We’re in the final season of the NHL regular season, with most teams having just two to three games to close things out. For many teams, it’s business as usual, just trying to prepare for the playoffs. For others, there’s absolutely no room for error.
The next week will be chaotic. And we’re all for it.
Three playoff spots are up for grabs, with six teams between the two conferences vying for the opportunity to play again next week. With the wild-card battles being that … wild, that alone is enough to keep fans hooked, no matter who you cheer for.
There are going to be plenty of significant storylines to watch as the regular season wraps up, but these five will be worth keeping a close eye on:
Leon Draisaitl closing in on power-play goal title
Sometimes on the internet, you’ll see people discounting power-play goals. The last time we checked, they still count the same as a regular season goal. So, who cares how a player gets the goal, as long as they do it?
As our Frank Seravalli pointed out last week, former Philadelphia Flyers forward Tim Kerr has the record for 34 power-play goals in a single season. Think about how hard it is to score 30 at all strengths, let alone in one in particular. And with 31 goals on the man advantage this year, Draisaitl has a chance to break the record set 36 years ago. The Oilers have two games left in the regular season – Colorado on Tuesday and San Jose on Thursday – so time isn’t his friend here.
Even if he doesn’t break the record, he’s 10 goals beyond Connor McDavid and 11 over the highest non-Oiler, New York Rangers forward Mika Zinbanejad. He has three power-play goals over his past six games, and you’ll imagine coach Jay Woodcroft will continue to give Draisaitl every opportunity possible to break that record.
McDavid could join exclusive club
Over the weekend, Connor McDavid became the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 to break the 150-point barrier. Given the change in goaltending over the decades, it’s unbelievable just what McDavid has managed to do. As our Paul Pidutti wrote last week, McDavid has had one of the best seasons in NHL history.
And with 151 points, he’s not done. The Oilers have two games remaining, and assuming they don’t sit him for game-management reasons, there’s a good chance he’ll hit 155 by the season’s end. McDavid has 45 multi-point efforts, including 22 three-plus point nights this season, so the odds seem to be in his favor – especially against a bad Sharks team on Thursday.
McDavid is the clear favorite for the Hart Trophy and nobody has been in spitting distance of his scoring lead this year. Like, even with two games left, would 158, or even 160 points be out of the equation? The Oilers are flying high and McDavid is leading the charge. You can’t count out anything here.
Boston Bruins going for the NHL points title
Armed with the single-season wins record of 63, and an incredible .819 win percentage, the Boston Bruins can finish things off with yet another record: the most points in a single season.
The Presidents’ Trophy winners sit one point behind the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens with 132 points, so just one win in one of Boston’s next two games would break that all-time feat. The Bruins are the favorites in every matchup, but with two non-playoff teams coming up – Washington and Montreal – it seems quite likely they’ll do it. Granted, Washington will want to close things off on a high note after their playoff streak ended this year, but Boston isn’t going to relent down the stretch.
The Bruins will tell you they’re focused on the playoffs, but a few more records to close out a historically good season wouldn’t hurt.
Pittsburgh’s 17-year-playoff streak is on the line
It was a matter of time until the Pittsburgh Penguins finally fell out of playoff contention, and it’s honestly surprising it hasn’t happened over the past few years.
But with just two games to go, the Penguins sit one point behind the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card spot while boasting a 6-4-0 record over the past 10 games. The Panthers are on a six-game winning streak, and if things keep rolling there, the Penguins could be in deep trouble. If that happens, it’ll be the end of a legacy.
With Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang at the helm, the team holds the current playoff streak record at 16 seasons dating back to 2006-07. In that time, they’ve won the Stanley Cup three times, made the final four times and cemented a legacy as one of the most dominant teams in the salary cap era. With their three biggest stars being 35 or older, everyone knew the time was coming sooner rather than later. But for the captain’s sake, it would be great to see the run extended just a bit longer.
Fortunately for the Penguins, they have the two bottom teams in the standings – Chicago and Columbus – coming up. Neither of those teams will want to win and put their chance at landing Connor Bedard at the NHL Draft in jeopardy. The Penguins need their goaltending to step up and get the job done before it’s too late – and hope for some luck along the way.
Wild-card races hot on both sides
The Penguins have kept things interesting in the Eastern Conference, and there’s no room for failure in the final games for the Islanders or Panthers as they look to keep the Pens out of the conversation. With just one point separating three teams for two spots – with all three having their struggles at some point over the past 10 games – the fight will come down to the wire.
The Western Conference race might be the more interesting one, though. Three teams are fighting for one spot: Winnipeg (91 points), Calgary (90) and Nashville (88). The Preds and Flames will duke it out on Monday, and neither team can afford to let their opponent snag a point out of it. The Jets currently have the upper hand, especially with the extra game over Calgary, which will play its 81st game tonight. The Flames put themselves in a tough position by losing to Vancouver in the shootout on Saturday, while the Preds – with three games to go – must bounce back after losing to Winnipeg over the weekend.
For these six teams, it’s now or never. One loss can be the difference between having a shot at the Cup and taking an early trip to the golf course.
