2022 DCHL Western Conference Playoff Race

Let’s take a minute during the Olympic break to look at the playoff picture in the DCHL and predict who will make the playoffs and who will miss the dance.

Western Conference

The Central division will go down to the wire while the Pacific division is pretty much decided already, if the Oilers GM could just start to set his lineup the Oilers would secure the final playoff spot in the Pacific division.

The Central Division is another story, there’s only 5 points separating 3^rd from 8^th place with the 8^th place team (Colorado) being one of the of the hottest teams in the DCHL winning 12 of its last 15 games and yet they are still in last place in the division.

Central Division

This is the deepest division in the DCHL with all 8 teams with a record above .500.

It looks like the Jets and the Stars have all but locked the top 2 spots in the division leaving the last 5 teams to fight for the last 2 playoff spots. 

I predict that the Stars will win the division, although tied with the Jets the Stars have 2 games on hand and that will be the difference in the end, the Stars will have an opportunity to accumulate 4 points that the Jets missed out on.  They’ve been playing well (11-6-3 Jets) /(12-5-3 Stars) after a slow start to the season (Stars 4-6-1) / (Jets 4-7)

Let’s remember that every team in the Central will have a tougher schedule than teams in the other division for the rest of the season since every team has a .500 or better record.

The 5^th place team could be the wild card team and play the Sharks in the first round of the Pacific Divisional playoffs.

Now let’s try to figure who finish where:

Minnesota Wild: The Wild are a season removed from being Stanley Cup Champions and still have a team able to compete for another ring.

However, the team from the state of 10,000 lakes was struggling before the Olympic break losing 11 of its last 20 games.  The GM is looking to shake things up by making a hockey trade to improve his D.  Will he be able to pull the trigger?  Unless he’s able to shake things up, the wild won’t make it far and might even miss the playoffs altogether, the Wild probably has one of the toughest schedules in the DCHL for the rest of the season, playing 23 of its remaining 34 games against teams with a record of .500 or better.

Prediction: The extra games in hand will keep them 3^rd in the Central

Chicago Blackhawks:  Since starting the season with a 12-4-1 record, the Hawks are nothing more than a .500 team, they are only 1 game over .500 team in their last 36 games and 8 – 12 in their last 20. 

Chicago has also played more games than everyone else in the division.  They would need to turn things around quickly to make the playoffs, but nothing we’ve seen from this team from the hot start says they’ll be able to turn things around.

That doesn’t sound like a playoff team or a team that will make a run.

Prediction: Last in the Central!

St-Louis Blues: The Blues have just been averaged over the last 20 games with an 11-7-2 record.  That’s nothing special but much better than the Hawks and Wild.

24 the Blues last 33 games against teams with a .500 better record including their last 14 of their last 16 games.  If they want to make the playoffs.

If the Blues GM wants a shot at making the playoffs, he better hope that his team get off to a hot start after the Olympic Break, when they’ll play 7 of their 17 games against weaker competition.

Prediction:  6^th in Central

Nashville Predators:  The Preds made a big move just before the Olympic break by acquiring Steven Stamkos.  The move hasn’t paid off yet has the Preds are just over .500 (6-5) since the trade and 11-9 in the last 20 games.

But Nashville is currently on 5 games winning streak, they will need to continue the hot streak after the Olympic break but that won’t be easy, with a schedule that includes playing 23 of their last 30 games against teams with a .500 or better record.

Prediction:  4^th in Central

Arizona Coyotes: The Coyotes are only 5 of their last 31 games against teams with a record of .500 or less.   Considering that Arizona had a .500 (10 of 20) record themselves over the last 20 games before the Olympic break.

Unless the Coyotes GM can acquire the 2^nd line centre he’s been looking for since Kuznetsov walked away from in Free Agency, they will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start.

Prediction: 7^th in Central

Colorado Avalanches: As mentioned earlier the Avs have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL winning 12 of their last 15 games. 

The expectation is that they will continue to stay hot after the Olympic break, since the trade with Buffalo, the Avalanche has added the depth in its top 6 forwards it needed to match the teams D and strong goaltending.

Just like the other teams in the Central, Colorado has a tough schedule for their last 31 games of the season playing 26 games against teams with a .500 or better record.

But a deeper look into their schedule reveals that they have 3 games scheduled against the Oilers and since the GM can’t be bothered to set his line up, it could be the break the Avs need to make the playoffs as a wild card team in the Western Conference.

Prediction: 5^th in Central

Central Division Standings Predictions

1.     Dallas Stars

2.     Winnipeg Jets

3.     Minnesota Wild

4.     Nashville Predators

5.     Colorado Avalanche

6.     St-Louis Blues

7.     Arizona Coyotes

8.     Chicago Blackhawks

Playoff Prediction

Dallas Stars vs Nashville Predators

Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

Finally, we get to the Pacific division and the class of the division are the San Jose Sharks and its not even close.

The only question about the Sharks is imagine if Connor McDavid was treated like the best hockey player in the world by the SIM gods and not the average player the SIM is making him out to be.

The next two teams will be the Flames and the Kings and that will probably be decided on the last weekend of the regular season.

Calgary Flames: The Flames have been red hot lately, going 10-2 in the last 12 after losing 5 in a row. 

The change of fortunes started right after the Flames GM acquired Bo Horvat from the Stars, he had to give up Kevin Fiala but you need to give something to get something and if it means that your team starts winning at .800 clip, then it worth it.

Will they be able to keep it up and secure the 2^nd spot in the division and home ice advantage against the Kings, this guy believe they will.

Prediction: 2^nd in Pacific

Los Angeles Kings: The Kings have made a few moves that cleared out some cap space, but unfortunately those moves haven’t translated into wins.  Since the trades the Kings are only .500 (6-6) and they are only 11-8-1 in their last 20 games.

With Alec Martinez out week to week with a fractured hand, the Kings GM will have to make a deal for a D if he expects to overtake the Flames for 2^nd place in the division.  He’s been looking for help on D all season long, if he wants a top 4, he’ll have to step up.

The forwards are good enough to get the Kings a playoff spot, but they need help to make a deep playoff run.

Prediction: 3^rd in Pacific

Edmonton Oilers: This team is good enough to finish in the top 2 in the Pacific, but the GM can’t be bothered to dress Mika Zibanejad for the past 2 months or more.

So, unless the Oilers GM starts to pay attention to his team the Oilers will not make the playoff.  Or at least they don’t deserve to.

Prediction: 4^th in Pacific and out of the Playoffs

Unless one of the following teams makes a huge move, they will not make the Playoffs.

Anaheim Ducks, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken!

Pacific Division Standings Predictions

1.     San Jose Sharks

2.     Calgary Flames

3.     LA Kings

4.     Edmonton Oilers

5.     Vegas Golden Knights

6.     Anaheim Ducks

7.     Vancouver Canucks

8.     Seattle Kraken

Playoff Prediction

San Jose vs Colorado Avalanche

Calgary Flames vs LA Kings

Let me know what you think, the Western Conference is closer and there are more chance for teams to make a come back.