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With 6-7 games remaining for most NHL teams, the current position in the standings of most playoff bound teams are likely what we will see in terms of first round seeds.
That being said, I thought it would be interesting to look at the Canadian teams, not only in respect to playoff chances and league standings, but how they’ve been playing down the stretch with less than 10 games remaining. To keep things simple, I will go down the list of the teams in terms of their overall standings.
Currently the only team in a playoff picture, the Montreal Canadiens sit 2nd in the Atlantic division with 93 points, two points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Over their most current spread, the Canadiens have been doing very well winning eight of their last ten games played, and are also sitting on a five game winning streak.
While Montreal isn’t really considered a favorite by any extent in this year’s playoffs, their recent play will certainly provide a boost of confidence going into the postseason. That said, and provided the standings don’t change, the Canadiens will be matched up against the Tampa Bay Lightning who have been doing quite well themselves. With Steven Stamkos back in the lineup and returning to peak performance, I do not personally envision the Habs ousting the Bolts if they did meet in the first round; though this will largely depend on how well Carey Price can play.
And while this may eventually prove to be accurate, the Canadiens should have a lot to be proud of given that their team came together with some very strong play when it mattered most.
Next up, and in direct line with the above closing comment toward the Canadiens are the Toronto Maple Leafs. A team who was expected to make the playoffs just three weeks ago with their strong, but inconsistent play, great goaltending, and offensive threats, the Leafs have completely collapsed when it mattered most. Having lost eight straight games, Toronto has essentially knocked themselves out of a playoff spot with their lackadaisical effort.
Not only has the team not been able to register more than one win in their last ten games played, but they have completed fallen out of a playoff spot and cannot seem to find their game. Poor defensive systems, constant opposing odd man rushes, and the apparent lack of leadership has been the demise of this Toronto team, and with that, fans are expecting changes to come about over the summer.
Whether said changes will address their immediate concerns or not are left to be seen, however back to back seasons of heartbreaking collapses for loyal Leafs fans will likely cause an uproar in terms of demanding results.
And speaking of changes that need to be made, due to poor management of team assets the Vancouver Canucks have ultimately found themselves in a position where they will likely be entering a rebuild upon seasons end. With the travesty that was Roberto Luongo, the Canucks organization decided to finally end the ordeal by shipping the veteran goaltender, who just months ago was said to be “the guy…, to the Florida Panthers.
Having moved two of their future goaltenders in one fiscal year, the Canucks window for success has all but closed. It seems a better time than ever to have a fire-sale during the offseason and hope to gain some young and promising assets for players like Ryan Kesler, Alex Edler, and maybe even the Sedins. Unfortunately for Canucks fans, this organization had the right number of assets and strong goaltending needed to achieve success, but were ultimately unsuccessful during their prime windows of opportunity.
With respect to teams who continue to build for their future and waiting for their own windows of opportunity, the Ottawa Senators are next on the list of Canadian teams to be discussed. With a seemingly strong season last year, many had hoped that the Senators could carry their play into the 2013-14 season and make a run for some playoff success. Having acquired Bobby Ryan and going off the assumption that Craig Anderson was the real deal, many were hopeful for Ottawa this year. That said, the team would quickly learn that Anderson could not repeat his strong play from last season, and the team would suffer one too many injuries which would ultimately hold them back.
That being said, the Sens have been finding a little more success of late with the team sitting on a two game winning streak. Unfortunately, however, the team has only been able to win three of their last ten games played and have essentially buried their own chances at the playoffs. With a few young players continuing to develop at the NHL level and a potential change here and there over the summer, the Senators could very likely rebound next season and fight for an actual playoff spot moving forward.
Another Canadian team who could very likely rebound and fight for playoffs sometime down the road, the Winnipeg Jets have a lot of young talent and potential for success, if managed properly. Struggling to group wins together themselves of late, however, the Jets sit in 24th place and in a difficult division, playing against teams such St Louis, Chicago, and Colorado on a nightly basis.
The Jets are likely to draft around 7-8th this year after a poor season, and some added youth will help them out in the long run, provided that year by year they improve by any margin. Since the Thrashers were moved to Winnipeg in 2010, the Jets have hovered around 20th place and will need to start trending upward in the standings if they are going to appease their fans.
In direct response to the above, the Calgary Flames are one of two Canadian teams who have already entered a rebuild and are hoping to turn things around quite soon. And with that being said, they happen to be one of the only Canadian teams who, despite their plan to rebuild, have also been playing some very interesting and respectable hockey.
Under the leadership of Bob Hartley as coach, and Mark Giordano as captain, the Flames have done very well to adapt to Hartley’s systems and have made it quite difficult for opposing teams to out-chance them by more than one goal. Playing in a strong Western Conference, the Flames have managed to win 6 games of their last ten played, and of the four that were lost, only one game was by more than one goal.
Expected to draft in the 5th or 6th spot this year, the Flames will end the season on a high note due to their strong play, hard work, unanimity as a team, and also due to the potential young player they bring in via their first draft selection. All things considered, the Flames have a lot to be proud of despite sitting 26th in the league with seven games remaining.
Last, and for some, least, we have the Edmonton Oilers who for five straight years have remained in the NHL’s basement. For anyone who follows my blogs on a regular basis, you would have caught on to the fact that I was always one, like many, who felt that the Oilers would certainly turn things around with the number of promising young assets which they possess.
That said, and as we’ve seen once again this year, several first overall draft selections are simply not all that is needed in order to yield success. The Oilers unfortunately lack a better-rounded team, in that not all players are considered offensive threats. I’d rather not get into any specifics with this particular blog because it would end up being far too long, but in this writer’s opinion, the Oilers are going to need to have a busy summer if they wish to change their ways.
The environment in which they are developing their future stars is one which will only create bad habits, and or poor attitudes. And if this isn't already been evident by the most recent tribulations in Edmonton, I don’t know what else I can offer. Enough is enough with this team; there is a fine line between being patient and smart, and not doing enough.
I’m sure many of you disagree with the above, given that I wrote a few blurbs about each Canadian team of which only one is currently in the playoffs, but perhaps that’s an indication that our so called “much stronger market… could stand to learn a thing or two from teams like the St Louis Blues who, according to Forbes, are ranked 27th in total Value.
Thanks for reading!