NHL Recap: Central Division
The National Hockey League has stated that they do expect the season to resume at some point this summer. More and more it looks as if they will restart with the playoffs. I have been recapping each division in the NHL and today I will be taking a look back at the Central Division.
St Louis Blues
Straight-Up Record: 42-29
Points: 94
O/U: 34-35-2
Stanley Cup Odds: 17/2 (via Vegas Insider)
The St Louis Blues are the defending Stanley Cup champs and they are right where they ended the regular season last year, and that’s sitting atop the Central Division standings. The Blues currently own the most points in the Western Conference and the 2nd most points in the league. They have spent much of the time this year atop the division standings and will be looking to defend their title once the season resumes. The Blues did have a 2-10 stretch, which allowed the Avs to briefly take over the top spot. The Blues then followed that up with an eight-game winning streak, before going 2-2 in their last four games.
The Blues have been led by their play in the crease this year as they are ranked 5th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.68 gpg while also ranking 18th in penalty kill at 79.3% and 4th in shots allowed at 29.6 spg. Jordan Binnington burst on to the scene last year, going 24-6 with a 1.89 GAA and a .927 save percentage and he followed that up by going 30-20 with a 2.56 GAA and a .912 save percentage this year. He is a beast in the crease and was 16-10 with a 2.46 GAA in the playoffs last year. Binnington has allowed a total of just 14 goals in his last eight games. Backing him up has been Jake Allen and he has gone 12-9 with a 2.15 GAA and a 9.27 save percentage on the year. Allen also has some playoff experience, going 9-10 with a 2.10 GAA in 24 games played. The Blues are all set in the crease and they have allowed just 1.69 gpg over their last 13 games, pitching three shutouts over that stretch.
The Blues could use a bit more from their offense which comes in ranked 14th in the league in scoring at 3.14 gpg while also ranking 3rd in powerplay conversions at 24.3% and 21st in shots taken at 30.7 spg. The offense did sputter a bit down the stretch as the Blues averaged just 2.71 gpg over their last seven games after notching 5.00 gpg in their previous three games. St Louis will be hoping that their offense can get back on track once the season resumes. Ryan O'Reilly leads the team in points with 61 while David Perron has 60 and Brayden Schenn has put up 58. The Blues have a balanced attack as 11 players have notched at least 10 goals on the year. Leading the pack is Perron and Schenn, who both have tallied 25 goals while Jaden Schwartz is 2nd with 22. There is no real superstar on the blues but they p[lay very well as a team and are very unselfish. That makes them a dangerous team, especially once the postseason starts.
Gambling Outlook: The Blues are clearly one of the best teams in the league and they have a great duo in the crease. The problem for the Blues could come down to the offense. St Louis has great balance but do they have enough offense to win another title. They didn’t have a great offense last year and still won it all. I do not see that happening this year. The Blues have what it takes to make it past the first round or two but I do not see them in the Stanley Cup finals for the 2nd year in a row.
Colorado Avalanche
Straight-Up Record: 42-28
Points: 92
O/U: 31-36-3
Stanley Cup Odds: 17/2 (via Vegas Insider)
The Colorado Avalanche have made it to the postseason in each of the last two years and they will make it three in a row this year. The Avs were knocked out in the first round and the 2nd round the last two years respectively and they will be looking to take that next step this year. Colorado has been a solid team all year and they are currently just two points behind the Blues for the top spot in the Central Division. The Avs did lose three of their last five games but prior to that, they had won seven in a road and 15 of their last 19.
Colorado has been one of the best offensive teams in the league overall, but that offense did struggle down the stretch. The Avs scored more than three goals in a game just once in their last 18 games and they averaged just 2.44 gpg over that stretch. Despite those awful numbers of late, Colorado still ranks 4th in the league in scoring at 3.37 gpg, 19th in powerplay conversions at 19.1% and 9th in shots taken at 32.2 spg. The Avs are a balanced team on offense with 11 players scoring 11 goals or more on the year. Leading the pack has been Nathan Mackinnon, who has hung up 35 goals on the year while Gabriel Landeskog is snd with 21 and Andre Burakovsky is 3rd with 20. Burakovsky was a nice addition from the Caps in the offseason as he has paid dividends for the Avs. Leading them in points has been MacKinnon with 93 while rookie Cale Makar is 2nd with 50 and Burakovsky is 3rd with 45. This is a very good offensive team. Despite their struggles of late.
Pavel Francouz played in just two games last year, so this is officially his rookie season and he has been strong, going 21-11 with a 2.41 GAA and a .923 save percentage in 34 games played. He has allowed 17 goals in his last five games but still, his overall numbers have been good in his first full year. Philipp Grubauer (out indefinitely) had a solid season in his first year with the Avs last year and he has followed that up by going 18-16 with a 2.63 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 36 games this year. Michael Hutchinson has been brought in from Toronto to backup Francouz while Grubauer is out and he has played in one game for Colorado, allowing one goal in a 2-1 win over Detroit. When he was with Toronto, Hutchinson was 4-10 with a 3.66 GAA. Colorado has allowed 3.60 gpg over their last five games after giving up just 1.60 gpg in their previous 15 games. The Avs are ranked 6th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.71 gpg while also ranking 13th in penalty kill at 81.4% and 17th in shots allowed at 31.3 spg.
Gambling Outlook: I like this Avs team. They had a bit of a hiccup before the break but they had been playing some of the best hockey in the league prior to it. The Avs have a very solid goalie in Pavel Francouz and while their offense has sputtered of late, it is still one of the best in the league and littered with goal scorers. The Avs will have the number three seed in the Western Conference and they are a very dangerous team that could very well end up in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Dallas Stars
Straight-Up Record: 37-32
Points: 82
O/U: 25-40-4
Stanley Cup Odds: 20/1(via Vegas Insider)
The Dallas Stars have had a solid season so far but they were not playing very well before the break, losing their last six games in a row. Still, the Stars are in 3rd place in the Central Division and they will own the 6th seed in the Western Conference, once the playoffs start. They would be taking on the Colorado Avalanche in the first round and that will be no easy task for the Stars who will be in the postseason for the 2nd year in a row after missing out in eight of their previous 10 seasons.
The offense is not where the Stars have made a living this year and it was truly bad of late, scoring a total of three goals over their last four games. Dallas has been great at the defensive end this year, and I will get to that in a moment, but the offense has held them back. The Stars could be challenging for the division title if only they had a bit more scoring this year. Dallas has just seven players with 11 goals or more and none with more than 20. Leading their attack has been Denis Gurianov, who has 20 goals while Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn are both 2nd with 19. Tyler Seguin leads the team in points with 50 while Benn is 2nd with 39 and Miro Heiskanen is 3rd with 35. It is hard to believe that with Benn and Seguin, the Stars are having their issues on offense. Overall on the year, the Stars are ranked 26th in the league in scoring at 2.58 gpg while also ranking 13th in powerplay conversions at 21.1% and 23rd in shots taken at 30.6 spg.
At the other end of the ice, Dallas has been very strong, ranking 2nd in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.58 gpg while also ranking 17th in penalty kill at 79.7% and 18th in shots allowed at 31.6 spg. Dallas has allowed just 2.42 gpg over their last seven games but thanks to their anemic offense, they have lost six of those games. The Stars will really need their offense to step up in the playoffs. Ben Bishop has had a decent season, going 21-20 with a 2.50 GAA and a .920 save percentage on the year. His home/road splits are telling as he owns a 2.22 GAA at home, compared to a 2.95 GAA on the road. Backing him up is Anton Khudobin and he has had a very solid season, going 16-12 with a 2.22 GAA and a .930 save percentage on the year. He also has crazy home/road splits, posting a 1.44 GAA at home, compared to a 2.55 GAA on the road.
Gambling Outlook: as long as the playoffs take place, the Stars will be in them. I don’t think they will last that long, though. Dallas has been strong in the crease this year but in the first round of the playoffs, they will not have the home-ice advantage and Dallas has allowed 2.80 gpg on the road compared to just 2.44 gpg at home. That would not get it done against a Colorado team that has averaged 3.61 gpg at home. Dallas could win some home games in that series, but I don’t see them taking any road games. Dallas will be out after the first round.
Winnipeg Jets
Straight-Up Record:37-34
Points:80
O/U: 29-37-5
Stanley Cup Odds: 50/1 (via Vegas Insider)
Winnipeg Jets Straight-Up Record: 37-34 Points: 80 O/U: 29-37-5 Stanley Cup Odds Via Vegas Insider: 50/1 Prior to this season, the Winnipeg Jets had made the postseason in just four of their first 19 seasons in the league. Still, two of those seasons were the last two years and as long as the playoffs go on, they will make it three years in a row. Barely, though, as they have just a two-point lead over Nashville, who is in the 9th spot in the Western Conference. The Jets are in the 7th slot and would take on Vegas in the first round. That will not be easy as the oddsmakers have the Golden Knights winning it all this year, at the moment.
It is shocking to see the Jets not have one of the best offenses in the league as they are a team with a ton of firepower. The Jets ranked 7th in the league in scoring last year and 2nd the year before but they are currently ranked 17th in the league in scoring, putting up 3.00 gpg. They are also ranked 15th in powerplay conversions at 20.5% and 17th in shots taken at 31.3 spg. The offense has been down this year despite having some good goal scorers on the roster. The Jets have won their last four games in a row and they have averaged 3.75 gpg over that stretch, compared to putting up just 2.20 gpg in their previous five games. They were 1-4 in those five games. Leading the team in points has been Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor, who both have 73 while Blake Wheeler is 2nd with 65. Connor leads the team in goals with 38 while Scheifele is 2nd with 29 and Patrik Laine is 3rd with 28. Laine scored 80 goals in his first two years in the league but has now notched just 58 goals in his last two seasons.
At the other end of the ice, the Jets have been solid as they are ranked 10th in the league in goals allowed, giving up just 2.83 gpg while also ranking 22nd in penalty kill at 77.6% and 25th in shots allowed at 32.6 spg. Winnipeg has been very stingy of late, allowed a total of eight goals over their last six games. That is the kind of play in the crease that they will need in the playoffs, especially if the offense can’t find it’s groove. Connor Hellebuyck is the main guy between the pipes and he has had a very solid season, going 21-16 with a 2.57 GAA and a .922 save percentage on the year. He has also tossed six shutouts and he is 11-12 with a 2.44 GAA in the postseason. Backing him up has been Laurent Brossoit, who has not been great, going 6-8 with a 3.28 GAA and a .895 save percentage. He has played in just one playoff game in his career.
Gambling Outlook: The Jets will be in the postseason, provided they happen, but I don’t see them hanging around very long. They would be taking on the Golden Knight in the first round and that has been a hot team. The goaltending has been solid for the Jets this year but I just do not see them garnering enough offense to pull a first-round upset of Vegas. They will win a couple of games in that series but not enough to move on.
Nashville Predators
Straight-Up Record:35-34
Points: 78
O/U: 37-30-2
Stanley Cup Odds:22/1 (via Vegas Insider)
It will not be a fun offseason for the Nashville Predators, who will just miss out on making the postseason. They are tied for the 8th spot with Vancouver, but the Canucks own the tiebreaker. Nashville was playing well before the break as they had won three in a row and six of their last nine, but it just wasn’t enough to overtake the Canucks. It will break a five-year streak of the Preds making the postseason.
Nashville had been known for their play in the crease the last two years, ranking 4th in goals allowed last year and 2nd the year before. That has not been the case this year as the Preds are ranked 25th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.10 gpg while also ranking 29th in penalty kill at 76.1% and 16th in shots allowed at 31.3 spg. Nashville did allow just two total goals in their last three games but their overall body of work at that end of the ice has not been that good at all and that is the reason while they will miss the postseason this year. Pekka Rinne has been the main guy over the year and he is normally solid, but he had a bit of a rough season, going 18-18 with a 3.17 GAA and a .895 save percentage in 36 games played. Juuse Saros has played in 40 games and he has gone 17-16 with a 2.70 GAA and a .914 save percentage. He has been used more than Rinne and he does have much better numbers.
The offense had major struggles down the stretch, scoring more than four goals in a game just once in their last 19 games while averaging just 2.36 gpg in those games. That will not get it done in today’s NHL. Leading the team in points was Roman Josi, who had 65 while Filip Forsberg had 48 and Matt Duchene was 3rd with 42. The Preds did have 10 players with 10 or more goals but none with more than 21. Leading their attack was Forsberg with 21, while Craig Smith and Nick Bonino were both 2nd with 18. The Preds were a below-average offensive team this year, ranking 16th in the league in scoring at 3.07 gpg while also ranking 25th in powerplay conversions at 17.3% and 5th in shots taken at 33.1 spg.
Gambling Outlook: There is no real gambling outlook here as it looks as if the regular season will not conclude and that we will be heading to the playoffs once the NHL restarts. The Preds have to find a bit more offense in the offseason and they really need Pekka Rinne to bounce back from a tough season. He will be key to them making a run at a postseason berth next year.
Minnesota Wild
Straight-Up Record:35-34
Points: 77
O/U: 32-32-5
Stanley Cup Odds: 50/1(via Vegas Insider)
Minnesota Wild Straight-Up Record: 35-34 Points: 77 O/U: 32-32-5 Stanley Cup Odds Via Vegas Insider: 50/1 The Minnesota Wild had a run of six playoff berths in a row broken last year and they will now miss out on the postseason festivities for the 2nd year in a row. Minnesota just missed out on a playoff berth as they finished with 77 points, which put them one point shy of the 8th spot in the Western Conference standings. The Wild did win eight if their final 11 games but it just wasn’t enough to get them over the hump. Had the season not been stopped, we could be talking about a Minnesota team being playoff bound.
Minnesota has been a decent offensive team this year as they rank 12th in the league in scoring at 3.16 gpg while also ranking 11th in powerplay conversions at 21.3% and 25th in shots taken at 30.1 spg. The offense was very hot down the stretch as they averaged 4.25 gpg over their last eight games. Minnesota scored three or more goals in each of those games. Still, it wasn’t enough to land them a postseason berth. Leading the team in points has been Kevin Fiala with 54 while Ryan Suter is 2nd with 48 and Eric Staal is 3rd with 47. Minnesota has eight players with at least 11 goals and leading the way has been Zach Parise with 25 while Fiala is 2nd with 23 and Staal is 3rd with 19. They have some nice weapons but could still use a bit more balance from their offense.
The problem for Minnesota came at the other end of the ice this year as they ranked 24th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.14 gpg while also ranking 25th in penalty kill at 77.2% and 11th in shots allowed at 30.7 spg. That has to change if they are to be a factor in the Central Division next year. Minnesota allowed 11 goals in their final two games after giving up just 2.25 gpg in their previous 16 games. That 16-game stretch shows that they can be a solid team in the crease. It just came too late for them to grab a playoff berth. Alex Stalock has taken over as the main guy in the crease and he has gone 20-15 with a 2.67 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 38 games played. Stalock took over the role of the main guy from Devan Dubnyk, who has struggled this year. Dubnyk has gone 12-17 with a 3.35 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 30 games played on the year. He will need to bounce back in a big way next year.
Gambling Outlook: Just like the Preds above and the Blackhawks below, there is no gambling outlook for the Wild this year, so we will have to look to next year. Minnesota has a decent team on their hands but they will be looking to add another solid scorer or two. Alex Stalock has proven that he can be the main guy but if Minnesota is to return to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus, then they will need Devan Dubnyk to bounce back from a tough season. If he does, then Minnesota has the tools to make a run at the Central Division title next year.
Chicago Blackhawks
Straight-Up Record:32-38
Points: 72
O/U: 34-35-1
Stanley Cup Odds:250/1 (via Vegas Insider)
Chicago Blackhawks Straight-Up Record: 32-38 Points: 72 O/U: 34-35-1 Stanley Cup Odds Via Vegas Insider: 250/1 The Chicago Blackhawks finished in 6th place in the Central last year and 7th the year before. It was another tough season for them as they wound up in 7th place year. They will now miss the postseason for the 3rd year in a row after playing in the NHL’s 2nd season the previous nine years in a row. The Blackhawks had won three titles over that nine-year stretch. How the mighty have fallen. Chicago did finish by winning five of their last seven games but they were just 2-8 in their previous 10 games and that was a killer for a team that finished just six points out of the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoff standings.
The Blackhawks were below average at the offensive end this year, ranking 18th in the league in scoring at 2.97 gpg while also ranking 28th in powerplay conversions at 15.2% and 13th in shots taken at 31.8 spg. The powerplay was their Achilles Heel on offense and they will have to work on that in the offseason. Chicago averaged a solid 3.63 gpg over their last eight games after hanging up just 2.54 gpg over their previous 11 games. Leading the team in points was who else but Patrick Kane, who had 84 while Jonathan Toews was 2nd with 60 and rookie Dominik Kubalik was 3rd with 46. The Blackhawks had just seven players with 10 or goals and leading the pack was Kane with 33 while Kubalik was 2nd with 30 and Brandon Saad had 21. We do note that Saad did miss 12 games this year or his numbers could have been better.
At the other end of the ice, Chicago has been below average, ranking 17th in the league in goals allowed, giving up 3.06 gpg while also ranking 9th in penalty kill at 82.1% and 31st in shots allowed at 35.1 spg. Ranking in the middle of the pack in goals allowed is pretty good, considering the fact that they allowed the most shots per game. Chicago allowed just 2.14 gpg in their last seven games after giving up 4.13 gpg in their previous eight games. Corey Crawford is the main guy is the crease and he was 16-23 on the year but with a decent 2.77 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Robin Lehner was his backup, going 16-15 with a 3.01 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 33 games before being traded to Vegas for Malcolm Subban. He played in just one game for Chicago.
Gambling Outlook: The overall numbers were not horrible for a team that finished last in their division. They do need to work on their powerplay and the defense did struggle by ranking last in the league in goals allowed. Subban could be a nice addition for next year as he gives Chicago a solid backup to Corey Crawford, who didn’t have bad numbers with a 2.77 GAA and a .917 save percentage. The offense could use a bit more balance as just six players had 12 goals or more. The rebuild in Chicago is heading in the right direction and they should be a factor in the playoff race next year.
