Beyond Center Ice

They say that once you're in, anything can happen. Getting in though, is half the battle... Above is a graph by MoneyPuck on playoff odds. A majority of teams have their Make Playoffs chances at 100%. Of those teams, 9 are clinched: Edmonton, Vegas, LA, New Jersey, NY Rangers, Canes, Bruins, Bolts, and Leafs. The other 3: Dallas, Minnesota, and Colorado, are each just 1 or 2 points away from being clinched. So it's safe to say that 11 playoff spots are locked in, 6 on east, 5 on west. That leaves 5 to make it the 16 that are there, with the Avs almost certainly taking home one of those 5 spots. With just 5-7 games left to play, we are in for an interesting last couple of weeks as these teams jockey their positions. But, who is going to make it in each conference? The West I've decided to start with the Western Conference because simply put, it is less interesting than the east. Out west, there is basically one WC spot already locked in. The Seattle Kraken are a point ahead ...

  The Devils are tearing up the very tough Eastern Conference right now. That is a fact. They're 47-20-8, clinched for the playoffs, and are seriously threatening the Hurricanes for that #1 in the division spot. In their last 10 games, they're only 4-4-2 though. If the Devils really want to challenge for the Stanley Cup that many think they can, it'll be a tough road. They'll certainly have to deal with one of or both of the Hurricanes and Rangers, and even if they make it through those two, they would have to deal with one of the juggernauts in the Atlantic Division. Let's take a deeper look into the numbers and decipher if this Devils team is a contender or a pretender.  Surface Level When you're looking at the surface level stats, everything is looking great in NJ. Their goal differential (52) is 2nd in the east, only outmatched by that of the Bruins (118). Jack Hughes has 40 goals and is going to finish the season close to 100 points, while Jesper Bratt, Nic...