Which 8 teams make the playoffs in the east?

[bobholly39]

All star break just ended - time for the last ~35 or so games of the season. This is the most wide-open playoff race we've had for a while in the east.

Which 8 teams do you think make the playoffs?

For inclusion's sake, I added all 16 teams in the conference to the poll, but in my opinion all of Columbus, Ottawa, Montreal and Buffalo are definitely out.

I listed teams in order of point% as of today

My prediction is:

Boston, Florida, NY Rangers, Carolina, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and NY Islanders make the playoffs.

How about you?

Click to read more...

 

[Play]

A bobholly classic!

 

[jbeck5]

Lol why even include shitty teams like Ottawa.

 

[Play]

Lol why even include shitty teams like Ottawa.

Because is that team catches fire, look out

 

[A1LeafNation]

I see Detroit falling out and New Jersey going on a run

 

[Play]

I see Detroit falling out and New Jersey going on a run

You always said Flyers would fall out back in 2014

But it’s been a while ,

 

[Xspyrit]

Because is that team catches fire, look out

Too little to late for them. As I said before the season, can't afford to go into the season with Dorion and DJ Smith, but the team sale took forever and they started the season stuck with them as Andlauer only got control of the team in September.

Melnyk, Dorion and DJ Smith was probably the worst trifecta in NHL history but at least now they finally have the chance to move forward. Coaching change happened on December 18th but there was 4+ seasons of bad habits to fix and several of the young players needed to be "reprogrammed" so I thought it would take all season. But since January 11th I have seen a lot of positives in the way they play and the advanced stats reflects it. Even in points, they have the 9th best P% since January 13th

But since January 11th at ES :

CF% : 3rd best (3rd best in CF/60, 4th best in CA/60)
SF% : 5th best (3rd best in SF/60, 6th best in SA/60)
xGF% : 5th best (3rd best in xGF/60, 9th best in xGA/60)

PK since January 11th :

CF% : 3rd best (4th best in CF/60, 3rd best in CA/60)
SF% : 2nd best (2nd best in SF/60, 3rd best in SA/60)
xGF% : 1st (2nd best in xGF/60, 1st in xGA/60)


PP has sucked all season though

In the NHL, you can't afford to start playing the right way 35 games into the season, Now they'd need to play 0.700 P% the rest of the way to have a chance at the playoffs. That's what they have done in their last 10 games but that's a pretty big order over 35 more games. Goalies would have to be much better and they'd need to stay healthy too

 

[Play]

Too little to late for them. As I said before the season, can't afford to go into the season with Dorion and DJ Smith, but the team sale took forever and they started the season stuck with them as Andlauer only got control of the team in September.

Melnyk, Dorion and DJ Smith was probably the worst trifecta in NHL history but at least now they finally have the chance to move forward. Coaching change happened on December 18th but there was 4+ seasons of bad habits to fix and several of the young players needed to be "reprogrammed" so I thought it would take all season. But since January 11th I have seen a lot of positives in the way they play and the advanced stats reflects it. Even in points, they have the 9th best P% since January 13th

But since January 11th at ES :

CF% : 3rd best (3rd best in CF/60, 4th best in CA/60)
SF% : 5th best (3rd best in SF/60, 6th best in SA/60)
xGF% : 5th best (3rd best in xGF/60, 9th best in xGA/60)

PK since January 11th :

CF% : 3rd best (4th best in CF/60, 3rd best in CA/60)
SF% : 2nd best (2nd best in SF/60, 3rd best in SA/60)
xGF% : 1st (2nd best in xGF/60, 1st in xGA/60)


PP has sucked all season though

In the NHL, you can't afford to start playing the right way 35 games into the season, Now they'd need to play 0.700 P% the rest of the way to have a chance at the playoffs. That's what they have done in their last 10 games but that's a pretty big order over 35 more games. Goalies would have to be much better and they'd need to stay healthy too

The powerplay agitates me so much , it shouldn’t be that bad

 

[Xspyrit]

The powerplay agitates me so much , it shouldn’t be that bad

And it was so good last season, with mostly the same actors, and without Norris who scored 16 PPG in 66 games the year prior... weird

 

[jbeck5]

Because is that team catches fire, look out

Lol

Too little to late for them. As I said before the season, can't afford to go into the season with Dorion and DJ Smith, but the team sale took forever and they started the season stuck with them as Andlauer only got control of the team in September.

Melnyk, Dorion and DJ Smith was probably the worst trifecta in NHL history but at least now they finally have the chance to move forward. Coaching change happened on December 18th but there was 4+ seasons of bad habits to fix and several of the young players needed to be "reprogrammed" so I thought it would take all season. But since January 11th I have seen a lot of positives in the way they play and the advanced stats reflects it. Even in points, they have the 9th best P% since January 13th

But since January 11th at ES :

CF% : 3rd best (3rd best in CF/60, 4th best in CA/60)
SF% : 5th best (3rd best in SF/60, 6th best in SA/60)
xGF% : 5th best (3rd best in xGF/60, 9th best in xGA/60)

PK since January 11th :

CF% : 3rd best (4th best in CF/60, 3rd best in CA/60)
SF% : 2nd best (2nd best in SF/60, 3rd best in SA/60)
xGF% : 1st (2nd best in xGF/60, 1st in xGA/60)


PP has sucked all season though

In the NHL, you can't afford to start playing the right way 35 games into the season, Now they'd need to play 0.700 P% the rest of the way to have a chance at the playoffs. That's what they have done in their last 10 games but that's a pretty big order over 35 more games. Goalies would have to be much better and they'd need to stay healthy too

We've seen this before with them. Winning streaks and good hockey controlling the play and good stats...all when they're way out of the playoff picture.

I won't trust it until I see them putting up winning streaks and good numbers while in a playoff spot.

Until then it's just same old, same old.

I'm not being tricked by it again.

 

[1specter]

Only 'locks' IMO are Bruins, Panthers, Canes and Rangers. Lightning and Leafs should make it in, but they've both had weird inconsistent seasons where they've been very up and down and have had some untimely injuries to the D and goaltending. Tampa seems like they are ramping up, while the Leafs are still a bit of a mess. Then you have another group of bubble teams with Detroit, Philly, NJ, Pittsburgh and NYI. Detroit looks like they're finally turning the corner, but the rest of those are a crapshoot

If I had to guess, I think TB, Leafs, Detroit, and NYI will make up the remaining spots. NJ should've been a top team but injuries and bad goaltending are sinking them, while Philly and Pittsburgh seem to just not have enough juice left to keep up down the stretch (and Philly was probably overachieving as it was).

This is also the first time in a while where it feels like the Eastern Conference is considerably weaker than the West IMO.

 

[BB79]

I like the 2 votes for Ottawa

 

[34]

Toronto is missing the playoffs.

 

[dirtydanglez]

man the east is bad this year.

 

[Play]

Toronto is missing the playoffs.

No they aren’t. Woll is going to start practicing with the team mid February.

Sammy has been horrible, but they’ll find ways to win in the mean time

 

[34]

No they aren’t. Woll is going to start practicing with the team mid February.

Sammy has been horrible, but they’ll find ways to win in the mean time

Not sure I agree. The team is bad, just bad.

 

[waitin425]

2 votes for Ottawa......LMFAO!!!!

 

[authentic]

No they aren’t. Woll is going to start practicing with the team mid February.

Sammy has been horrible, but they’ll find ways to win in the mean time

Samsonov has actually been pretty good since his return, 3 of the games he played amazing actually. But 34 isn’t wrong that our team just generally sucks. Hardly anyone besides Matthews can score a goal to save their life and our defense is brutal.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

I can see the Pens sneaking in. It kinda felt like that in the summer too, so got to stick to that feeling.

But it's not just based on a feeling, they have been the best team in the League outside looking in. Going into tonight's games, they had a +16 goal differential to the next best GD out of teams not in a playoff spot.

If it wasn't for their abysmal power play they'd be in a playoff spot, and considering the players there it can't continue that bad for the rest of the season, can it?

But yeah, their ES numbers and PK have all been playoff caliber. They got to start finding ways to lose games, but if they can get on a good roll mentally, they certainly have the ability.

I think the Leafs find a way to make it even if they'll do nothing in the playoffs, and then the last spot would be can the Wings/Flyers defend it from NJ/NYI. Islanders would have the worst shot differential we've seen in a long time from a playoff team, and the Devils have a plethora of injuries, so can't really say. Both can turn it up, Isles play last year down the stretch was enough and NJ has the potential for more obviously if they get healthy at some point.

 

[thethirdhockeyman91]

I got Tampa and Pittsburgh as wildcards. Leafs get the third spot and flyers get third spot as wildcard. Devils defense is trash, islanders can’t score and Washington plain stinks. Detroit will finish 9th

 

[Xspyrit]

We've seen this before with them. Winning streaks and good hockey controlling the play and good stats...all when they're way out of the playoff picture.

I won't trust it until I see them putting up winning streaks and good numbers while in a playoff spot.

Until then it's just same old, same old.

I'm not being tricked by it again.

Don't worry I know where you're coming from but as I have been saying since the 8th game of the 2020-21 season, this team wouldn't go anywhere with Dorion and DJ Smith making the decisions... but now they have finally moved on from them and while the first few weeks after the coaching change were more of the same, I have noticed a significant difference in the way they play since January 11th, and all the metrics support it..

It's not about the results, it's about the process for them. But of course, they'll have to prove that they have turned a corner next season.

 

[jbeck5]

Don't worry I know where you're coming from but as I have been saying since the 8th game of the 2020-21 season, this team wouldn't go anywhere with Dorion and DJ Smith making the decisions... but now they have finally moved on from them and while the first few weeks after the coaching change were more of the same, I have noticed a significant difference in the way they play since January 11th, and all the metrics support it..

It's not about the results, it's about the process for them. But of course, they'll have to prove that they have turned a corner next season.

Not only will they have to prove it first, there will likely be a whole new coaching staff, so we'll have to see how they play under them.

There's always reasons to be optimistic and there's always reasons why it won't work out.

I'd rather be pleasently surprised then disappointed again...so it makes a lot more sense to assume they suck until they are actually able to hold down a playoff spot. Until then, it's just streaks...something we've seen many times before.

 

[Xspyrit]

Not only will they have to prove it first, there will likely be a whole new coaching staff, so we'll have to see how they play under them.

There's always reasons to be optimistic and there's always reasons why it won't work out.

I'd rather be pleasently surprised then disappointed again...so it makes a lot more sense to assume they suck until they are actually able to hold down a playoff spot. Until then, it's just streaks...something we've seen many times before.

The clear mandate for the actual coaching staff was to change how they play and how responsible they are without the puck, and it's been trending this way in January. As for the next coaching staff, it's a total unknown so I guess we'll see but Staios has a lot of pressure to make the right calls and also to bring the various adequate elements to replace Tarasenko, Kubalik, Hamonic, etc

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Samsonov has actually been pretty good since his return, 3 of the games he played amazing actually. But 34 isn’t wrong that our team just generally sucks. Hardly anyone besides Matthews can score a goal to save their life and our defense is brutal.

Not sure I agree. The team is bad, just bad.

As of this post the Leafs are top 10 in the league, Which should tell how good they actually are considering that they haven't gotten a save the VAST majority of the year.

Imagine where they'd be if the goaltending didn't have It's head up It's ass all year and did It's job.

Even last night yes Samsonov won but he needed 5, again.

 

[jbeck5]

The clear mandate for the actual coaching staff was to change how they play and how responsible they are without the puck, and it's been trending this way in January. As for the next coaching staff, it's a total unknown so I guess we'll see but Staios has a lot of pressure to make the right calls and also to bring the various adequate elements to replace Tarasenko, Kubalik, Hamonic, etc

As a first time GM, I would assume there might be a learning curve with him when it comes to trades or free agents. We might lose a couple moved before he gets the hang of it.