Somehow, it’s already March. With the trade deadline just three days away and less than two months of games before the playoffs begin, we’re starting to get a very good idea of which teams will be left to battle for Lord Stanley in April. Of course, there is still much to be decided. Today, we’re going to be giving three predictions for how the remainder of the season plays out and how each prediction will affect the first round of the playoffs.
1 – Boston Hosts Toronto in the First Round
The first of our three predictions isn’t too hard to wrap your head around. In fact, if the postseason started today, these two teams would indeed meet in the opening round as the 2nd and 3rd seeds in the Atlantic Division. Not only do we think it’ll happen, but we also want it to happen. Like every year, the first round will bring great matchups in both conferences, but it’s hard to imagine a series more exciting than Boston vs Toronto.
Everyone knows that the Maple Leafs have gone through some tough postseason losses over the past twelve years, and more than once, those losses have been at the hand of the Boston Bruins. For the Bruins, it would be an opportunity to exercise some demons as well, as many players on this year’s team were apart of last year’s edition that lost in seven games to Florida after a historic regular season. With so much on the line in for both teams, the series would certainly be must-watch TV. The rivalry between the two is very real, and it would make for some truly special playoff hockey.
If this were to come true, it would also mean that the Panthers would finish the season at the top of the Atlantic. With how they’re playing right now, it’s hardly a stretch to imagine they can get that done in the last 20 games of the year. They’re playing their best hockey of the year at the moment and have won fifteen of their last seventeen games.
2 – Edmonton Passes Vancouver in the Pacific
This one is the most far-fetched of our three predictions, but it could certainly happen if the Canucks don’t turn things around here. Edmonton is now just nine points behind Vancouver with four games in hand, and if they can get hot to end the season, they’ll be right on Vancouver’s tail.
I don’t think that the Canucks will continue to struggle in their last twenty games like they have been, but if there’s one team I wouldn’t want to trying catch me, it’s Edmonton. The Oilers have already proven they can get on a roll this year, and with the top of the Pacific getting a little closer recently, they’ll have more motivation than ever to keep moving up. On top of that, Vancouver’s upcoming schedule isn’t exactly enviable. In their next three games, they’re slated to go up against Vegas, Winnipeg and Colorado. Edmonton, on the other hand, will see Columbus, Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
If McDavid and the Oilers can make a few more points up over the next four games, Vancouver and Edmonton might be in for a race to the finish for the top of the Pacific division. While the winner will get a matchup with a wild card team and home ice advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs, the loser will most likely be set for a series against the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights. That’s a pretty big difference.
3 – Dallas wins the Central Division
The Central Division, once again, has been very tightly contested for basically the whole season. Last year, the Avalanche beat out Dallas for the top spot by a single point. This year, Winnipeg has also entered the discussion, and all three teams are within two points of each other with twenty games left before playoffs. So, with the last of our three predictions, we’re taking Dallas to rise above and take the Central crown in 2024.
Dallas may not have the superstar skaters like Colorado or the Vezina finalist like Winnipeg, but there may not be a team in the league more well-rounded. Now, with Chris Tanev added to the defensive corps, it’s truly hard to find a weakness with the Stars. They sure don’t get talked about as much as others in the Western Conference, but in the last four years, they’ve reached the Conference Finals twice and the Cup Finals once.
Despite the deep runs, the organization hasn’t won a Cup in over twenty years, and the aging veterans in Dallas have to know their careers are winding down. For now, though, there’s no doubt that guys like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Joe Pavelski and Matt Duchene still have a lot to bring to the table. They’ve done nothing but prove it this season. With these players working alongside a very talented group of younger players in front of Jake Oettinger, I truly think Dallas is the best team in the Central division. If they can’t take the top spot, though, their road back to the Finals will be as tough as any.
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There you have it – our three predictions for the rest of the NHL season. As we get closer to playoffs, keep an eye out for our playoff pools and bracket contest at http://officepools.com!
