THN.com/podcast. From THN On The 'A': Connor Carrick on How to Improve Engagement in Hockey Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk1NjcwMjcxNzM3MjEwODE3/usatsi_19820463.jpg] With the 2023 All-Star Game in the books, the NHL schedule will resume Monday with six games on tap. Ten weeks remain left in the regular season. This year, we have tight playoff races in both conferences and some intrigue at the top and the bottom of the standings. THN.com's even making projections [https://thehockeynews.com/news/keeping-up-with-the-nhls-metropolitan-division-top-four] for all the teams heading into the trade deadline as these storylines continue to develop. Here's your guide to where things stand as we head into the home stretch. CAN THE BRUINS MAKE HISTORY? For the first time all season, the Boston Bruins stumbled ever-so-slightly on their road to potentially making history just before the break. For the first time all season, Boston lost consecutive games — three of them, in fact — before finishing off with a 5-2 win in Toronto last Wednesday. With 31 games to go, the Bruins still have just one regulation loss on home ice this season. And with a record of 39-7-5 for 83 points so far, they're on pace for 133 points. That would be the highest total in NHL history, surpassing the 132-point campaign of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. But the historic Habs played just 80 games. Their points percentage was .825, the only one above the current Bruins' rate of .814. Is Boston a lock for this year's Presidents' Trophy? The Carolina Hurricanes have been surging, riding a seven-game winning streak and 9-0-1 in their last 10 games. With 76 points in 51 games, the Hurricanes have opened up an eight-point lead over the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division and sit just seven points back of Boston. Between U.S. Thanksgiving and the all-star break, Carolina collected a league-leading 52 points in 31 games (.839 points percentage) but gained just three points on the steady Bruins. Boston would have to fall off a cliff to lose their grip on the Presidents' Trophy and still has a very realistic shot at recording a season for the record books. THE PLAYOFF RACES Last year, the Eastern Conference playoff race was set before mid-season, while the West went down to the wire. This season, multiple teams remain in the mix on both sides. Up to five legitimate hopefuls will be left without a chair when the music stops. IN THE EAST Carolina, New Jersey and the Rangers hold the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division, while Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay look safe in the Atlantic. Then, it gets interesting: * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined Looking at those numbers, Washington looks vulnerable. But the Caps also have the best record of these five teams since U.S. Thanksgiving, with 41 points in 32 games for a .641 points percentage. They're trending up. Buffalo is next (38 points in 30 games, .633), followed by Pittsburgh (34 in 29, .586), Florida (32 in 32, .500) and the Islanders (29 in 31, .468). The Islanders need to make a push to stay in the race. They fired the first shot of trade-deadline season last week by acquiring Bo Horvat. The Sabres were 5-1-1 heading into the break and getting solid goaltending from January rookie of the month Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. But they may return to business next week without leading scorer Tage Thompson, who pulled out of the All-Star Game due to injury. Goaltending is also a concern for the Panthers, who have dealt with injuries to Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight and sit 29th since Jan. 1 with 3.80 goals against per game. And after goaltending injuries undid their playoff hopes last year, the Penguins are also rumored to be in the market for a possible upgrade in net before March 3. IN THE WEST The standings are more tightly bunched. In the Central Division, Dallas and Winnipeg look pretty comfortable in the top two spots. But there's only one point separating third-place Minnesota from Colorado and Calgary in wild-card spots. And in the Pacific, just one point separates the top three teams. To break this down, we need to look at the big picture. Ten teams, eight spots: * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined With the fewest games played of the group, the Wild, Avalanche and Predators are in slightly better position than it might appear at first glance. And while the Kings are already up to 53 games, they have a decent cushion over the challengers. Looking at the records of the Western teams since U.S. Thanksgiving, Edmonton is the strongest, with 40 points in 30 games (.667). Minnesota is next (38 points in 29 games, .655), followed by Seattle (38 points in 30 games, .633). Vegas is the only contender with a sub-.500 record. The Golden Knights have just 29 points in 30 games (.483) and went into the break at 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Colorado (34 in 30, .567) and Calgary (36 in 31, .581) are the other least-productive squads in the West. But among the bottom three teams, the Avalanche probably hold the inside track. The defending Stanley Cup Champs were surging before the all-star break, with wins in seven of their last eight games. Beyond the wild-card battle, will another spot open up? With the news that Mark Stone is now sidelined indefinitely following another back surgery, how big is the risk that Vegas could slip out of contention like last season? And how much is that memory playing on everyone's mind? Last February, the Golden Knights sat first in the Pacific when they hosted the 2022 All-Star Game, with 57 points in 46 games. The storm clouds had not yet even begun to roll in at that point, but after going 16-16-5 for 37 points in 37 games the rest of the way, they ended up ninth in the West with 94 points, three points behind Nashville and watching from the sidelines. BOTTOMING OUT FOR BEDARD You know the main contenders. Columbus, Chicago, Anaheim and Arizona have been hovering near the NHL basement all season, where a last-overall finish would deliver the best possible odds of a draft-lottery win at 25.5 percent. Coming out of the break, the Blue Jackets grip last place with 34 points in 51 games (.333). The secret to their success, if you will, is their league-worst road record of 4-17-2. And they've been the NHL's worst team since U.S. Thanksgiving, with 19 points in 32 games (.297). The Blackhawks also have 34 points but in 48 games. They surrendered their stranglehold on last place by playing some decent hockey in 2023 — including six wins in seven games between Jan. 6 and 21. More recently, Chicago has lost three of four. It's expected that GM Kyle Davidson will hold another fire sale to hollow out his roster even more before the trade deadline. Owners of the NHL's worst goal differential at minus-80, the Anaheim Ducks have also earned their spot near the bottom, where they sit 30th with 37 points. The Ducks rode into the break on their first three-game winning streak of the season but could dismantle their defense before the trade deadline. John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk, Nathan Beaulieu and Dmitry Kulikov are all pending UFAs. With 38 points, the Arizona Coyotes have been held in many of their games by goaltender Karel Vejmelka. He sits at an impressive 15.7 goals saved above expected per moneypuck.com [https://www.moneypuck.com/goalies.htm] and is signed for two more years at a very reasonable $2.725 million, per CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/players/karel-vejmelka]. That makes him a valuable trade chip for a playoff contender looking to shore up its goaltending without breaking the bank. Trade rumors are also swirling around impending UFAs Nick Bjugstad and Shayne Gostisbehere, as well as much-discussed Jakob Chychrun, who has two years left on his deal. The Coyotes went on a 1-11-1 run between Dec. 31 and Jan. 21 to maintain their spot among the bottom dwellers. Expect them to remain in the mix for that top lottery spot, possibly with even more draft picks in hand, at season's end.
