By Ryan Bologna
The NHL regular season is winding down and with a few exceptions the playoff picture is set. Here are two teams from each conference that are best equipped to threaten for the Stanley Cup.
Eastern Conference
To put it simply, the Eastern Conference is a bloodbath. There could be a case for seven out the eight teams currently in playoff spots. Naturally that will leave out multiple contenders. The Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs did not make the cut here, but both of them could easily represent the conference. A team like the New York Rangers have a case as well with their improved depth from trade deadline moves and having the best goalie in the league in Igor Shesterkin.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers sit atop of the best division in hockey with 104 points. With Sergei Bobrovsky having a rebound season along with their immense depth at forward it is no surprise that they are among the best teams in the league this season. The forward group is headlined by Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. With the addition of Claude Giroux at the trade deadline they have plenty of offensive firepower. They will also likely face the Washington Capitals in the first round, which would give them the most favorable matchup in the conference.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Although the Lightning could end up as one of the wild card teams, there is no dismissing the threat they are in the playoffs. They are the two-time defending champions, and they played the first two rounds of the playoffs without home-ice advantage in 2021. So they have the experience and ability to hit another gear once the playoffs start. With veteran players like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and a quality goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning are just as dangerous as they have been in prior years.
Western Conference
The Western Conference is much more open. There is one overwhelming favorite that the rest of the teams are chasing. A team like the Vegas Golden Knights were one of the preseason favorites and acquiring Jack Eichel should theoretically make them more dangerous, but they are currently on the outside looking in. There is no clear cut challenger to the best team in the conference.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are by far the best team in the Western Conference with the most points in the league at 106. Colorado is no stranger to being the favorites in the conference. They have been viewed as arguably the most talented team in the NHL for multiple seasons, but just have not gotten it done in the playoffs. With the Golden Knights not living up to expectations the conference is more wide open than it has ever been. With the possible Norris Trophy winner in Cale Makar and players like Nathan MacKinnon on the roster, it would be a disappointment if the Avalanche fail to reach the final once again.
Calgary Flames
While the Flames lead arguably the weakest division in the league, they are potential benefits of the playoff format. If the standings stayed the same, the Flames would be able to avoid facing the Avalanche until the Western Conference Final. Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk give Calgary a good amount of scoring, but their strong defense along with goalie Jacob Markstrom’s strong season makes them the most likely to challenge the Avalanche in the Western Conference.
Picture Credit: Doug Kerr
