Are the 8 PO spots in west already set?

[RFIP]

WESTERN GP W L OTL PTS ROW SOW SOL HOME ROAD GF GA DIFF L10 STRK
Chicago 23 15 4 4 34 12 3 2 9-1-3 6-3-1 85 69 +16 7-2-1 Won 1
San Jose 22 14 3 5 33 13 1 4 6-1-2 8-2-3 77 51 +26 4-2-4 Won 1
St. Louis 21 15 3 3 33 12 3 1 9-1-2 6-2-1 73 49 +24 7-2-1 Won 2
Anaheim 24 15 6 3 33 14 1 2 8-0-1 7-6-2 75 63 +12 5-3-2 Lost 5
Colorado 21 16 5 0 32 16 0 0 9-3-0 7-2-0 68 45 +23 6-4-0 Won 2
Phoenix 22 14 4 4 32 10 4 2 9-0-2 5-4-2 76 70 +6 7-1-2 Lost 1
Minnesota 23 14 5 4 32 12 2 3 10-1-2 4-4-2 61 53 +8 8-1-1 Won 1
Los Angeles 23 15 6 2 32 11 4 1 8-3-1 7-3-1 64 50 +14 7-1-2 Lost 1
Vancouver 23 11 8 4 26 10 1 3 4-4-2 7-4-2 58 61 -3 3-4-3 Lost 5
Dallas 21 11 8 2 24 8 3 1 3-3-2 8-5-0 60 59 +1 6-3-1 Lost 1
Nashville 22 11 9 2 24 11 0 2 5-2-1 6-7-1 52 65 -13 5-4-1 Won 3
Winnipeg 24 10 11 3 23 5 5 2 7-6-2 3-5-1 64 72 -8 5-4-1 Lost 3
Calgary 22 7 11 4 18 6 1 1 3-4-3 4-7-1 60 81 -21 2-6-2 Lost 1
Edmonton 24 7 15 2 16 6 1 1 3-7-0 4-8-2 64 84 -20 4-6-0 Won 3

Its insane how tight the top 8 spots ar, which is undoubtedly why Q is so afraid to play Raanta (though CC has looked average at best) Vancouver now 6 points out and has played 23 games too.

Top 8 separated by TWO POINTS!!!

Heard on HNIC yesterday that "it may take 110 points to get in in the west..."

How nuts is that?!?!

Click to read more...

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

I think that Vancouver will get hot at some point and either Colorado or Minnesota will go on a losing streak...I think Van will be in the playoffs. But it would be nice if they missed.

In the league standings, every single west playoff team is ahead off every east team.

 

[slappipappi]

The points required to make the playoffs in the West will ease off once the west starts playing more games against each other.

But it will still be higher than usual.

But the standings are far from set.

 

[Nothingman*]

I think Vancouver will make it also. Maybe Phoenix of Anaheim will slow down. But as stated above, the numbers are deceiving in that we are just now really getting into playing each other in the west with frequency. Then the separation will happen a little bit.

 

[Thucydides]

Vancouver will heat up, and Minnesota will slow down. As will Colorado. It's going to be a close, close race.

 

[Salvaged Ship]

Amazing that we are currently leading the NHL in points but if we play a couple of bad games coming up we could go from 1st to 8th in the conference in just a few days. Need to keep winning

 

[Sarava]

I still doubt Colorado makes the playoffs. But yeah it is crazy how it's played out so far.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Nope

Only 1/4 of season done ,, Just look at Leaf teams in recent years who flamed out after good starts

 

[Nothingman*]

I still doubt Colorado makes the playoffs. But yeah it is crazy how it's played out so far.

True. Varlomov might end up in jail at some point.

 

[Bring Back GLR]

I see Vancouver at best as an 8th seed. They'll be battling Minny and Dallas for that last spot. Colorado might slow down a bit but they'll still finish ahead of all of those teams.

Chicago
San Jose
Anaheim
Los Angeles
St.louis
Colorado
Phoenix
Van/Minny/Dallas

In no particular order for the first 7 playoff teams.

 

[Sevanston]

Way too early to say the playoffs are set. The whole picture could change if any of about 12 teams go on a hot or cold streak. And with this much time left in the season, at least one of them absolutely will.

The teams to watch for me are Colorado and Minnesota, both of whom are riding goaltenders that might not finish the season, though obviously for completely different reasons.

 

[Bring Back GLR]

Colorado could fall apart but they're also talented enough to hover in that 5th or 6th spot even if they cool off. The Canucks are just a mediocre team right now, they don't have the firepower or the horses they used to have.

They have a similar record to what they had 3 years ago at this time when they went on a crazy run and finished with 117 points, but back then they had Erhoff, Torres, Samuellson, Malhotra, Raymond etc. Now they're depth is depleted and core players are all struggling.

 

[here come the]

Phoenix and Colorado are both playing a dangerous game being below average possession team, while Vancouver and Dallas are very good in that regard. I think both have a pretty good shot at being replaced in the playoff picture once the second season starts

 

[Crazy_Ike]

Ask again in February.

 

[MTP]

Everyone also has to take into consideration the way that seeding is done this year. As long as you finish top three in your division you're guaranteed a playoff spot.

 

[RFIP]

I heard a long discussion today on HNIC radio in which they were saying that it will not be possible for a team, especially one from the west, to make a long run using 1 goalie primarily (70+ games) because of the high intensity of the game today....they said it will burn a guy out come playoff time, if they made it.

Then they ran through a bunch of teams with great goalie tandems....they didn't address the hawks by name as they were sort of the elephant in the room per se.

Man you do have to wonder with CC playing so many games and rarely sharp for a long while now...terrible save %, the teams woeful PK...how long can they keep scoring 5-6 goals/game?

Somethings got to give here sooner or later...and the need for a #2 goalie is real folks.

 

[Colonel X]

Far from set, but the Hawks do have an enviable position. They are going to have to play well though.

 

[Bubba88]

Avs will cool down soon