This article is part of our The Daily Puck series.
Around the League
The Western Conference's chosen eight are set. The Kingslayers succeeded. The royalty have been overthrown. Operation Regicide is now officially over.
The Kings were officially eliminated from playoff contention last night after suffering a 3-1 loss to the Flames, ending a spectacular three-year run that included three consecutive appearances in the conference finals and two Stanley Cup titles. That's about as close to a dynasty as you'll come in the cap era in a league that's been diluted by more talent than ever before. Simply put, the Kings just couldn't afford to go through an early season lull and make a late-season charge like in years past. The toll of playing 100 games in each of the past three seasons (with an Olympics thrown in) was just too much to bear. There's absolutely no reason to think the Kings will miss the playoffs next year with much of their core expected to remain intact.
Playoff match-ups have yet to be determined, but only three deviations are possible from the current standings: the Wild can bump the Blackhawks to a wild card spot, the Flames can gain home-ice advantage in the first round if they win and the Canucks lose in their final games, and either the Ducks or Blues can finish first in the conference.
With the Rangers already locking up the Presidents' Trophy, the Ducks (at Arizona on Saturday) and Blues (vs. Minnesota, also on Saturday) will fight for the right to play the Jets in the first round. The division leader with fewer points has the unenviable task of playing the stronger wild card team, which can be either the Blackhawks or the Wild.
Between the two teams, the Wild are the more undesirable opponent. They have less experience than the Blackhawks, but since acquiring Devan Dubnyk (27-8-2, 1.73 GAA, .938 Sv% with the Wild) they've been one of the league's best teams, and the Blackhawks are without the services of Patrick Kane. The Blues are also 3-2 against the Blackhawks this year, while the Wild are 17-7-4 against opponents in their own division. Maybe Dubnyk's little run is a fluke, but the Wild were one of the best teams even before acquiring him, having had one of the best shot differentials in the league.
The Predators have locked up home-ice advantage in the first round as the No. 2 seed in the Central, which bodes well because they're the best team in the West at home with 28 wins. They're limping into the playoffs and despite their lack of playoff pedigree, shouldn't be intimidated by the Wild or Blackhawks. The Predators have enough good forwards to match the Wild's depth up front and overwhelm Ryan Suter, and they also have the legs to keep pace with the quick Blackhawks. It's rather unfortunate that only one Central Division team can come out of this death match alive.
The Pacific Division won't offer the same number of elite teams, but nonetheless remains intriguing.
Willie Desjardins is a dark horse for the Jack Adams as one of the league's best coaches because the turnaround in Vancouver has been faster than anticipated, and Jim Benning has really put together a four-line team. The Flames' effort this season is admirable, but not having Mark Giordano may cost them the series. With home-ice advantage and the better pair of goaltenders, the Canucks should have the edge.
The Ducks will draw one of the two wild cards, and as with the Blues, would much rather face the weaker wild card team. (Duh.) If the Ducks draw the Wild or Blackhawks, the upset potential is huge. The Jets also have a chance to stage an upset, but not because they have the same high-end talent, but because they've got a lot of momentum right now, the city will be hostile towards the visiting team and they have the hottest goalie west of Ottawa in Ondrej Pavalec, who has posted three straight shutouts.
Either way, the Ducks won't have an easy first-round matchup. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are a tough duo to contain because of their skill and size, but the Jets can counter with Dustin Byfuglien, and the Wild and Blackhawks can counter with their own Olympic-caliber defensemen. The Ducks' first-round matchup could be a slugfest like the Blues/Kings series, which means a tired opponent for the winner of the Canucks/Flames series, which further means that one of the two Canadian teams (read: Canucks) could backdoor their way into the Western Conference Finals. Considering Desjardins' track record of winning wherever he goes (some coaches are somehow just able to win at every level – the Lightning's Jon Cooper is another one), it's a conceivable scenario. (Okay, okay. Bob Hartley has a Cup ring. I knew that… darn Flames fans always ruining the fun.)
There are only two Eastern Conference games on the docket for Friday before Saturday's big showdown, but the Penguins can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Islanders. Both teams are fighting for the right to play the Capitals rather than the Rangers (most undesirable) or the Atlantic Division winner (prefer Canadiens over Lightning) in the first round.
It'll be interesting to see how the Pens respond in a must-win game during this recent slide. They're too talented not to make the playoffs, but without emphatic wins in their final two games, they look more like first-round cannon fodder than perennial contenders.
Projected Goalie Starters (all times Eastern)
For updates on the projected goalies later in the day, check our Projected Goalies Grid
New York Islanders (Jaroslav Halak) at Pittsburgh Penguins (Marc-Andre Fleury), 7:00 PM
Buffalo Sabres (Anders Lindback) at Columbus Blue Jackets (Sergei Bobrovsky), 7:00 PM
Injury News For Teams Playing Friday
New York Islanders
Cal Clutterbuck, RW (undisclosed) – game-time decision questionable.
Frans Nielsen, C (undisclosed) – did not practice Thursday; questionable.
Matt Martin, LW (undisclosed) – day-to-day; doubtful.
Mikhail Grabovski, C (concussion) – no return date set.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Nick Spaling, LW (lower body) – game-time decision; probable.
Derrick Pouliot, D (upper body) – game-time decision; questionable.
Kris Letang, D (concussion) – no return date set.
Christian Ehrhoff, D (upper body) – no return date set.
Pascal Dupuis, RW (blood clot) – out for the season.
Olli Maatta, D (shoulder surgery) – out for the season.
Buffalo Sabres
Cody McCormick, C (leg) – practiced Tuesday; questionable.
Andre Benoit, D (lower body) – did not practice Thursday; questionable.
Josh Gorges, D (lower body) – no return date set.
Zemgus Girgensons, C (ankle) – likely out for the season.
Mark Pysyk, D (TBD) – out for the season for precautionary reasons.
Mike Weber, D (sports hernia) – out for the season.
Evander Kane, LW (shoulder surgery) – out for the season.
Chad Johnson, G (ankle) – out for the season.
Jerry D'Amigo, RW (facial surgery) – out for the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Cam Atkinson, RW (hand laceration) – game-time decision; questionable.
Fedor Tyutin, D (lower body) – game-time decision; questionable.
Rene Bourque, LW (back surgery) – out for the season.
Jack Skille, RW (shoulder surgery) – out for the season.
David Clarkson, RW (torn oblique) – out for the season.
Hot
Jamie Benn, LW, Stars – "Benn is going to win the Art Ross," said no one in September. (Shut up, you liars.) The big Stars forward has been on a absolute tear, adding six points in his past two games and with 83 points now leads the league in scoring. Had Tyler Seguin, who is also on fire, been healthy for the full season, things might've looked a little differently. Benn is a top-ten fantasy player next season.
Brandon Dubinsky, C, Blue Jackets – Dubi's on a six-game points streak and has nine points in seven games since his return from abdominal surgery. He's a good player that fits perfectly in Columbus with their rough-and-tumble guys like Scott Hartnell and Nick Foligno. I mean, how can you not enjoy this?
Cold
Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Penguins – What a bad, bad time for Fleury to get cold. The embattled starter has allowed four goals in three straight appearances and lost four straight games in the process. With two games remaining, the Pens control their own destiny, but they need their goalie to step up. The thought of Canada's best player (Sidney Crosby) and defenseman (Drew Doughty) missing the playoffs just kind of blows my mind. That can't happen.
Chris Tanev, D, Canucks – Tanev's another one of those really understated Canucks defensemen to have come up through the pipeline, a guy who not only does everything right but does it often with ease, but doesn't always collect a lot of stats to show for it. He's like a more unassuming version of Dan Hamhuis, if that even were possible, with the steadiness of Mattias Ohlund and some untapped offensive potential. But he's actually played a little worse since signing a big extension, going minus-3 in his past three games with only three blocked shots, his usual bread and butter. You don't expect much, but you don't expect bad stats.
Recommended Pikcup
Patrick Eaves, RW, Stars – He's probably been sitting on the waiver wire as the "player you remembered being quite promising five years ago but never really figured out where he disappeared to." The former first-round sniper has morphed into a valuable role player (perhaps in large part due to his stint with the Red Wings) and despite his injuries remains quite productive in the few games he manages to play. Eaves has three goals in his past three games, including two in his previous game, both scored on the power play and both assisted by Benn. He's getting the right opportunities with the right players, which usually means good things are happening. Eaves has 26 points in 46 games this season – might as well roll the dice and try to play off of Benn and Seguin's hot streaks.
