NHL Playoffs: What Postseason Improvements do Western Conference Teams need?
As the regulation season comes to a close, we’ll look at the teams who are most likely to make it to the playoffs and have a serious chance at taking the cup this time.
The Western Conference is definitely the most competitive and it’s hard to keep up when teams are moving up and down every day.
This is an analysis of which teams are most likely to make it to the playoffs and what they can do in order to improve themselves for the tough road ahead.
Teams which are not mentioned shouldn’t be thought as out of the race.
Vancouver Canucks
Besides having an outstanding run this season, Vancouver has improved its overall game strategy. Instead of being the team that fooled around in the previous seasons, they’re really on target and focused this time.
The Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik, are league leaders in points (89) and assists (67), respectively.
They’ve got some other key players on their side as well like Ryan Kesler and the all-rounder goalie, Roberto Luongo.
Injuries have caused Vancouver some major games and points.
Alex Burrows is out with a shoulder injury and Manny Malhotra has recently been declared unfit for the remainder of the season due to an eye surgery. He isn’t expected back during the playoffs as well.
Mikael Samuelsson and Mason Raymond have both become inconsistent players who don’t give the same performance every night while Sami Salo struggles against various injuries to add to the list of reserved defensemen.
If Vancouver really does want to celebrate the Stanley cup coming home and that too on their 40th anniversary, then they must fill those gaps with players who can perform on a daily basis.
San Jose Sharks
Sitting comfortable at third, San Jose has really taken their game to another level.
Currently on a three-game winning streak, they don’t show any signs of slowing down. They do show prospects of taking over Detroit for second place before the end of regulation season, only behind by two with 82 points.
Patrick Marleau grabbed a number of game winning shots to save San Jose in critical situations, but has recently slowed down.
Antti Niemi has no doubt become one of the greatest goalies in the league since post All-Star Game break, but that isn’t enough when you’re only allowed to move within your crease.
They don’t have any proper replacements for him and the time will come when he’ll get tired of opening up every match.
Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley need to pick up the pace to assist Niemi and the offensive side of the team. Niemi won’t always be there to carry their load when they’re not scoring.
Scoring more goals should be the top priority, having one of the lowest goals per game average (2.82) amongst the big teams isn’t going to be a helping factor in the playoffs.
Calgary Flames
Without MVP captain, Jarome Iginla, Calgary seriously wouldn’t be anywhere near the playoffs.
He’s the man that has led them to the elite-eight and an amazing run after the All-Star Game break, but his team isn’t there to support him.
Flames is a unique team in the sense that even if it makes or doesn’t make it to the postseason, it wouldn’t be a shock.
They’ve remained like this for most of the past seasons, and aren’t new to the playoffs.
Players like Olli Jokinen and Curtis Glencross along with Alex Tanguay aren’t regular leaders like they should be.
Calgary is running on hybrid mode, with only Iginla keeping offence consistent and Miikka Kiprusoff being the defensive force that he is. A team can’t run on just two players, especially in the finals.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago has a true MVP candidate, its captain, Jonathan Toews. Without him, Blackhawks weren’t in a condition to even smell the scent of the playoffs.
He sparked an inner desire in Hawks to defend their 2010 Stanley cup, otherwise it was agreed that they wouldn’t even make the postseason this time around.
Unlike Flames, Jonathan is all his team needs, even if the rest don’t perform at par, because he’s like a train engine, when he picks up speed, everything behind follows.
All that is lacking is defence. They’ve got the offence and pretty good goals per game average (3.18), but unable to kill those hectic power plays against them (78.8%).
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