Running out of time
Pundit talks Habs, Oil and Sens’ playoff woes, surging Avs and Broad Street Bullies squads and sends kudos to Turk
Entering this week, the Montreal Canadiens (40 points), Edmonton Oilers (39 points) and Ottawa Senators (37 points) face long odds of reaching the 2018 playoffs. They’re at least seven points out of a wild-card berth in their respective conferences.
That’s quite a decline compared to last season.
The Canadiens topped the Atlantic Division in 2016-17 with 103 points while the Senators (98 points) were behind them in second place. The Oilers (103 points), meanwhile, finished second in the Pacific Division.
So what’s changed in a year that’s threatening to derail their 2018 post-season dreams?
For the Canadiens, it’s a combination of a popgun offence and poor defensive play. They definitely miss winger Alexander Radulov and defenceman Andrei Markov, who departed last summer via free agency.
The Senators’ best players — goaltender Craig Anderson, defenceman Erik Karlsson and winger Bobby Ryan — have been anything but this season. That’s having an adverse effect upon the rest of the roster.
Inconsistent goaltending, defensive breakdowns and lack of reliable secondary scoring have contributed to the Oilers’ woes. Superstar centre Connor McDavid battling the flu throughout November certainly didn’t help.
The respective managements of these three clubs are reportedly shopping around for season-saving deals. But with the Feb. 26 trade deadline just seven weeks away, they could be running out of time.
Power surge
While the Canadiens, Oilers and Senators are fading, the Colorado Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers are charging up the league standings.
Coming off a franchise-worst 48-point performance last season, expectations were low for the rebuilding Avs this season. Since mid-December, however, Colorado’s surged in the Western Conference, entering this week holding the last wild-card berth.
A vastly improved offence is behind the Avs’ recent progress. In 2016-17, Colorado had a league-worst 2.01 goals-forper-game average. Led by Cole Harbour, N.S., native Nathan MacKinnon and Swedish sophomore winger Mikko Rantanen, that average has risen to 3.27 and ranks fifth overall.
The Flyers’ post-season dreams teetered on the brink of collapse in early December, as an 11-game winless skid sent them tumbling toward the bottom of the Eastern standings. They’ve since reversed their fortune, winning 11 of 16 games to sit one point out of a wild-card spot.
Flyers stars Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek are enjoying bounce-back performances this season and rank among the league’s leading scorers. Two-way centre Sean Couturier, meanwhile, is on pace for a career-best 40-goal, 80-point campaign. They’re also getting steady goaltending from starter Brian Elliott.
A well-deserved All-Star nod
Congratulations are in order for Summerside native Gerard Gallant, who was named coach of the Pacific Division for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.
It’s a well-deserved honour for Gallant. The Vegas Golden Knights’ bench boss has stunned the league by guiding his expansion club to first place in the Western Conference.
This likely won’t be the only accolade Gallant receives this season. Should the Golden Knights maintain their winning ways, he’ll be considered the favourite to take home the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach.