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NHL: Handicapping the Eastern Conference playoff race

By Jasmine Yen

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 01: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on alongside Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 1, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 01: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins looks on alongside Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on May 1, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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The Questionables

These are the teams that have the tools to make it, but their fate is still uncertain. In the Metropolitan Division, this includes the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes. In the Atlantic Division, it is the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are currently third in the Metropolitan but they are only a single point up on the Columbus Blue Jackets. This team has been struggling to score all season long and their rock-solid goaltending is starting to show some cracks.

The Islanders average just 2.9 goals per game (19th in the NHL) and in his last five games, Semyon Varlamov has a .895 save percentage. The only player on the team with 20 goals is Brock Nelson and unless this team can figure out how to get it done offensively, their playoff chances are looking less likely, especially with how hot the Blue Jackets have been playing.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a very inconsistent season due to the number of injuries this team has gone through. The biggest possibly the one that puts a dagger into their playoff hopes is the injury suffered by Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton broke his leg in a game against the Blue Jackets and is out for the rest of the season.

Losing Hamilton means that the Hurricanes needed to replace his ice time (23:17 a night) as well as his production. His 40 points in 47 games made him fourth on the team in scoring and that is extremely hard to replace. Unless Don Waddell goes out and finds a solid replacement, this team’s challenge will be much harder.

Related Story. Hurricanes are rumoured to want to add defenseman. light

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have a ton of offensive firepower on their team but the acquisition of Sergei Bobrovsky has done nothing to improve their lack of reliable goaltending. The team has been hot, going 8-2 in their last 10 games and they’re currently on a six-game winning streak. Perhaps they can score their way out of their goaltending issues, but whether this offensive tear will last remains a question.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have improved significantly after the firing of Mike Babcock. Under Sheldon Keefe, the team has gone 18-7-3 and all their key offensive players are producing. However, the slew of injuries has set them back, especially the ones to their defensemen, Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin (Muzzin is back now but he missed significant time).

With the run-and-gun style of play the Leafs like to use, they live and die by the goaltending of Frederik Andersen. Andersen’s save percentage has been going down since December and in the month of January, he really struggled and had a .893 sv%. Unless he can regain the dominance he had earlier in the season, it will be a fight to the bitter end for the Leafs.

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