The Boston Bruins are leading the league with 95 points, and if the season ended today, they would have earned the Presidents’ Trophy for the second time in a row in addition to the #1 seed in the NHL Playoff Bracket. Better yet, you can argue that no team below the first wild card place is playoff-worthy, which means you will probably have an easier time in the postseason if you are the first seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Detroit Red Wings are currently the second wild card club; if the playoffs began tonight, the Bruins would face them. Detroit is only one point ahead of the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders, among other contenders who are a couple more points behind, but they have also lost seven of their last eight games.
It’s difficult to imagine that things will stay the same with one month left in the NHL regular season, but let’s assume Boston keeps its top status in both the Atlantic and the East. The Islanders or Capitals might grab the final wild card place if Detroit isn’t present. However, neither team has been reliable in any area this season, and they are unable to produce goals consistently.
Though, like Washington and New York, neither the Pittsburgh Penguins nor the Buffalo Sabres are reliable enough to pose a threat to the Bruins, they could yet sneak in. While the Florida Panthers stunned Boston last season, Florida was also a strong club that managed to defeat some of the league’s biggest names.
Although the New Jersey Devils are only six points out of the final wild card place, is anyone really expecting the team to survive a series against the Boston Bruins more than five games—four losses and one fortunate win? Detroit now has the position, but if Boston maintains its top seed, they won’t be facing any teams that would pose a real threat to them.
