NHL playoff watch: Wild-Blues a pre-playoffs preview
- Tim Kavanagh is a senior NHL editor for ESPN. He’s a native of upstate New York.
As we gaze upon the current NHL standings, one first-round playoff matchup appears to be more locked in than all of the rest: the Minnesota Wild vs. the St. Louis Blues in the Central Division’s No. 2-vs.-No. 3 seed matchup.
Luckily for us, we get a preview of that series Friday night.
These two teams have met only once thus far this season, a 6-4 win by the Blues in the 2022 Winter Classic. They’ll play Friday night’s matchup indoors at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, so fans can keep their winter weather gear at home.
The clubs both come into this matchup reasonably hot, with the Wild on an 8-1-1 streak in their past 10, and the Blues going 6-3-1 in that same span. Both teams are also somewhat banged up, with the Wild’s Matt Dumba, Jon Merrill and Matt Boldy on the injury report, joined there by the Blues’ Scott Perunovich, Logan Brown and Torey Krug.
Will we get the intensity ramped up to full volume Friday night, or will the clubs hold a little bit back for their eventual meetings down the road? The game streams live for out-of-market for ESPN+ subscribers, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
As we enter the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season, it’s time to check in on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2022 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via FiveThirtyEight. Tragic numbers are courtesy of Damian Echevarrieta of the NHL.
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Florida Panthers vs. WC2 Washington Capitals
A2 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. A3 Boston Bruins
M1 Carolina Hurricanes vs. WC1 Tampa Bay Lightning
M2 New York Rangers vs. M3 Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference
C1 Colorado Avalanche vs. WC2 Dallas Stars
C2 Minnesota Wild vs. C3 St. Louis Blues
P1 Calgary Flames vs. WC1 Nashville Predators
P2 Edmonton Oilers vs. P3 Los Angeles Kings
Friday night’s games
Note: All times Eastern. All out-of-market, non-NHL Network games available on ESPN+
Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. (NHLN)
Buffalo Sabres at Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Wild at St. Louis Blues, 8 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Winnipeg Jets, 8 p.m.
Last night’s scoreboard
Watch In the Crease on ESPN+ for highlights from every game.
New York Rangers 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 1
Nashville Predators 3, Ottawa Senators 2
Montreal Canadiens 7, New Jersey Devils 4
Carolina Hurricanes 5, Buffalo Sabres 3
Seattle Kraken 2, Chicago Blackhawks 0
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Dallas Stars 3 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 5, Arizona Coyotes 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Los Angeles Kings 2
Calgary Flames 4, San Jose Sharks 2
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
x – Florida Panthers
Points: 104
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 12
Next game: vs. BUF (Friday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Boston Bruins
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 12
Next game: @ TB (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 12
Next game: vs. BOS (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Detroit Red Wings
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 17
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. CBJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 1
e – Buffalo Sabres
Points: 63
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Next game: @ FLA (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e – Ottawa Senators
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Next game: @ NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e – Montreal Canadiens
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: @ TOR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Metropolitan Division
x – Carolina Hurricanes
Points: 100
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. NYI (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
New York Rangers
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 10
Next game: vs. OTT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 10
Next game: vs. WSH (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Washington Capitals
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 12
Next game: @ PIT (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99%
Tragic number: N/A
New York Islanders
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 13
Next game: @ CAR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 1%
Tragic number: 13
Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Next game: @ DET (Saturday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 6
e – Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. ANA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e – New Jersey Devils
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: @ DAL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Central Division
x – Colorado Avalanche
Points: 106
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 12
Next game: @ WPG (Friday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Minnesota Wild
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 13
Next game: @ STL (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
St. Louis Blues
Points: 90
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 12
Next game: vs. MIN (Friday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Nashville Predators
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 34
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 12
Next game: vs. FLA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 94%
Tragic number: N/A
Dallas Stars
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 12
Next game: vs. NJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 88%
Tragic number: N/A
Winnipeg Jets
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. COL (Friday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 14
e – Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 15
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. DAL (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e – Arizona Coyotes
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: @ VGK (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Calgary Flames
Points: 95
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 11
Next game: @ SEA (Saturday)
Playoff chances: >99%
Tragic number: N/A
Edmonton Oilers
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 10
Next game: vs. COL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 93%
Tragic number: N/A
Los Angeles Kings
Points: 86
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 9
Next game: @ MIN (Sunday)
Playoff chances: 81%
Tragic number: N/A
Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Next game: vs. ARI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 41%
Tragic number: 18
Vancouver Canucks
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Next game: vs. SJ (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 3%
Tragic number: 14
Anaheim Ducks
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 10
Next game: @ PHI (Saturday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 4
San Jose Sharks
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 12
Next game: @ VAN (Saturday)
Playoff chances: <1%
Tragic number: 7
e – Seattle Kraken
Points: 52
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 11
Next game: vs. CGY (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order at the top of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team may move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here.
1. Arizona Coyotes
Points: 49
Regulation wins: 16
2. Montreal Canadiens
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 14
3. Seattle Kraken
Points: 52
Regulation wins: 20
4. New Jersey Devils
Points: 54
Regulation wins: 16
5. Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 57
Regulation wins: 18
6. Ottawa Senators
Points: 58
Regulation wins: 22
7. Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 59
Regulation wins: 15
8. Buffalo Sabres
Points: 63
Regulation wins: 20
9. Detroit Red Wings
Points: 65
Regulation wins: 17
10. San Jose Sharks
Points: 67
Regulation wins: 20
11. Anaheim Ducks
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 19
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 72
Regulation wins: 23
13. New York Islanders
Points: 73
Regulation wins: 30
14. Winnipeg Jets
Points: 76
Regulation wins: 26
15. Vancouver Canucks
Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
16. Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 31
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