Will top Atlantic Division teams ever drop points? Recap of Thursday's NHL action and Playoff Race Impact
- Francesco Ferro
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
Even after a multi-week break, NHL Atlantic Division teams are still piling up points as the playoff race begins. How much parity will we see from now till the end of the season? Can another team sneak into one of the top spots?
Atlantic Division madness
The Sabres picked up two points yesterday in a win over New Jersey, the Red Wings and Bruins picked up wins of their own, and the Habs and Sens notched a point each as well. At this point, it feels like nobody in the Atlantic is losing in regulation.
With the playoffs nearing, it remains neck-and-neck at the top of the Atlantic with only four points separating second and fifth place. The Senators continue to push on as they don't have much of a choice after losing their first overall pick. However, they sit seven points back of the final Wild Card spot, and no one ahead of them is slowing down.
Meanwhile, the Panthers and Leafs continue to tumble, as the Leafs now lose two straight in embarrassing fashion post Olympic break. Two teams that went seven games in the second round of last year's playoffs now face the possibility of selling at the deadline.
Kings drop two straight in the Panarin era
After being the lucky winners of the Artemi Panarin sweepstakes ahead of the Olympic break, the Kings now drop two games straight, following an 8-1 battering at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. LA need to get out of this funk ASAP, now sitting three points back of the Kraken for a playoff spot. Seemingly being all in after the Panarin acquisition, do they make another move?
Dobson Scores Twice Against Former Team, Canadiens Fall Short
Noah Dobson was on the brink of revenge after potting two early in the contest vs his former team, the New York Islanders. However, the Canadiens fell short at the hands of Matthew Schaefer's brilliance as the 18-year-old's two deep strikes tied the game back up. Cole Caufield would eventually put the Canadiens back up by one midway through the third.
That goal ignited a late Islanders push, where another point shot slipped past Montembeault with under two minutes remaining in regulation, tying the game and silencing the crowd's Olés. In overtime, Danault lost track of fellow French-Canadian J.G. Pageau, who broke in alone on a breakaway. Pageau made no mistake, beating Montembeault to seal the comeback and spoil Dobson’s revenge night.
With another statement performance outshining fellow Calder candidate Ivan Demidov, Matthew Schaefer may have just sealed the race. The star rookie also broke Phil Housley's record for goals by an 18-year-old defenceman last night, proving his generational talent once again.
Devils freefall
The New Jersey Devils have now dropped two straight since the NHL resumed, after a 5-1 routing by the Florida Panthers. Jack Hughes has been unable to carry his Team USA magic to his club, as the Devils now sit 15th in the Eastern Conference, well out of a playoff spot.
For a team that was supposed to be a playoff lock, this season has been a complete disaster. The trade deadline will be an interesting one for New Jersey, as they are reported to be looking into a massive roster shakeup. At this point, the season may already be lost.
Heavyweight Clashes: MIN vs. COL | CAR vs. TBL
Last night's action also featured big-time heavyweight tilts as the top two teams in each conference faced off against each other.
Minnesota handily took care of the league-leading Avalanche, squashing them 5-2 in Nathan MacKinnon's return to NHL action. The four-point performance from gold medalist Matthew Boldy was too much for Canadians Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon to overcome, as he, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber beat them for a second time this week.
Carolina pulled out the fire extinguisher on the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning, handing them their third loss in the last 23 games played. However, Tampa Bay should be just fine, as the play of Nikita Kucherov and the return of Brayden Point have made them look lethal offensively. Being the two top contenders in the East, this may have been a preview of this year's Eastern Conference final.
Trade Deadline impact
With how tight the standings are, especially in the Atlantic, the deadline should be a rat race of contenders looking to improve. Colorado looked untouchable early in the season, but the gap is quickly shrinking as the rest of the league catches up. The first splash deal made should open the floodgates for the rest of the league, but who strikes first?
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