We are getting down to the nitty and the gritty of this fabulous season. Some teams aren't even in the playoffs that have won this league in the previous year (Detroit Red Wings). I'll post what the current seeding is with the teams possible seeds in parenthesis. Top 4 teams get a First Round Bye. Purple teams have locked a playoff spot. Here we go with 6 total games left!
#1 Seed (pretty much locked in) Anaheim Ducks (34-4) - They will probably win both of their matchups this week which would mathematically lock them in to the top spot. That earns the Ducks a first round bye and then a second round exit when they will probably have to play the Red Wings, and that didn't work out for them in their previous playoff match-up. This once dominant force has been "scuffling" the past few weeks by their standards and have really been hampered by the injury of Seguin who could conceivably miss the first 3 rounds of our playoffs.
#2 Seed (2,3,4) Florida Panthers (29-9) - What a turn around. The kind of turn around that Disney makes into a movie and then you sit down to watch with your kids and start crying towards the end when the rags to champions story really resonates in your soul. Then you tell your kids your not crying. You are a big strong man and someone should clean the god damn air filter because it is dusty in here making your allergies flair up. Really on a roll right now scoring just a ridiculous amount of points each week and my favorite to win it all since they have 4 starting goalies. Big games versus Kings, Red Wings and Blackhawks.
#3 Seed (2,3,4) Boston Bruins (28-10) - Have some huge games against Washington, Colorado and Anaheim in the coming weeks. They could conceivably lose all those games, and have Washington sneak in for the Division title. No big injuries to speak of and getting scoring from every player. They are very consistent.
#4 Seed (2,3,4,5,6,7) Carolina Hurricanes (27-11) - They play the Red Wings and Oilers in the coming weeks. Really getting savaged by the injury bug and visa issues. They need that first round bye that comes to the top 4 teams. Okposo has a detached retina. He apparently scored 4 goals with it detached, so I say he didn't need surgery, but I'm no doctor of eyes. I am a doctor of hockey though and figure it shouldn't take a week to get a work visa for someone who plays in the United States all the time (Franson).
#5 Seed (3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) Washington Crapitals (24-14) - Most likely won't be below an 8 seed. Really playing some excellent hockey with the real life Capitals looking like the mid-ought President Trophy winning high scoring team. Ovechkin has found that extra gear he has been lacking (probably a pharmaceutically enhanced gear). He is still a dirty bitch of a player. This Capitals team will take a step back when McElhinney loses goalie starts to Bobrovsky once he comes back, and now that Perreault is likely done for a while. You know that movie Elf where Santa's sleigh is powered by people believing in him. Ovechkin is like that, but he is powered by just being a rat bastard. The more he leaves the ice or charges to make a hit, clips peoples knees, slashes them, the more he turns into a Ganondorf style boar that scores a relentless amount of goals. Big games versus Boston, Anaheim and St. Louis ahead.
#6 Seed (4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Chicago Blackhawks (24-14) - In a real dogfight this week. If they lose both games they have a very real chance of missing the playoffs especially since they will be playing Arizona and Florida in the final week. They have been crushed by injuries with Steve Mason missing large chunks of the year, both Hanzal and Zucker out for the year and Niklas Backstrom might as well be considered injured with how bad he played in net. They are realistically hoping to back in the playoffs on the 10th seed.
#7 Seed (4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Arizona Coyotes (23-15) Most likely will win both games this week on a strong showing, so they are pretty much a lock to make the playoffs, but what seed they end up is still a mystery. If it comes down to tie breakers they have the 5th most points, so they would win a lower seed based on that. Halak and Holtby are really the life blood of this team. Both goalies are just stacking up wins and will probably only get better when their NHL teams trade up for a playoff run. This will be the team that upsets a top seed (probably those garbage Hurricanes). Big games are against the Red Wings and Blackhawks.
#8 Seed (5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) St. Louis Blues (23-15) Losing Evander Kane, Lundqvist and Shattenkirk is like losing 30 points a week, which is crazy huge. These Blues are probably going to lose both games this week. Tough games are in the last week against the Oilers and the Caps, but if they get in the playoffs Lundqvist and Shattenkirk should be back and these Blues will be a tough out.
#9 Seed (5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Los Angeles Kings (23-15) They are up against it this week with the Bruins and Ducks, most likely that is two losses, which makes making the playoffs rough. They play the Avs and the Panthers, so it could be only 2 more wins on the year and that most likely won't be enough. I am guessing they will be on the outside looking in.
#10 Seed (5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Edmonton Oilers (23-15) Chalk up two losses this week and they are in the same boat as the Kings. They play the Canes and Blues in the coming weeks. They will hold on to a playoff spot due to winning the Canada division. Injuries are starting to stack up with Hall, Erik Johnson, Frederik Andersen, and Fasth.
#11 Seed (6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Detroit Red Wings (22-16) They could squeak out 2 wins this week, but then they play the Canes, Coyotes and the Panthers. That is a murderous row. I really hope they get in because they deserve to be a playoff team, but it might just not be in the cards, which I also really hope for.
#12 Seed (6,7,8,9,10,11,12) Buffalo Sabres (21-17) Ducks and Avs are in their future. Will probably split the games this week, but have a real chance to sneak in the playoffs. They are doing a goalie shuffle at the moment with Bobrovsky coming back, Enroth losing his starting job, and Talbot taking over for Lunqvist for a bit. If they make the playoffs that goalie shuffle will leave the Sabres wanting more.
#13 Seed (9,10,11,12,13) Colorado Avs (18-20) With the Kings, Bruins, Sabres in the pipe line the Avs can play spoiler and also take a playoff spot if everything falls just right. Alot of playoff teams are sliding and the Avs are peaking at the moment.
