The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about five weeks away from starting. Things in the Western Conference are slightly clearer than in the Eastern Conference. Not only are several teams vying for the wild card spots, but third place in the Metro Division is also up in the air.
The final stretch of the 2023-24 NHL regular season is here, with the passing of the NHL Trade Deadline. This year, there were more buyers than sellers at the deadline, which meant the standings were closer than in years past. Teams in the West started to separate themselves, especially the Nashville Predators. So, the Western Conference is pretty much set.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference is a different story. Before the NHL Trade Deadline, it was a lock that five teams from the Atlantic would make the playoffs. However, the Detroit Red Wings have left the door open for teams to remove their spot. Not to mention, the Philadelphia Flyers are coming back to pact in the Metro Division.
So the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals can get the final spot in the Metro or one of the two wild-card positions. Detroit is not out of the mix by any means, and neither is the Buffalo Sabres. This is precisely what the NHL wanted when they brought the Wild Card into effect.
The regular season’s final weeks will determine who gets in and who goes home, as some of these teams play each other to close out the season. Let’s see where things stand and who could make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Which Team Gets The Final Spots in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
As it stands now, the New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Toronto Maple Leafs are locked into playoff spots. The Tampa Bay Lightning are starting to pull away to get their spot locked up. However, as of now, their place is not that secure. A winning streak or losing streak can change these standings quickly. We have just seen that.
The Detroit Red Wings just snapped a seven-game losing streak to restore their position in Wild Card 2, but the team has lost eight of their last nine games. That losing streak and the six-game winning streak by the New York Islanders allowed them to get back into the mix. And then there are the Washington Capitals, who will not go away and control their destiny. The only reason the Philadelphia Flyers are third is because they are getting help below them in the standings.
On the way outside are the Buffalo Sabres, who do Buffalo things this time of year, along with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The latter team needs much work and help to get into the playoffs. However, a win over the Red Wings has kept them alive. There are too many teams to jump, but mathematically, we can mention them here.
Again, the West is pretty much set, with Minnesota and St. Louis close behind the Vegas Golden Knights, but we will touch on that at another time. Right now, the focus is the East. Again, anything can happen in the final weeks of this season, and we will revisit the East later.
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Eastern Conference Wild Card Race
Tampa Bay LightningÂ
The Tampa Bay Lightning are in Wild Card 1. Tampa Bay is playing better. But it is because of players like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning know what it takes to win this time of year. Defensively, they could be better. The loss of Ryan McDonagh to Nashville has hurt this team. Not to mention, Mikhail Sergachev is done for the rest of the season. However, Jon Cooper knows his team can do it when it matters. The additions of Matt Dumba and Anthony Duclair gave them stability in positions they needed to fill. Never count out this team in any way because they will be tough for anyone. Especially if the ‘Big Cat’ gets going.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings looked to have things locked up before the deadline. Detroit was playing well, and it appeared that Hockey Town would see playoff hockey for the first time in a long time. The last time the Detroit Red Wings made the playoffs was in 2016. It has been a long rebuild, and GM Steve Yzerman did not do much at the deadline. His move was Patrick Kane earlier in the season. As Yzerman stated, they are still in rebuild mode and are a year or two from competing again, but there were the Wings. Dylan Larkin being lost to injury has hurt the Wings. Not to mention, their goaltenders have not played well. If Showtime Patty Kane can lead this squad with Larkin out, the Wings have a chance, but they left the door open for teams behind them.
New York Islanders
Then there are the New York Islanders. The Islanders came from the depths to go on a six-game winning streak. However, they have lost four in a row, picking up one point. GM Lou Lamoriello changed the coaching to Patrick Roy but did nothing else at the trade deadline. Ilya Sorokin is playing well, and having Kyle Palmieri get hot at the right time helps this club, too. Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, and Brock Nelson are doing what they can, but they need more scoring and to learn how to play in the second and third periods. The Islanders have some big matchups ahead that could greatly determine the standings.
Washington CapitalsÂ
The Washington Capitals find themselves in an exciting spot. Washington controls their destiny. The Capitals play Detroit and Buffalo twice, along with the Penguins and Lightning. Despite Alex Ovechkin having a down year, the Capitals are right there. They have won the games inside the Metro Division. Washington took three out of four from New Jersey and two of three from the Islanders. That will keep them in any race. The Capitals have even beaten the Flyers along the way as well. Even with Dylan Strome leading the team in points and goals, Charlie Lindgren has been the reason the Capitals are here. Not to mention, Spencer Carbery has done an excellent job coaching. Despite what many thought, Washington had a chance to sneak in.
Buffalo SabresÂ
The Buffalo Sabres are doing Buffalo Sabres things this time of the year. Expectations were high in Buffalo to make the playoffs. They came up short, but when things don’t matter, the Sabres are winning. The Sabres had a tough loss in Detroit and are five points out of the final wild-card spot. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been playing well. Adding Bowen Byram on the back end has helped the Sabres transition game. But it might be too little too late for the Sabres, as they always have to dig out of a monstrous hole. Buffalo would not be in this position if it weren’t for the Wings losing seven straight. The Sabres need more from their top guys.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are five points back of the final wild-card spot in the East after their win over the Red Wings on Sunday evening. It has been a crazy year in Pittsburgh for all their sports teams. The Penguins can be summed up by one phrase… inconsistently consistent. You have no idea what Penguins team will show up. Somehow, one of their older teams in the NHL is within striking distance. Now, if they do it, it will be tough. Sidney Crosby is putting the team on his back, and the depth scoring is showing up, but you have to wonder what would happen if they had kept Jake Guentzel. It might be a different story. You know they are trying their best, but as with the Capitals, this team is not a playoff team; instead, they are in the mix.
The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 20th. The final weeks of the several are must-watch. Let’s see who claims the final spots.