falling a bit in the standings but the play of them as me wondering how dangerous they could be because I think they could challenge for the division lead if they continue to play at this high level and they in my opinion should add before the deadline.
Vegas 3-3-0 6 to go to 32-21-4 68 points, 3rd in the Pacific, 5th in the West.
Vegas started out the last two weeks with back to back losses but have come alive recently winning three of their last four games to pull level over the last two weeks. Vegas has still some injuries players and although it isn’t the only reason I think it is the main reason why Vegas hasn’t been at the top of their game this year and if they can get their team working and healthy and start playing a lot better then they are right now I definitely see them contending for the division title.
Dallas 5-0-1 11 to go to 32-20-3 67, 4th in the Central, 1st Wildcard in the West.
Dallas has been smoking hot as of late not missing a beat having a point in every on of their six games this past week. There amazing play has sparked them to go from 3 points back of a playoff spot two weeks ago to full control of the 1st Wildcard position and are tied for third in the division with the Wild. I know I have said before that the Stars should be sellers and should move on from some of their big time UFA’s I definitely think that they should consider not moving their players given how good this team is.
Nashville 3-2-0 6 to go to 31-20-4 66, 5th in the Central, 8th in the West.
Nashville had a decent two week stretch of play winning three of their five games but couldn’t keep their place in the standings as they dropped to the 2nd Wildcard spot. Nashville is definitely going to have to consider their approach to the trade deadline as they have played decent enough but the Stars surpassed them and they are in the final playoff spot so if they can continue their play and make it a bit better I think they will make the playoffs.
Edmonton 2-3-1 5 to go to 30-22-4 64, 4th in the Pacific, 9th in the West.
Edmonton keeps pace with the pack but winds up losing the week as they had lost four of their six games they played this week. Once again the Oilers are dealing with the goalie problems that have plagued them all year and it doesn’t help that the Oilers are up to their neck in injures to a lot of their players especially some key guys so if the Oilers want to keep in the race for a playoff spot they will need to weather the storm until they were able to get injured players back.
Anaheim 3-3-0 6 to go to 27-22-9 63, 5th in the Pacific, 10th in the West.
Anaheim kept really good pace with the other West teams going 500 in the two weeks but they are going to have to play better if they are going to get into a playoff spot. Anaheim has some decisions to make with their pending UFA’s as they are on the outside looking in so if they remain out of the playoffs then they should definitely be sellers but if they were to get some traction and make a bolt for the playoffs I don’t think they should trade anybody.
Vancouver 5-1-0 10 to go to 28-23-6 62, 6th in the Pacific, 11th in the West.
Vancouver had a unbelievable two weeks getting back in the thick of things in the West by winning five of their six games that they played over the last two weeks. The Canucks started out awfully this season but since their mid season coaching change there has been a new lightness to them as they look like a team on a rampage to get back to the playoffs and while I would never say never it would be a mighty difficult task to get back in the playoffs.
Winnipeg 2-3-2 6 to go to 24-22-10 58, 6th in the Central, 12th in the West.
Winnipeg had a worse then okay two weeks as they got 6 points but lost five of their last seven games and the Jets are slowly falling out of the playoff race. Winnipeg had a great start to the season not the best but okay and have recently fallen out drastically of the playoff race and if they fall any further over the next week to ten days I for one would not be shocked if the Jets turn to sellers moving UFA’s the biggest being Copp.
San Jose 2-3-2 6 to go to 24-25-7 55, 7th in the Pacific, 13th in the West.
San Jose has not had too good of a couple weeks as they faltered again losing a lot of games recently including five of seven in the last two weeks. The Sharks started out with a good winning streak and had a amazingly surprising start to the season but have fallen back to where I thought they would be at the beginning of the season and with the deadline approaching and Hertl the hot topic of trade chatter it seems like the Sharks will indeed be sellers.
Chicago 2-3-0 4 to go to 20-29-8 48, 7th in the Central, 14th in the West.
Chicago had a losing record over the last two weeks losing 3 of 5 games and they definitely are still not playing to their full potential. Chicago was a team who I thought would definitely make the playoffs but right from the get go of the season it was clear as day that the Blackhawks were going to miss the playoffs and they basically have now and in my eyes are going to start a rebuild by moving players this season before the deadline.
Seattle 1-5-1 3 to go to 17-36-5 39, 8th in the Pacific, 15th in the West.
The Kraken has a atrocious two weeks losing six of seven and with Arizona and Montreal playing a lot more formidably lately, they are now in the Conversation for getting the best odds in the entry draft. Seattle is one of my favourite teams and while they are a expansion team and those teams tend to not do good I thought that they could be a lesser Vegas not win the division of course but at least make the playoffs and obviously I was wrong and now they will be sellers at the deadline.
Arizona 3-2-0 6 to go to 16-35-4 36, 8th in the Central, 16th in the West.
Arizona has played well as of late and on top of Nick Schmaltz setting the all time record for most points in a game by a Coyote/Jet player the Coyotes have started to work their way up and out of the basement. Arizona is still last in the league right now but are only a few points away from Montreal and Seattle for getting out of the basement and while they are sellers and won’t be making the playoffs gaining chemistry for them should be really important.
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