Canadian hockey had fallen on hard times last season, as no team located at the Great White North made the NHL playoffs. Things are sure to rebound this season, as six of the seven Canadian teams have a winning record at the time of this writing. With the nation waiting for its first Stanley Cup triumph because the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, we take a look at the odds for every Canadian team to make the playoffs.
Calgary Flames
The Flames claiming one of the top 3 spots in the Pacific Division, along with an automatic berth in the playoffs, looks unlikely at this time. Calgary is 11 points behind the Edmonton Oilers for third in the branch. However, the Flames are in a heated battle over the two Western Conference wild-card spots.
However, the Flames are fighting mightily of late. Calgary posted an ugly 5-7-1 record throughout the month of January while averaging just 2.2 goals per game. If the Flames do not rectify their problems on the two ends of the ice shortly, they could very easily fall out of their competitive West.Edmonton Oilers
When most think of the Edmonton Oilers, they believe of Connor McDavid, that is reasonable considering his phenomenal play. However, it’s the growth in the Oilers defense that has cemented the group for a playoff contender. Edmonton positions in the top 10 in goals allowed per game, which is something the Oilers haven’t even come close to performing because the’05-06 season when they ended the year 12th.
Edmonton sits third in the Pacific and has a 10-point cushion over the fourth-place team. It would take a massive collapse for the Oilers to miss the playoffs. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are tied for fourth in the NHL in points and they’re first in the Atlantic Division by a wide margin. There is not much to crack down here. Montreal will be in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons this year.Ottawa Senators
The Senators’ defensive play has them battling for second place in the Atlantic Division. Ottawa has held opponents to only 2.67 goals per game on the season, which is great enough for 12th-best from the NHL. On the other hand, the biggest plus has been the recent surge of crime, as the Senators have now been averaging 3.8 goals per game between January 8 and 31.
Ottawa, though, could certainly afford to work on its own middling power play, that has transformed only 16.9% of its chances with the extra man. As long as the Senators keep up their same pace, they should make the playoffs, but they probably won’t be a threat until they mend that particular teams play.
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