1
Bruins
Jeremy Swayman has now posted shutouts in back-to-back begins. The Bruins are already robust sufficient to beat when Vezina Trophy contender Linus Ullmark is within the sport, and now Swayman appears to be hitting his stride. Good luck beating Boston when each netminders are brick partitions.
—
54-11-5
2
Kings
Even with out Kevin Fiala and Sean Durzi within the lineup for a few weeks, the Kings simply proceed to bulldoze opponents regularly. Drew Doughty has stepped up his offensive sport currently with three objectives in his final 4 video games, which has doubled his complete for the 2022-23 season.
2
41-20-10
3
Avalanche
The Avs are driving a six-game successful streak, and Nathan MacKinnon has been main a shorthanded roster on a path of destruction. MacKinnon is in the midst of a nine-game level streak, and he is tallied six objectives and 10 assists in that point. No matter what number of accidents Colorado is coping with, MacKinnon makes the group a risk to beat any group on any given evening.
6
41-22-6
4
Oilers
Thanks to a current sizzling streak from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Oilers might need three gamers eclipse the 100-point mark within the 2022-23 season. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are already there, and Nugent-Hopkins is closing in on triple digits now, too. With 14 factors in 10 video games this month, Nugent-Hopkins is now on tempo to complete the season with 99.
6
40-23-8
5
Hurricanes
Sebastian Aho went from March 5 to March 17 with out recording a single level, however he broke out of his stoop with a hat trick in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers. With Andrei Svechnikov finished for the season as a result of harm, the Hurricanes cannot afford for Aho to go silent within the playoffs. Maybe that hat trick gave him one thing to construct upon down the stretch.
2
46-15-8
6
Devils
If there may be one respectable concern in regards to the Devils heading into the playoffs, it is between the pipes. Vitek Vanacek has struggled in a couple of of his current begins, and he has posted -1.86 objectives saved above common in March. Rookie Akira Schmid has performed comparatively properly, however he solely has 22 video games of NHL expertise below his belt. The excellent news for New Jersey is that it would not really want elite goaltending to win the Cup with this roster.
4
45-18-8
7
Golden Knights
Vegas has been one of many hottest groups within the NHL of late, however the group’s underlying numbers are pretty regarding. Since March 1, the Golden Knights are 8-2-0, however they’ve managed simply 39.61% of the five-on-five anticipated objectives in that span, per Natural Stat Trick. That ranks final within the NHL with groups just like the Ducks and Canadiens sitting forward of them.
1
44-21-6
8
Rangers
Over the weekend, the Rangers confirmed what sort of offensive outbursts their roster is able to producing. In back-to-back shutouts of the Penguins and Predators, the Blueshirts discovered the again of the web 13 instances. I, for one, cannot wait to see the Rangers get into some postseason shootouts.
3
41-20-10
9
Wild
With Kirill Kaprizov out as a result of harm, Matt Boldy has stepped right into a first-line function, and he’s taking benefit of the chance. Boldly scored a hat trick in Sunday’s win over the Capitals, and he has 10 factors in his final six video games. If Boldy can sustain this degree of manufacturing when Kaprizov returns, Minnesota could have solved its depth scoring difficulty.
4
41-22-8
10
Stars
With the playoffs in sight, Miro Heiskanen has taken his sport to a different degree. Heiskanen has recorded some extent in 11 straight video games, and he has 4 objectives and 14 assists in that span. As a results of his sizzling streak, Heiskanen has completely blown his earlier profession highs in objectives, assists, and factors out of the water.
4
38-19-14
11
Panthers
I maintain writing blurbs about Matthew Tkachuk’s sizzling streak, and he simply retains one-upping himself. In his final six video games, Tkachuk has recorded three or extra factors 4 instances. He is on an unimaginable run, and that has resulted within the Panthers’ surging into the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot. If Florida continues to play properly heading into the postseason, they is perhaps a harmful first-round matchup.
1
36-28-7
12
Islanders
The Islanders notched an enormous win over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening, they usually elevated their possibilities of touchdown the highest wild card spot. That’s fairly necessary contemplating the truth that the second wild card group must play a Bruins group on tempo to set the file for many factors in a single season.
2
37-27-8
13
Maple Leafs
Like the Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs have posted some horrible underlying numbers currently. Since the beginning of March, Toronto has managed simply 41.82% of the anticipated objectives at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. That ranks twenty ninth within the NHL, and it does increase a purple flag with only a few weeks left within the common season. I’m certain I’ll nonetheless choose the Leafs to beat the Bolts within the first spherical, although.
6
42-19-9
14
Kraken
Matty Beniers could have hit considerably of a rookie wall. He hasn’t scored since Feb. 23, and he has simply seven assists in his final 11 video games. Beniers has been an enormous a part of Seattle’s step ahead in 2022-23, and the group wants him to search out his rhythm once more in an effort to be an actual risk within the playoffs.
1
39-24-7
15
Lightning
Nikita Kucherov has posted the third 100-point season of his profession. After lacking all of half of that final two seasons, Kucherov has been totally wholesome this yr, and his manufacturing has mirrored that. Kucherov is an unstoppable drive when he is within the lineup, and his favourite time of yr is not far-off.
—
42-24-6
16
Jets
The Jets acquired an enormous extra time win over the Predators on Saturday, and their playoff possibilities look a lot better in consequence. They can actually lock up a spot within the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs over the following couple of weeks. Three of Winnipeg’s subsequent 4 opponents are properly out of the playoff image.
—
40-29-3
17
Canucks
Since returning to the lineup on Feb. 27, goaltender Thatcher Demko has offered some stability for the Canucks. In his final eight appearances, Demko has recorded 6.97 objectives saved above common, per Natural Stat Trick. That quantity leads the NHL in that stretch.
5
31-34-5
18
Flames
To this level within the 2022-23 season, the Flames have managed 55.20% of the anticipated objectives at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. That is third within the NHL, so Calgary has finished one thing proper on this disappointing marketing campaign. The difficulty is that the Flames are useless final in capturing share (8.85%) and twenty ninth in save share (88.68%). That is a troublesome combo to beat.
3
32-25-15
19
Senators
At what level is it secure to declare Tim Stützle a respectable celebrity on this league? I’m getting nearer and nearer by the day. In his third NHL season, the previous No. 3 general choose has 35 objectives and 78 factors. Stützle is barely 21, and he’ll solely get higher from right here, which is fairly unlucky information for the remainder of the Atlantic Division..
—
34-32-5
20
Capitals
It seems to be just like the Capitals simply will not have the legs to succeed in the postseason. The odds had been stacked in opposition to them within the type of accidents to key gamers all yr, and Washington will seemingly fall somewhat bit in need of a playoff berth. Hopefully Washington can retool its roster within the offseason so Ovechkin can get one other crack at a Cup towards the top of his profession.
3
33-31-8
21
Penguins
Not having Ovechkin within the playoffs shall be bizarre sufficient, however Crosby lacking the playoffs too would make me really feel each somewhat unhappy and somewhat outdated. The final time neither Ovechkin nor Crosby made the playoffs was in 2006, when each gamers had been rookies. With the Penguins dropping 4 straight video games in regulation, we’re heading in that route once more.
4
34-26-10
22
Coyotes
If actual life had been something like “NBA Jam,” Clayton Keller could be strolling across the larger Tempe space engulfed in flames. He has quietly been one of many hottest gamers within the NHL this month with eight objectives and 9 assists in 10 video games performed. He’s the principle motive Arizona is 6-3-2 in March.
4
27-33-11
23
Predators
The Predators could lastly be feeling the results of their commerce deadline strikes and the harm bug. Nashville held on within the playoff race for so long as potential, however it’s 5 factors behind Winnipeg with simply 13 video games left. That math shouldn’t be within the Predators’ favor.
3
35-26-8
24
Sabres
After remaining within the postseason image for many of the season, the Sabres have been sinking like a stone within the standings. Buffalo has gone 2-7-2 within the month of March, and its newest loss was a 7-3 throttling by the hands of a depleted Predators group. If there may be any silver lining, it is that the Sabres have been doing good work to enhance their draft choose.
6
33-31-6
25
Blues
Jordan Binnington continued to reside out his Slap Shot dream by taking a shot on the Wild’s Ryan Hartman final week. That depth is all properly and good when the Blues are competing for a Stanley Cup, nevertheless it begins to put on skinny when the group is eleventh within the convention and Binnington has a 3.39 GAA.
—
31-33-6
26
Ducks
It’s been robust to search out many positives for the Ducks this season, however I suppose that is to be anticipated when the group has a minus-100 objective differential with 12 video games remaining. We’ll see what number of adjustments the group makes this offseason, however touchdown a top-two choose could be an actual shot within the arm.
1
23-38-10
27
Red Wings
In his first season with the Red Wings, David Perron has taken a step again. His manufacturing is down throughout the board from the place it was in St. Louis, and will probably be attention-grabbing to see what Detroit does with Perron within the offseason. Perron nonetheless has one yr left on his contract at $4.75 million, and he may nonetheless be an interesting middle-six improve for quite a lot of groups.
3
31-30-9
28
Blackhawks
If you are fishin for positives for the Blackhawks as they play out the stretch, former sixth-round draft choose Cole Guttman has been a nice shock in his first 14 NHL video games. He has 4 objectives and two assists to this point, and it will be attention-grabbing to see if he can produce persistently over the past 12 video games.
—
24-40-6
29
Flyers
After a considerably underwhelming debut with the Flyers final season, Owen Tippett seems to be like he could possibly be an necessary participant transferring ahead. This season, Tippett has 21 objectives and 18 assists in 65 video games performed. Tippett has most likely earned an even bigger function as Philadelphia continues its rebuild subsequent season.
2
26-32-12
30
Canadiens
In his first sport since Feb. 14, Kirby Dach opened the scoring in a 3-2 win over the Lightning. After a lower-body harm was initially misdiagnosed as an sickness, the Canadiens must be blissful that Dach is again to full well being and that he picked up proper the place he left off.
1
28-37-6
31
Blue Jackets
It did not essentially assist their tank, however the Blue Jackets gained a enjoyable 7-6 shootout over the Capitals on Tuesday evening. After struggling to search out the again of the web currently, and for many of the season, Jack Roslovic scored a pair of objectives, together with the extra time winner.
1
22-41-7
32
Sharks
If there may be one criticism of the Sharks’ tanking effort over the past couple of weeks, it is that they’ve picked up too many loser factors. San Jose has misplaced seven video games in a row, however three of these losses have are available extra time. Now shouldn’t be the time for aggressive losses.
—
19-37-15
