We’ve just about reached the end of the 2021 regular season in the National Hockey League, although the North Division (made up of all Canadian teams) has more games to make up than the rest, partly due to a month-long shutdown of the Vancouver Canucks due to the COVID-19 outbreaks that hit the team.
In most cases, the first-round pairings are set, so it’s time to look at the top playoff teams and project who will emerge into the Stanley Cup Semifinals — and who will hoist the Cup at the end of the postseason.
NHL News: 2021 Top Playoff Teams
First Round Pairings or Standings (best of seven series)
| Central Division | |
|---|---|
| Carolina** (1) vs Nashville** (4) | |
| Florida** (2) vs Tampa Bay** (3) |
| East Division | |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh* (1) | 77 pts, 1 game left |
| Washington* (2) | 75 pts, 1 game left |
| Boston* (3) | 71 pts, 2 games left |
| N.Y. Islanders* (4) | 70 pts, 1 game left |
| North Division | |
|---|---|
| Toronto* (1) | 76 pts, 2 games left |
| Edmonton* (2) | 68 pts, 3 games left |
| Winnipeg* (3) | 59 pts, 3 games left |
| Montreal (4) | 57 pts, 2 games left |
| Calgary (5) | 49 pts, 4 games left |
| Vancouver (7) | 43 pts, 7 games left |
| West Division | |
|---|---|
| Vegas* (1) | 80 pts, 2 games left |
| Colorado* (2) | 76 pts, 3 games left |
| Minnesota* (3) | 75 pts, 2 games left |
| St. Louis** (4) | 57 pts, 3 games left |
*-clinched playoff spot, seed remains uncertain
**-clinched playoff spot, seed locked
Vegas has a +62 goal differential in 54 games. They have permitted 122 goals this season, the lowest number in the NHL. The only other team under 130 goals permitted is the New York Islanders, but they have scored 30 fewer goals than the Golden Knights have. This is still a team without a true star in the offensive side of things, although they do have two starter-level goalies in Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner.
Carolina tied a franchise best with a 13-game consecutive point streak, as those fans who still think the Hurricanes should have remained the Hartford Whalers are bemoaning the loss of their beloved team. The Hurricanes have been one of the league’s best home teams, with only three regulation losses on home ice. They are also right up there in the chase for the President’s Trophy for the league’s best regular-season record.
Tampa Bay has had another stellar season from goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has won 31 games out of the 40 contests he has started in net. The return of captain Steven Stamkos gives Lightning fans hope for the postseason; his absence this season was marked by the setback that dropped them to third in the Central.
Toronto has gotten 40 goals out of phenom Auston Matthews in a 56-game season. Given that each division has been limited to intramural play with the COVID-19 travel restrictions, it will be interesting to see if the Maple Leafs’ phenomenal success can get them to the Cup Semifinals — and can propel them to the first Cup for a team from Canada since 1992-93, when Montreal skated with the storied trophy.
Pittsburgh got off to a slow start in the NHL’s East Division, but they pushed hard down the stretch and have taken the division title. It’s hard to bet against Sidney Crosby at any point in time once his team catches fire, and with Washington suffering an injury to Andrei Ovechkin, it will be interesting to see if any team can slow down the Pens enough to keep them out of the last four.
Boston is another team in the East with some intrigue, as they have dominated since the Taylor Hall trade. As solid as Carolina has played, they have had four dreadful teams in their division this season, which may have padded their record. The team that comes out of the East will likely have the toughest gauntlet to the semifinals.
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