Last week I wrote which teams needed to play like it was playoff time in the Eastern Conference, to make the playoffs.

Tonight, I will write about the Western Conference teams. The reason I did not write about them last week was that every team had a good chance if they got hot and a couple teams did.

Let’s start with teams that will make the playoffs unless everything goes wrong for them.

The Calgary Flames leads the conference with 83 points. With 21 games left on their schedule and leading the ninth-place Colorado Avalanche by 20 points. Which means Colorado would have to make up one point every outing to catch the Flames.

San Jose Sharks second in the Pacific division with 80 points. With the Sharks up by 19 points on fourth place Arizona Coyotes there in the same boat as Calgary for making the playoffs. They are in.

Nashville Predators first in the Central with 77 points, 14 points ahead of ninth-place Colorado. Too big of a lead to give up. There fighting for positioning as the Predators have a one-point lead on the Winnipeg Jets, but the Jets have 3 games on hand

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Winnipeg Jets second in the central division, with 76 points are in the same situation as the Predators. They are one-point behind Nashville and have a 13-point lead on third place St. Louis Blues. It will be tough to be caught even though St. Louis is one of the hottest team in the NHL

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Vegas Golden Knights are third in the Pacific division with 69 points, 8 points ahead of the Arizona Coyotes. With the Central Division having four teams ahead of Arizona for the wildcard spots the knights only worry will be Arizona or the Vancouver Canucks getting hot and catching the Knights. Unless Knight goes into a losing streak, I do not see them missing the playoffs. The Knights play 13 conference games against possible playoff teams. From March 3 thru the 15, the Knights play two against the Canucks, two against the flames and one at Dallas.

Now let’s look at the teams that need to have the playoff push now.

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St. Louis Blues third in Central Division with 69 points, six points ahead of ninth-place Colorado. The Blues 11-1 in their last 12 games. The Blues schedule works for them as they play 14 out of 22 games against teams right now are not in the playoffs. St. Louis key dates are Feb. 24 at Minnesota Wild, March 2 Dallas Stars.

Dallas Stars first wildcard spot 65 points, 2 points ahead of Colorado. Just playing over .500 in the ten games, including beating the Blues who were riding an 11-game winning streak going into the game. The Stars have 7 games with the teams that are right now in 8 thru 10 places in the Western conference (2 Minnesota, 2 Colorado, 3 Chicago Blackhawks. Dallas needs to make the playoffs they need to score. They are first in goals against in the Western Conference but they 13th out 15th offensively.

Minnesota Wild second wild-card spot, 64 points, 1 point ahead of Colorado. The Wild is 3-5-2 in their last ten games and that’s with winning the last two. The Wild will have to get hot cause their next six games are all against possible playoff teams (2/24, St. Louis, 2/26, Winnipeg, March 2 Calgary, 3-5 home and home against Nashville and 3/7 Tampa Bay). Then they still have eight out of fourteen more games against playoff teams (and that not including a game against Colorado). I do not think they will make the playoffs.

Colorado Avalanche ninth place 63 points, The Avalanche 4-3-3 in the last ten and just beat the Blackhawks tonight. The Avalanche 5th in Western Conference in scoring and 13th in goals against. This team needs defensive to make the playoffs. The Avalanche play nine teams in the western conference with a better record the rest of the way. They have a stretch run from March 19 to April 1 (7 games), where they are playing teams ahead of them or teams trying to pass them for the playoffs spot (including a back to back with the Blackhawks on 23 and 24).

Chicago Blackhawks 10th place 61 points. Not bad for a team that has had two, eight-game losing streak. The Blackhawks 7-3-0 in last ten games including losing to Colorado tonight. Patrick Kane has had at least one point in the last 20 games. The Hawks can score, only Calgary and San Jose have scored more than the Hawks in the Western Conference. Their biggest problems are defense as they are dead last in the NHL in goals against and on the penalty kill. If they go to make a run, they need defense help and it might be on the way in goalie Corey Crawford who is trying to come back from his second concussion in as many years. The Blackhawks can help themselves as they play three against Dallas and the back to back with Colorado. Chicago still must face 7 other playoff teams on their schedule.

Arizona Coyotes 10th place 61 points. 5-5-0 in last ten games. Arizona needs scoring 12th in the western conference. The only problem they have traded away Dylan Strome and Brendan Perlini to Chicago for Nick Schmaltz who is now out for the season. Arizona plays only eight games that should make the playoffs. But they do still play five more against teams that just in front of them or tied with. Key matchups are February 28, Vancouver. March 11 at Chicago, March 12 at St. Louis, with a tough three games March 26 Chicago, March 29 at Colorado and March 31 Minnesota.

Vancouver Canucks 12th place 60 points. 3-5-2 last ten games. The Canucks is 12th in goals against Western Conference. They play 11 games against teams in the playoffs right now, including the last four games of the season. The Canucks have been inconsistent all season. Their young players of Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat, and Brock Boeser are a good building block for a rebuilding team. If these guys can get hot, then they have a chance.

As for the Anaheim Ducks 57 points, technically they still have a chance. Anaheim would have to jump 5 teams with just a quarter of a season left. I know all of you Duck fans are saying its only 7 points (which equals 4 games of wins and losses by Minnesota but then you must get three more losses out of Colorado and two more losses from Chicago, Arizona, and Vancouver which can happen but when your 3-7-0 in your last ten. If Anaheim is to make a run it must be now, they play Edmonton, Vancouver, Chicago, Vegas, Colorado, Arizona, and St Louis in their next seven games. They won’t make it cause their dead last in goals with 138.

As for the Edmonton Oilers 56 points, 11 games against playoff teams the rest of the way. If Conner McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins does not get the help they will not make the playoffs. They are 2-5-3 in their last ten. I do not see help coming until the draft.

Los Angeles Kings losers of six in a row. The kings need to jump seven teams and pick up fourteen points basically saying you need a very long winning streak. But with the second-worst offense in the NHL with 144 goals, it’s not going to happen.
So here are my final predictions to get into the playoffs
Eastern Conference
1 Tampa Bay vs 8th Montreal
2nd Boston vs 3rd Toronto
1 New York I vs 7th Carolina
2nd Washington vs 3rd Pittsburgh.
Sorry Columbus fans but they have a tough schedule the rest of the way with three head to head with Pittsburgh. Trust me I want to see Artemi Panarin in the playoffs.
Western Conference
1 Calgary vs 8 Chicago
2 San Jose vs 3 Vegas
1 Winnipeg vs 7 Colorado
2 Nashville vs 3 St. Louis
In the west I see Colorado and Chicago using their scoring to overtake Dallas And Minnesota. Remember Chicago has had two eight-game and one five-game losing streaks on the season and their only one game under 500.
That’s the way I see it
Patrick Delaney