NHL: Handicapping the Western Conference playoff race
By Jasmine Yen
The Questionables
These are the teams that have the pieces to make the playoffs but their destiny is still uncertain at the moment. The teams in this category include the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, and Arizona Coyotes.
Edmonton Oilers
The two cheat codes in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined with the solid defense and goaltending the Oilers have been getting is a recipe for success. The team hit a rough patch in December but have bounced back in 2020 with a 7-1-2 record in their last ten games.
Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen have been playing very well and the team has not let in more than 3 goals since a 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 6. Consistent goaltending is the biggest concern but as long as the goaltending lasts, this team should make the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights made a bizarre move halfway into the season by firing their head coach, Gerard Gallant and hiring Peter DeBoer. Even though it was odd considering the amount of success Galland has had with the Golden Knights, it became obvious that general manager George McPhee wanted his team to tighten up defensively.
In November and December, Marc-Andre Fleury‘s save percentage was steadily dropping, with the team consistently giving up at least four goals a game. Fleury wasn’t getting worse, it was the opportunities the defense in front of him were giving up that was the problem.
Under DeBoer, the team has become much tighter defensively and in their last game they shutout the Nashville Predators. If they can continue to improve their team on the defensive side, they will make it to the playoffs.
Related Story. One Player Each Team Should Trade. light
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames have had a very rocky season both on the ice and off the ice. Ever since they fired Bill Peters, the team has had a record of 16-8-1 but they have looked like a shell of their former selves. Matthew Tkachuk leads the team in scoring with 42 points in 52 games, but with a team stock-full of talent, Tkachuk should not be at the top.
6 of their next 8 games are against Pacific Division rivals and these are very important points for the Flames if they want to remain in the playoff picture. However, if they continue to be flawed defensively, other teams will gladly take their spot.
Arizona Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes acquired Phil Kessel in the offseason to improve their goalscoring. When that didn’t pan out, John Chayka went out and brought in Taylor Hall. Unfortunately, that addition coincided with Darcy Kuemper‘s injury and the team has been spiralling ever since.
The team has gone 6-8-3 since Kuemper went down and they are currently on a five-game losing streak. Losing your top goaltender is tough, especially when your team is having problems scoring. Their 2.7 goals per game is 22nd in the NHL and their leading goalscorer is Conor Garland, who has just 17 goals. If this team wants to get back on track, they’re going to need better goaltending, stronger team defense, and their stars need to start scoring. It’s a tall list and the Coyotes have a massive challenge ahead of them, especially considering how tight the Pacific playoff race is.