Alright, it’s obvious the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets are going to the playoffs. Both teams hold a nine-point advantage between first and second place, so they’re pretty much a lock for at least another four games beyond 82 games. But how do they fare up? And how about the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, and the Colorado Avalanche?

Who Will Grab the Wild Card?

We have three choices: the Minnesota Wild, the Colorado Avalanche, or the Dallas Stars.

My money is on the Avalanche, simply because of the first line. Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Miiko Rantenen have combined for 197 points total, and we’re barely past the half way marker of the regular season. The goal differential also plays into that decision- Colorado has a +10, while Dallas and Minnesota have negative goal differentials.

However, the Dallas Stars are making a case for their inevitable return to the playoffs. Despite managerial problems with the “stars” of the team, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are scoring enough to keep Dallas in contention for the Wild Card. Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin have a combined save percentage that’s better than Juuse Saros and Pekka Rinne combined. Someone once said, “defense wins championships,” but I think I’m mixing my sports up.

Don’t count out the Minnesota Wild, either. Production levels rival Nashville and Winnipeg- the difference has been Alex Stalock, who’s posted a .894 save percentage thus far in 14 games played. The Wild hold a three-point lead over the Avalanche and the Stars, and most recently acquired Pontus Aberg from the Anaheim Ducks. Maybe the Wild hold on to their lead and find themselves in the playoffs.

Will any of these three teams make it beyond the first round? Ehh…. it’s unlikely given the caliber of competition they’re facing.

The Ugly Step-Sisters

I had to mention them.

Sitting in the bottom six of the league, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues are done for the year (and more than likely, next year too).

Chicago fell off. Something happened. Whether it was age or ability or a horrid combination of both, plus the salary cap, Chicago is not a contender right now. The Corey Crawford concussion took any and all wind out of their sails. Two years ago, they were embarrassed in the first round of the playoffs, and it’s been a slow and painful death for the club ever since.

It’d be unfair to disregard the recent success Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat have had. DeBrincat has put together seven points in the last five games, but Kane is nothing short of ridiculously good right now. The controversial forward has taken the league by storm with thirteen points in the last five games, including five points against the Washington Capitals.

Will this be enough to bring them back into contention? Not this year.

A team filled with no-trade contracts mixed with inabilities to perform at acceptable levels from the rest of the forwards have put the Blackhawks in a sticky situation that feels interminable. Maybe a draft pick in a couple of years will breathe fresh life in the Windy City.

The St. Louis Blues fare no better despite a complete remake of the organization in the offseason. The top-dollar centers haven’t provided the offensive boost the team was in dire need of, and unfortunately, it shows nearly every night. Not to throw gasoline on the fire, but Jake Allen has not done well either.

Lack of chemistry and average goaltending won’t play in a division that’s overflowing with dominance. St. Louis used to be a force to be reckoned with, but they couldn’t make the playoffs last year by one game, and, much like Chicago, it’s been a sad sight to watch ever since. And also like Chicago, it might take a top draft pick to bring them back into relevance. One might even say it will take a couple of years before the team’s atmosphere does not reflect it’s name.

The Two Big Dogs in the CD

I won’t hold any punches here- the Central Division Series this year will probably be the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets again. Maybe the Jets will go to the Western Conference Finals again, maybe the Predators will prevail this year. The teams are relatively even when one reviews the last two years between them (2017-2018 playoffs included).

Nashville’s Record: 9-8-1, 45 goals scored

The Predators have won close games, and will occasionally be blown out. That’s the trend- the losses look worse because of the score, but when everything clicks, Nashville has the ability to grind out wins.

Winnipeg’s Record: 9-9-0, 48 goals scored

Winnipeg has bigger bodies and guys who can flat out bully skaters on the ice. Remember when Dustin Byfuglien man-handled Roman Josi and Austin Watson in the playoffs during a post-whistle scrum?

That being said, Connor Hellebyuck hasn’t shut out the Predators in over two years. Pekka Rinne has shut out the Jets twice. The difference might be goaltending this year- it goes without saying Mr. Vezina didn’t have his best stuff in the playoffs, but Nashville has always found a way to solve Hellebyuck at least once in the course of 60 minutes.

My prediction is Nashville prevails. Too many Nashville players are having their best years (see Colton Sissons and Mattias Ekholm), and the regular season lineup has been decimated by injury- it’s been too difficult of a road to not beat the Jets.

Winnipeg has dominated Nashville when they’ve won- they don’t stop executing their game plan even when they’re up, and they aren’t intimidated by the success Nashville has recently ascertained. Don’t think the Predators can’t reciprocate that energy- Nashville will have more than their fair share to prove in late April.

Back to the point, (much like the Nashville power play strategy) (get it?) eventually, the Predators are going to stop trying to fix areas of weakness and exploit their strengths. The reason Nashville was so effective last year and the 2016-2017 playoffs was their system: they limited shots and lit opposing goaltenders up (a side effective of hustle and intent).

Power play woes have troubled the Predators since game one of the regular season. Their power play of last year was simple therefore effective, and overcomplicating passing along with apprehension to skate into the dirty areas have crippled the man-advantage that was once so effective. Once the Predators get out of their own head and capitalize on their strengths, they’ll start handling business more effectively. Strategy may contribute to an ineffective power play, but ultimately, even the worst strategies can be lethal with the right mentality.

Perhaps another inspired performance from two guys who aren’t expected to spark some life in the bench will bolster the team’s confidence. Colton Sissons and Mattias Ekholm are no strangers to standing up to anyone on the Jets.

I also wanted to include this clip in case anyone was feeling insecure about watching Byfuglien sling Watson and Josi around like they were sacks of groceries.

Also, an addition to the lineup might benefit the Predators. Nashville is in the market for a big body forward, or so I’ve been informed by the experts on Predator Facebook and Predator Twitter. Maybe a trade is in the future for the Boys in Gold?

What Can We Expect?

All that being said, either team will have to prepare for a seven game series with one of these three teams: the Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights or the San Jose Sharks. Should either team survive, they’d have to face the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Tampa Bay Lightning, two Stanley Cup favorites.

Preparing for 21 extra games against Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames (my personal pick for the WCF), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (my personal pick part two) is harder than it sounds. The road to the Stanley Cup is never an easy one, but it truly seems like whichever team represents the Western Conference will be especially bruised and beaten.

In conclusion, Winnipeg and Nashville are doing relatively well to the rest of the Central Division. My way too early Stanley Cup Final predictions are Nashville and Toronto.

Then again, I haven’t watched nearly enough hockey to accurately predict what the next couple of months should actually look like; being 18 years old is normally associated with a lack of experience. However, I firmly believe Nashville has the right set of tools to bring home the hardware this year.