16: Boston Bruins
We got a preview of this already this week. Boston lost to the Capitals 3-1 and could only put one past backup Philipp Grubauer, and the Bruins aren't going to see him starting in net in the playoffs. Boston is a good team, and it's hard to determine which team finishes in the 16 spot. The Capitals are too good to lose in a series against a wild-card team like the Bruins, and Boston will make an early exit.
15: Nashville Predators
The Preds are in basically the same situation as the Bruins: the second wild card plays the Cup favorite. Nashville's goaltender, Pekka Rinne, is having a decent year. Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen are having decent years. The Predators lack the star power to eliminate the Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews-Duncan Keith-lead Blackhawks, aside from P.K. Subban, who is having, yes, a decent year. The fact is, the Predators need to have someone who can explode, and they lack that right now.
14: Calgary Flames
The Flames are thanking the ROW tiebreaker right now. They don't have to play the Blackhawks, but their chances of winning a round are still low because they have to play a first-place team. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monohan can potentially carry this team in a series against the Ducks or the Oilers. Brian Elliott has to be strong against high-scoring teams for the Flames to have success in the playoffs.
13: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs were the final team to clinch their playoff spot. Even though they won't be a wild-card team, the road to the playoffs is still tough with a series against the Senators. We still don't know how serious the injury to Frederick Andersen is, and the Leaf's backup will not win them a series. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marnier have to keep producing. Even after a series win against Ottawa, the Leafs would have to face the Habs or Rangers.
12: Ottawa Senators
Yes, their opponent is in the 13 spot. The Sens are pretty even with the Leafs in a series, but their defense is better. Their defense is a lot of their offense too- Erik Karlsson has 71 points. Mike Hoffman is having a great year, with 26 goals and 35 assists for a total of 61 points. Craig Anderson just doesn't have what it takes for Ottawa to go very far.
11: San Jose Sharks
The window was closing at the start of this season and is growing even smaller. Brent Burns is eighth in the league in points with 76- ahead of players like Vladmir Tarasenko, Evgeni Malkin, and Alexander Ovechkin. Joe Pavelski has 68 points, and then the offense drops all the way to Logan Coture's 52 points, which results in 82nd overall. They need a stronger defensive lineup (even with Burns) and Martin Jones has to perform a lot better for them to take down the Ducks or Oilers.
10: Minnesota Wild
We've been over the Wild's stretch of misadventures in March. We don't need to go over it again. All that matters is, it looks like it's over. They have gone 5-1-2 in their last eight games and look ready for the playoffs. Maybe. The Wild are still a maybe for the playoffs because of the 1 loss. That one loss came against Nashville, where they got shut out 3-0. They did go on to have a successful rest of the year, capping it off with a 3-1 over Arizona. The Wild are playing a good hockey team in the St. Louis Blues, who held off the Nashville Predators for the three seed and even if Minnesota gets past the Blues they would most likely face the Blackhawks, who they lost three consecutive playoff series to from 2013 to 2015.
9: St. Louis Blues
The Blues look like they have the talent to make a run at the Western Conference Final this year. While they can't quite hang with teams like the Blue Jackets or Blackhawks, they are a strong team. Vladmir Tarasenko is having another great year, he ranks tenth in points and fifth in goals with 38. What the Blues really need is stronger goaltending, and Jake Allen can't fill the void. It would have been a smarter move to keep the goaltender that carried them to the Conference Finals last year, Brian Elliott.
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