We're heading into the last quarter of the NHL 18-19 regular season, so what better time is there to point out the flaws in each team?! In all seriousness, the stretch leading up the playoffs leads to some intense moments and matchups, so let's go through each team and see what weaknesses are still noticeable at this point of the season.
Atlantic Divison
Tampa Bay Lighting - It’s annoying to write this, but the answer as to what weaknesses Tampa has? Not much. They’re absolutely steamrolling the league, on pace to break records and obtain an easy President’s Trophy. You’d hope that maybe special teams would show some cracks, but can you guess the rank of both their power play and penalty kill? Yep, 1st in both. The only negative stat you’ll find against them is they they have a much lower points % against the current top 10 teams in the NHL, as opposed to teams ranked below that. They're beating the teams they should, but is this a sign that they don’t step up against the league’s best? The Lightning win games with a whole lot of skill, but is the effort lacking against top opponents? Probably not, but I think most fans are crossing their fingers that it turns out that way.
Boston Bruins - I mean, this one is easy. The goalie controver... nah, I’m just kidding. Rask (and Halak) have both been excellent, and considering Tuukka wasn’t the issue last year in the playoffs... Let’s ignore anybody with that take for the time being. The Bruins struggled with depth scoring all season, but have managed to find it without Pastrnak in the lineup. There is still a real problem with the 3rd line, even if bringing in Coyle stabilized it. It’s no longer a worry when they’re out there, but you’d hope production could exist by playoff time. During a 17 game point streak, it’s hard to criticize much else.
Toronto Maple Leafs - This one is tough. On one hand, the Leafs are 10th in the league in team defense. The problem is that Andersen is the reason that’s true, not the defense itself. Acquiring Muzzin from LA was a good move, but they’ve struggled to find the ideal spot for him that has stuck. Losing Dermott and Gardiner to injury has really hurt on top of that, but even with them, you’d have to think their defense is a step behind the top teams chasing a Cup. Can their skill upfront outperform any defensive lapses? It’s important to also note their lack of grit and pushback, but until playoff time we won’t know if that’s a glaring weakness or not. I’m sure Toronto media will have no problem continuing to rip them for it for the time being.
Montreal Canadiens - They’ve been a good story this season, and making the playoffs would probably surprise everyone. They have an obvious lack of star power, but they seem to constantly have players step up and fill roles. That goes double for Kotkaniemi, who looks like he’s going to easily justify his top 3 pick. Outside of lacking star power, they’re dead last in power play %, and trending towards the bottom half in defense. Those are both signs that they may miss out on a tight Wild Card race, but there’s a lot to look forward to for Habs fans. A playoff birth this season would be a huge win.
Buffalo Sabers - If it wasn’t for the early season hot streak this team would have been ripped apart far more than it has been. With playoff hopes essentially dead at this point, you have to wonder where the franchise goes from here. Signing Skinner should be a priority after the season he’s had alongside Eichel, but they have other personnel moves they need to think about. They’re still lacking defensive and offensive depth, sitting in the bottom half of the league in goals for and against. Theres still a question mark in net too. The Sabers are stacked with young talent, and if a couple of them can take another step next season, this all may work itself out and become a non-issue. You've got to think they need to another another key player here soon, though.
Florida Panthers - They should be better than they are, but it’s obvious something is missing (besides fans in the stands... oof). The rumor mill has been swirling that they’re going to be very aggressive in free agency, and you can’t blame them. They’re icing a lot of talent, and it’s strange that they’ve taken a step backwards this year, after having 96 points and only missing out on the playoffs by one point last season. They rank in the top half of the league on both offense and defense, including PP and PK. They’re just having trouble closing teams out - Of their 16 losses since the new year, 11 of them are by one goal, with 7 of them being in OT/SO. Failing to get those extra points has pretty much put their playoff hopes to bed.
Detroit Red Wings - There isn’t a whole lot to talk about here. They’re at the bottom of the league in points, and aren’t much of a threat to beat anybody most nights. They’re very clearly in a rebuild, so it’s hard to be too harsh. They’ve got players emerging, and you’d have to hope prospects like Veleno and Zadina can be a solution sooner than later. If that happens in combination with signing more legit talent - Detroit should be right back in the conversation eventually.
Ottawa Senators - As much as I’d like to use the rebuild excuse for the Sens as well, it’s just impossible. What an absolute disaster this franchise has been to the sport over the last year+. At one point you may have even started to feel sorry for them, but the fact the circus has continued makes it mostly embarrassing - more than we all thought possible. I’m genuinely curious how they plan to attract free agents after what has happened here. I’m not convinced that giving away free tickets will even be enough to get fans to show up at this point. It feels as if the league may need to quietly have a talk with the owner before it gets any worse. Good luck, Ottawa fans.
Stay tuned for a look at the Metropolitan Divison tomorrow.
