A little more than half of the NHL season has come and gone. Some teams have established themselves as elite contenders, while others are vying for a better lottery pick (looking at you Columbus). With 30 or so games remaining on most teams’ schedules, take a look at the teams set up to make a deep playoff run and which teams may find themselves on the outside looking in.

Eastern Conference

In the East, there is a wide variety of teams that could take home the cup. If the playoffs started today, Boston, Toronto, and Tampa Bay would be in from the Atlantic. Carolina, New Jersey, and the New York Rangers would represent the Metropolitan. Washington and Pittsburgh would round out the East with Wild Card bids.

At the top of the divisions, the Canes and Bruins have sizable leads. Boston leads the Atlantic by 13 points and Carolina leads by 8. Boston is a lock for the playoffs, and if they keep the same pace, there are few teams, if any, who can match their output. The Bruins are +81 in goal differential and are 22-1-3 at home. The Bruins are probably the deepest team in the league, with the likely Vezina winner, Ullmark, locking things down in the net.

Beyond the Bruins, there are host of teams who could get hot at the right time and make waves before the playoffs. Tampa Bay has been a perennial powerhouse, and there is no way to count them out while they continue to dominate at home (20-4-1). Toronto has the playmakers to be a contender, but we’ve seen this year in and year out. They will inevitably end up facing their biggest nemesis, the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Beyond those three teams, the Atlantic is mediocre. The Sabres are a fun surprise, but would need to acquire some pieces at the deadline to be in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The Metropolitan is likely the most competitive division in the NHL at the moment. Only 13 points separate the 2^nd place Devils from the Islanders, who find themselves battling from behind after the break to get a playoff bid. The Devils started the season hot, cooled off for several weeks, and come into the break at 8-1-1 in their last 10. The Devils are young, but find ways to win the games that matter. The Rangers, last year’s Eastern Conference surprise, find themselves in the middle of the quagmire. The Rangers have not been great at the Garden in the first half (13-9-4). If they can find a way to win some games at home, they may just creep up the standings. With one of the top 6 forward groups in the league, a stellar top 2 defensive pairs, and a Vezina winner in net, who seems to get better as the year progresses, don’t be surprised to see the Rangers where they were last season, with a bit more experience.

Western Conference

The Western Conference will be a much tighter race over the next few months. Dallas and Seattle hold the top spots in the Central and Pacific, respectively. The Stars hold a 1 point lead over the Jets, and the Kraken are tied with LA but hold the tiebreaker. If the Playoffs Started today, Dallas, Winnipeg, and Minnesota would come out of the Central. Seattle, LA, and Vegas would represent the Pacific. There is a lot of time left for these races to be decided with very few points separating those who will make it, and those who will be hitting the links early.

It looks like Dallas is the most poised to continue at the top of their division, sporting a +40 point differential. They have taken a slide in their last 10 (4-2-4). There is a possibility the break hit at the perfect time and the Stars will reset when play resumes. If not, look for the Jets, Wild, or the Avalanche (the hottest team in the division heading into the break) to make a run at the top spot in the West. With the difference between 1^st and 5^th in the Central at 12 points, this race looks set to come down to the wire, and the trade deadline may make all the difference.

Imagine everything that’s exciting about the Central Division, turn that up to 11, and the result mirrors the Pacific Division. The top 5 teams in the division are 6 points apart. Every team except Vegas has a winning record in their last 10, and every team except LA has a positive point differential on the season, with no team more than +26. This division could get hot quick, with teams like Edmonton lighting the lamp a ton going into the break and tearing it up at 7-1-2 in their last ten. With arguably the best top line in the league and the ability score with all 4 lines when healthy, you can’t sleep on the Oilers. There is the potential for the league’s newest teams (Vegas and Seattle) to battle it out for the top spot in the Pacific. No matter how things turn out, the Western playoff race will be an exciting one.

The next 30 games and the trade deadline are critical for every team on the bubble. Will those at the bottom sell off some top talent? Will the acquisition of some key components flip the script for some struggling clubs? Only time will tell. Better put the foil on, this one is gonna be a fight!

How do you think the second half will result in the NHL? Let us know on Twitter @WeLikeSportzPC .

By : Drew Pappert

@forestcitysport

*Photo courtesy of Ticketmaster Blog*