The Bruins have made a coaching change, and the Maple Leafs are living life without their 69-goal sniper. And both teams are thick in the middle of the playoff race in the tightly contested Atlantic Division. On November 5th, Toronto shut out the visiting Bruins 4-0. Two months later, this game will be a factor in eventually determining where the two teams finish in this competitive division.
Back in October, this looked like a major mismatch. Three months later, it’s an Original Six clash of two teams at or near the bottom of their respective Conferences. While that’s not a surprise for the rebuilding Blackhawks, it’s nothing short of shocking for the Rangers, who led the league in points last season. Will there be further changes on Broadway?
Probably the most pleasant surprise halfway through this 2024-25 season is the play of the Washington Capitals. They just made the playoffs last season and didn’t last long. It looks like it’ll be a different story this April. They visit a Sabres team that hasn’t seen the playoffs in a decade-and-a-half, and Buffalo hasn’t enjoyed the most stellar first half this time. But there is still time to change all that in the traffic jam that is the wild card race in the Eastern Conference.
The Predators are the most disappointing team this regular season, along with the Rangers. After making the post-season cut last April and complementing their roster during the off-season, Nashville were all set to challenge for a top-three spot in the tough Central Division. Instead, they’re fighting to stay out of the last place in the Western Conference. And it doesn’t get any easier tonight, as they visit a Winnipeg team that got off to a great start this season and have largely maintained that place. These two teams last met up on December 30th, with the Jets taking that game 3-0.
The surprisingly resilient Flames take on the surprisingly resilient Kings. Despite what the numbers experts have preached to us since the beginning of the season, both these clubs remain in the hunt for a Western Conference playoff spot. The regular season is 82 games long, and at some point, those perceived deficiencies will catch up with a team. So the two points for a W on the table tonight are important, even in early January.
Speaking of resilience, the Penguins refuse to go away. They are hanging around a wildcard spot in the East, and while a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division looks like a bit of a stretch, it’s not out of the question. They host an Oilers team that has been one of the best squads over the past two months and have their sights set on first place in the Pacific Division.
The future looks bright for the rebuilding Sharks, who are already playing better hockey this time than they did for most of last season. While that bump-up in quality and competitiveness may not yet translate into points, they’ve become a more difficult team to play against. Tonight, they visit a Utah club that is keeping pace in the Western Conference wildcard race, and these two points are crucial in pursuing a post-season berth.
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