Time to evaluate the picture of the 2022-23 NHL playoffs

After ceding the sports activities airwaves to soccer on Thanksgiving Day, the NHL returns on Black Friday with a 14-game full-day schedule. This yr’s NHL Thanksgiving Showdown will air on TNT – a double-header that begins with the Battle of Pennsylvania with the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Philadelphia Flyers (5:30 p.m. ET) and ends with the St. Louis Blues visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning (8 p.m. ET).

In hockey circles, it is extensively accepted {that a} workforce’s standing on Thanksgiving presents a robust indication of whether or not or not there is a playoff coming subsequent spring. The Blues and Lightning are on the precise aspect of that line, simply barely, every holding the second wildcard spot of their convention heading into Friday’s motion.

The Penguins have been within the playoffs for the previous 16 consecutive seasons — the longest lively streak within the league. They’re tied with the Lightning with 23 factors however are ninth within the East as a result of they performed yet one more recreation. And the Flyers enter Friday’s recreation twelfth within the East with a 7-8-5 document for 19 factors, vulnerable to lacking the playoffs for the third straight yr.

Usually, about three-quarters of the groups within the knockout place on Thanksgiving will make it to the dance. After two seasons the place the idea could not be examined because of the scheduling impacts of the pandemic, it proved true once more final yr: precisely 12 of the 16 groups that have been in competition at Thanksgiving have been nonetheless up on the finish of the season. One workforce modified within the Jap Convention and three within the West.

Within the East, the highest three groups within the Atlantic Division at Thanksgiving have been the identical: Florida, Toronto and Tampa Bay. Within the Metropolitan Division, Carolina and the New York Rangers held their very own, whereas Pittsburgh climbed to 3rd after being simply exterior the wild card primarily based on Thanksgiving factors proportion.

The Washington Capitals moved from second place within the Metro to fourth place, good for second place wild card, whereas the Boston Bruins retained fourth place within the Atlantic and received Wild Card 1.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are the workforce that misplaced place. They have been fourth within the Metropolitan Division on Thanksgiving with a .647 level proportion, however completed the yr in sixth place with a simply .494 level proportion.

The Western Convention has been extra risky.

The highest three groups within the Central Division remained the identical: Colorado, Minnesota and St. Louis, though the highest two swapped locations.

Within the Pacific, Calgary and Edmonton completed first and second, but additionally switched positions. However the Vegas Golden Knights sat in third place on Thanksgiving and ended up lacking out utterly for the primary time in franchise historical past, negated by a protracted checklist of accidents to key gamers.

Vegas was changed by the Los Angeles Kings, who weren’t within the playoff image in any respect on the earlier Thanksgiving. And the 2 wild-card Turkey Day groups within the West, the Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Geese, additionally misplaced their playoff spots. They have been changed by the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators.

Thanksgiving 2022 Hopes

Which groups have the indoor observe this season? Primarily based on level proportion, this is who held all 16 playoff spots as of Nov. 24, 2022:

Jap Convention

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins – 20 GP, 34 factors, .850
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – 21 GP, 27 factors, .643
3. Detroit Pink Wings – 19 GP, 24 factors, .632

Metropolitan Division

1. New Jersey Devils – 20 GP, 32 factors, .800
2. New York Islanders – 21 GP, 26 factors, .619
3. Carolina Hurricanes – 20 GP, 24 factors, .600

Generic card

1. Tampa Bay Lightning – 19 GP, 23 factors, .605
2. Pittsburgh Penguins – 20 GP, 23 factors, .575

This checklist is a little bit completely different from what you will see on websites like NHL.com, the place groups are ranked by complete factors. As a result of the groups haven’t performed the identical variety of video games, it’s higher to rank by proportion of factors fairly than complete factors. In doing so, Tampa Bay strikes to Wild Card 1 and Pittsburgh advances previous the Rangers.

Three of the eight groups presently within the playoff spot weren’t within the recreation final yr – the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Detroit Pink Wings. If the Devils and/or Pink Wings can maintain their very own, they are going to each expertise lengthy droughts. New Jersey’s solely playoff look previously decade got here within the 2017-18 season, a first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit has been missing for the previous six years.

The 2022 Jap Convention playoff groups which might be presently beneath the boundary line: Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals.

Western Convention

Central Division

1. Dallas Stars – 20 GP, 27 factors, .675
2. Colorado Avalanche – 18 GP, 23 factors, .639
3. Winnipeg Jets – 18 GP, 23 factors, .639

Pacific Division

1. Vegas Golden Knights – 21 GP, 33 factors, .786
2. Seattle Kraken – 19 GP, 25 factors, .658
3. Los Angeles Kings – 22 GP, 24 factors, .545

Generic card

1. Calgary Flames – 19 GP, 21 factors, .553
2. St. Louis Blues – 19 GP, 20 factors, .526

Like final season, Vegas and Winnipeg are again within the recreation once more – and will probably be trying to maintain their very own this time. The Seattle Kraken additionally received off to a very good begin of their second marketing campaign. They maintain their second-place end within the Pacific and appear to be they will get critical of their first-ever playoffs.

The three 2022 Western Convention Playoff groups which might be presently beneath the boundary line are the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators. However the race guarantees to be very tight – these three groups even have 20 factors, just like the Blues. Minnesota has additionally performed 19 video games however has fewer regulation wins (the subsequent tiebreaker), whereas the Oilers and Predators have every performed 20 video games.

Suitor or suitor?

With some extent separating the groups 7-11, there is definitely room for motion within the Western Convention – the place it seems like three fairly deserving groups will find yourself being sidelined.

However after the Dallas Stars edged out Vegas to earn their playoff berth final spring, the 2 2020 Western Convention finalists are each comfortably again within the combine this season — each with new coaches behind their benches and in first place of their respective divisions.

Winnipeg is likely to be the largest shock of the Western debut – rejuvenated underneath former Stars bench boss Rick Bowness.

Additional east, the Boston Bruins dominate underneath one other former Dallas coach, Jim Montgomery. And Jon Cooper’s former Tampa Bay assistant, Derek Lalonde, took his Detroit Pink Wings to playoff competition in his first yr as an NHL head coach.