With only a little more than a month left in the regular season the NHL is in the stretch drive towards the playoffs. The top eight teams from each conference will qualify for the post season and starting in mid April will begin their quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Obviously some team’s chances are better than others and in the end only one team will be good enough to be crowned champion. Here is a brief look at my top teams in the Western Conference along with their current odds to win it all.
Best Bets
San Jose Sharks 4-1
The Sharks are once again one of the top teams in the West in the regular season. They currently are 42-14-9 with a total of 93 points and lead Chicago by two points atop the conference. They have a 10 point lead over Phoenix in the Pacific division. While they have been playing at a high level all season long, they are just 6-4 in their last 10 games and with the Blackhawks right on their tail need to keep winning to hold onto the #1 seed. Through 65 games, Patrick Marleau is the leading goal scorer with 39 and Joe Thornton leads the way with 61 assists. G Evgeni Nabokov has a 2.26 GAA (goals against average).San Jose’s main concern is not the rest of the regular as their problems in the past have been in the playoffs.
Chicago Blackhawks 5-1
So far this season Chicago has stood toe to toe with San Jose and are only two points out of the conference’s number one spot. They are 43-17-5 with a total of 91 points and have a commanding 14 point lead over Nashville in the Central division. They two are struggling a bit, going just 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and just 2-2 since the Olympic break. With the next best team (Vancouver) still seven points behind them in the conference standings, Chicago still has a bit of breathing room at the top. Through 65 games Patrick Kane leads the team in goals with 26 and in assists with 48. Duncan Keith has 42 assists and G Chistobal Huet’s GAA is 2.29. With Detroit struggling this could be Chicago’s year to bring home the Cup.
Worth a Second Look
Detroit Red Wings 18-1
Detroit started the season as a 6-1 favorite to win another Cup but they have not played to the level they have come accustomed to. They are currently 31-23-12 with a total of 74 points. They are 17 points in back of Chicago in the Central and one point in back of Calgary for the 8th and final conference playoff spot. Through 66 games Pavel Datsyuk is the leading goal scorer with 20 and in assists as well with 36. G Jimmy Howard has a GAA of 2.38. While right now it does not look like the Red Wings will make another long run at the title, anything can happen should they make it into the playoffs.
Long Shot
Colorado Avalanche 30-1
Expectations were pretty low for this team as they were a 75-1 long shot to win it all when the season began. They are currently 37-23-6 with a total of 80 points, just four points in back of Vancouver for the Northwest division lead and in 6th place in the conference. Right now they are playing as consistent as anyone in the West. They still have a good chance to win their division and grab the third seed in the playoffs. Through 66 games Chris Stewart leads the team with 25 goals and Paul Stastny leads in assists with 50. G Craig Anderson has a GAA of 2.49. This could be a team to watch once the postseason gets underway.
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