With just a month left in the regular season, the Montreal Canadiens still hold a spot in the NHL playoffs. Will they hang on, or will one of the other four teams hungry for a playoff birth catch them? The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Detroit Red Wings are all teams in hot pursuit of the Canadiens.
The Senators are firmly in a playoff spot. They have continued to stay hot post-4 Nations, with a 7-2-1 record over their last ten games. After big wins against the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils, the Sens are emerging as a serious playoff threat. They play a style of hockey that is perfectly fitted for the postseason, and shouldn’t be underestimated. A Tkachuk on Tkachuk series would be one of the most exciting matchups to kick off the NHL playoffs.
The Canadiens are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. Since 4 Nations, they have an 8-1-4 record and a six-game point streak. Their young top line has been lights out down the stretch, and Lane Hutson is the current Calder favorite.
They sit in the second wildcard spot in the NHL playoffs. It’s looking like Montreal has a real chance at making its first postseason since going to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The New York Rangers are such a confusing team. One game, they’ll play horrendous hockey, and then two games later, they’ll pull off a win that gives the fanbase hope again. A 3-5-2 record won’t get them into the playoffs, though, and the offense needs to start showing some promise. Igor Shesterkin is playing amazing right now, but he can’t score goals, and that’s exactly what the Rangers need to figure out how to do.
Similarly to the Rangers, the Islanders just won’t die. A team that was left off last week’s list due to them being so far out of the playoff picture is now just two points out of the second wildcard spot. Will the Islanders make the NHL playoffs? Maybe, but will they win a round in said playoffs? Absolutely not. It would hurt the rebuild/retool and give general manager Lou Lamoriello even more false hope. That said, it would be hilarious to see a New York team make the NHL playoffs, and it not be the Rangers.
It seems like the Blue Jackets have finally run out of steam. Injuries and inconsistent play have gotten the better of them in the past few games. A rough 2-7-1 record has seen them fall far from a playoff spot. The season isn’t over yet, and there’s still plenty of time for them to go on another run. Unfortunately, it just seems like other teams ahead of them have too much momentum for Columbus to catch them. A terrific season that hopefully isn’t over in 13 games.
At the 4 Nations break, it seemed like a sure thing that the Red Wings would make the NHL playoffs. They have played well enough to stay in or around the second wildcard spot for most of the season. After 4 Nations, things started to fall apart for Detroit. Losses started to pile up, and a quiet deadline didn’t instill confidence in the players. Winning just two of their past ten games, the Red Wings are far back from a playoff spot and would have to pull off a miracle to sneak into the postseason.
With most teams only having 11-13 games left, we’ve hit the final stretch running. These six teams have intertwined storylines, and all still have a chance to make the NHL playoffs (some more than others, sorry, Detroit). As this week begins, the Islanders and Blue Jackets play each other in a big-time game for both sides. Out of the six teams still in reasonable playoff contention, I believe that the Senators and Rangers will make the NHL playoffs. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Rags pulled off some kind of miracle run to sneak back into the playoffs for a Washington Capitals rematch.
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