Who's Currently in the NHL Playoffs and Who Will Fall Out Come April?
The NHL All-Star events are now over. With that in mind, it is time to focus on the second half of the NHL season which resumes tomorrow. If the season were to end today, the (WC1) New Jersey Devils would face the (1) Washington Capitals, the (3) Pittsburgh Penguins would face the (2) Columbus Blue Jackets, the (WC2) Philadelphia Flyers would face the (1) Tampa Bay Lightning and the (3) Toronto Maple Leafs would face the (2) Boston Bruins in the first round in the Eastern Conference.
I think the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and the Tampa Bay Lightning will all make the playoffs. I think the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers will not make it and the New York Islanders and the Carolina Hurricanes will make it instead.
The (WC1) Dallas Stars would face the (1) Winnipeg Jets, the (3) St. Louis Blues would face the (2) Nashville Predators, the (WC2) Colorado Avalanche would face the (1) Vegas Golden Knights, and the (3) Calgary Flames would face the (2) San Jose Sharks.
I think the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Calgary Flames will make the playoffs. I think the San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche will not make it to the playoffs. The Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild will make it to the playoffs instead.
