As the National Hockey League enters its final week of the 2014-15 regular season, we take a look at the amazing battle for the final two wild card spots in the Western Conference.
The Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes have all been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and while the San Jose Sharks still have life, their chances are slim. It would take both the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets to lose all four of their remaining games in regulation, while the Sharks would have to win out. After a 5-3 loss to Arizona this past weekend, the Sharks will have to count on beating non-playoff teams in Dallas and Edmonton, while their final game will be against the Kings, a game that certainly cannot end in extra time.
While technically a six team race for the final two spots, five teams have a legitimate chance at ending up in the playoffs, while the other will be on the outside looking in.
Winnipeg Jets (40-26-12 – 92 points)
Last season, the Jets finished seven points out of the final wild card spot, held by the Dallas Stars. This year, they are in a tooth-and-nail battle with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings. Recently, the team has received good goaltending from Ondrej Pavelec, who earlier this season looked to have lost his job to youngster Michael Hutchinson. However, both goaltenders had their ups and downs and it seems that Paul Maurice will play the hot hand for the remainder of the season in hopes that they reach the first playoff berth since their return to Winnipeg. A big test is ahead, as the Jets will have to do without the services of their big defenseman Dustin Byfuglien for the next three encounters.
The Jets are currently 7-3-0 in their last ten games. Here is a look at the final four games of their regular season.
Monday April 6th – @Minnesota Wild
The season series between these two teams favours the Wild, as they hold a 3-0-1 record but if the Jets can claim a silver lining in this battle, it’s that two of the three losses have come in overtime. In fact, three of the four games this season have ended in extra time, indicating that the battle between these two horses is closer than the record tells. The last time these two teams met was back in February, when Byfuglien scored in overtime to give the Jets their only win against Minnesota. If they wish to repeat this outcome, they’ll have to get an OT goal from someone other than Dustin, who will not be eligible to play.
Tuesday, April 7th – @St. Louis Blues
Their only win against the Blues this season came in their last encounter when Andrew Ladd secured the two points in the shoot-out. Overall, the Jets are 1-2-1 against St. Louis, though the scoring between the two teams has been close, with the Blues out-scoring Winnipeg 12-9. Unfortunately, this game will be a tough task, as the Blues have scored 11 goals in their last two games, defeating Calgary 4-1 before slugging it out with Dallas to a 7-5 win. Fortunately for Winnipeg, the Blues have also allowed six goals in those previous two games, so they’ll need Pavelec to remain in form if they want to stand a chance.
Thursday, April 9th – @Colorado Avalanche
A disappointing season, to say the least, for the Avalanche. From one of the biggest surprises of last season to one of the biggest drops, the Jets will have their work cut out for them. This matchup favors the Jets, as they are 3-0-1 in the season series, their only loss coming in a shootout where Nathan MacKinnon had the last laugh. In the remaining three contests, they outscored the Avalanche 13-6, including a 6-2 beatdown, last December, when they chased Semyon Varlamov in the final period. Last February, the team got goals from five different players en route to a 5-3 victory, which also saw Mathieu Perreault notch three points, one goal and two assists.
Saturday, April 11th – vs. Calgary Flames
In the final game of Winnipeg’s regular season, they’ll take on the Calgary Flames, a team that owns a one point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for the final position in the Pacific Division, with the Kings holding one game in hand. In two contests this season, the Jets are winless against the Flames, dropping a 4-1 decision last October and following it up with a 5-2 loss this February. If they wish to keep the team at bay, they’ll need to shut down Mason Raymond, who has four points against them, as well as rookie Johnny Gaudreau, who has three points. Winnipeg will also have to rely on Blake Wheeler, Bryan Little and captain Ladd, whom have a combined total of seven points (two goals, five assists) against the Flames, this season.
Los Angeles Kings (39-25-14 – 92 points)
It’s hard to label where the Kings currently stand as a surprise. In fact, it’s quite well-known that the this Kings team has a nonchalant approach when it comes to where they finish in the top-eight teams of their conference. As long as they get in, it doesn’t matter if it’s the top team of the West, the best of their division or the 8th and final team to advance. Two seasons ago, before the wild card format was introduced, the Kings snuck into the playoffs as the 8th seed. Last season, they finished just ahead of the wild card with 100 points, nine ahead of the Dallas Stars and two ahead of the Minnesota Wild. This season, they are hanging on by a thread, attempting to keep the Jets from sneaking in while securing their own post-season appearance.
The Kings are currently 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Here is a look at the final four games of their regular season.
Monday April 6th – @Vancouver Canucks
The last time these two teams met, Radim Vrbata scored one goal and added an assist to lead the Canucks past the Kings 4-1. The season series, however, has been tilted in favour of Los Angeles, who hold a 3-1-0 lead, while outscoring their Canadian foes 13-7. Vrbata has proven to be the biggest problem, scoring two goals and adding two assists in the four contests, but the Sedin twins have been rather quiet, posting a combined total of three points and a whopping minus-8. The trio of Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli, the three top scorers in this series, have a combined total of 13 points, with Kopitar leading the way with five of those points.
Tuesday, April 7th – @Edmonton Oilers
Going 3-0-1 this season, the Kings sole defeat came in a shootout, where then-Oiler now-Penguin David Perron secured the win. Apart from that game, this series has been heavily lopsided in favour of Los Angeles. In the three other encounters this season, the Kings have outscored the Oilers 19-5, including an 8-2 shellacking last week. Kopitar leads the offensive punch with seven points in those four contests, while Jeff Carter has six, and both Drew Doughty and Marian Gaborik have four. The first period has been crucial in this series, as the Kings have outshot the Oilers 46-26, while outscoring them 8-1, which is more goals than what the Oilers have mustered up in every game combined.
Thursday, April 9th – @Calgary Flames
In a battle of close calls, the Kings finally figured out the Flames during their last meet-up, defeating them 5-3. Unfortunately for them, this was the first time all season that the Kings managed to walk away with two points against Calgary. Currently 1-1-2, each loss for LA has been decided by one goal, with two of them ending in the extra period. While Toffoli has torn it up, scoring five points, both Gaborik and Kopitar have been quiet against the Flames. If the Kings want these crucial two points, they’ll need to find a way to settle Gaudreau down, as he has three goals and three assists against the Kings this season.
Saturday, April 11th – vs. San Jose Sharks
With the season series tied up at two wins each, the Kings will look to win this battle in order to put a stamp on the Sharks end of the season. It will be tough, as the Sharks have managed to outscore the Kings 10-7 in four contests. Patrick Marleau and Kopitar lead the way for their respective teams with four points apiece, while Antti Niemi has out-goaled Jonathan Quick, posting one shoutout and garnering a .942 save percentage to Quick’s .914. The Sharks will need more from Big Joe Thornton, while the Kings hope to get some secondary scoring out of Doughty and Toffoli, all three of whom have been quiet this series.
Minnesota Wild (44-26-8 – 96 points)
Nearing trade deadline day, the Minnesota Wild looked hopeless. Unable to string multiple wins together, getting shoddy goaltending and a head coach becoming increasingly frustrated, general manager Chuck Fletcher pulled off a bold move by acquiring the services of goaltender Devan Dubnyk, a goaltender that out-played Mike Smith in Arizona, but spent the prior season in the American Hockey League. The trade has paid dividend since, with Dubnyk boasting a 26-7-2 record with the Wild. His statistics are staggering and Dubnyk has become one of the better stories of the second half of this season. Not overly offensive, Zach Parise is the only player to hit the 60-point plateau in just 71 contests, the team has gathered around their goaltending and solid defensive efforts from the likes of Ryan Suter to secure their place in the playoffs.
The Wild are currently 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Here is a look at the final four games of their regular season.
Monday April 6th – vs. Winnipeg Jets
Mentioned earlier in this article, Minnesota has the Jets number this season, holding a 3-0-1 record and getting some sensational goaltending from Dubnyk. If the Wild can hold off the Jets and win in regulation, they would clinch their playoff berth, leaving just one wild card seed open for multiple teams to battle for. Mikko Koivu is expected to be back in the line-up and Erik Haula is not expected to miss the game despite being benched, and since acquiring Dubnyk, the Wild have not lost three consecutive games.
Tuesday, April 7th – @Chicago Blackhawks
One of the bigger tests this season for the Wild has been figuring out a way to shut down the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Brad Richards. Their last meeting, they did so by shutting out the Blackhawks 3-0, however they have dropped the three other contests in which Kane put up eight points, while Toews added six points and Richards one goal and four assists. Though Kane won’t be a concern, they’ll need to find a way to keep those other two off the scoresheet, and one way of doing so is to protect Dubnyk as much as possible and allow him to see the shots from all angles.
Thursday, April 9th – @Nashville Predators
With two wins apiece, the Wild hold a 2-1-1 record, securing five points of a possible eight against the top team in the Central division. Charlie Coyle has seen results, putting up six points in the four contests this season, while Parise and Nino Niederreiter both have four points. One of the biggest factors of the Predators season has been the solid goaltending from Pekka Rinne, however in this season series, Rinne has been cold, posting an .895 save percentage against the Wild. An effective way to silence the Predators is to keep the duo of Shea Weber and Roman Josi away from the offensive zone, where they have punished the Wild with a combined seven points.
Saturday, April 11th – @St. Louis Blues
In three meetings this season, the Wild are 2-0-1 when matching up against the Blues. Of all the Wild, Justin Fontaine and Coyle both have four points against St. Louis, while Koivu, Vanek and Parise have two goals each. After dropping a 3-2 shootout decision back in November, the Wild have followed it up with a pair of regulation wins, outscoring the Blues 9-4 in the process. St. Louis have an abundance of offensive firepower, so the Wild will have to find a way to silence the likes of David Backes, Alex Steen, and the punishing Lethera-Tarasenko-Schwartz trio.
In, But Not Clinched
Vancouver Canucks (45-29-5 – 95 points)
After suffering a 5-4 loss at the hands of the Jets, the Canucks will have to make up for it by winning their last meeting with the Kings in regulation, while also defeating one of Edmonton or Arizona in their final two games of the season. Doing so would give them 99 points, and the Kings would be locked out, after a regulation loss to the Canucks would keep them at 92 points, with the possibility of ending the season with a maximum of 98 points.
Calgary Flames (43-29-7 – 93 points)
Just one point currently separates the Flames and the Kings, after Calgary defeated Edmonton 4-0. With the Kings holding a game in hand, the most important game of what remains is on April 9th, when the Flames welcome L.A. at home. A regulation wins is crucial at this point, but the Flames will likely have to win out if they want to stand a chance at making the post-season, and that includes beating both Arizona and Winnipeg. This would put them at 99 points, however the Kings have the possibility of reaching 100 points, which makes the game on the 9th that much more significant.
With just one week remaining, who do you think makes it to the dance and which teams will be left sitting on the bench, without a partner to tango with?
