The NHL came to a standstill when the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a national emergency at a pandemic level. In response to the threat, the NHL closed its stadium doors on March 12th.
The regular season was in full swing, and the 82-games were on the final stretch for the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. We're now approaching the dates when the Cup finals were supposed to be taking place. Instead, the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the newly established Return to Play committee are busy drawing up plans on how to resume the season.
This isn't the first time the NHL has had to deal with a postponed or shortened season, to learn more check outNjcasino.com.Fans and players alike are hopeful the NHL will take these experiences and find a resolution to get back on the ice quickly and safely.
Before the season freeze began, there were some obvious crowd favorites and front runners to make the playoffs and take the Stanley Cup. Let's take a closer look at who you should keep your eye on when the players hit the ice running.
Washington Capitals ( Eastern, Metropolitan)
The Caps are notoriously a roller coaster of a team that often doesn’t reflect its regular season stats once they hit the playoffs. They have made the 5th spot repeatedly since 2016, the only exception being when they took home the Cup in 2018 after begging in the 6th place. The team currently stands at 41 wins over 20 losses and are hot on the heels of the Blues with 90 points. In total, they have already played 69 matches.
Boston Bruins (Eastern, Atlantic)
The Bruins lost last year's cup finals in a surprise defeat from the St. Louis Blues. They were neck in neck in the standings, and the same fate seems to be playing out again this year. They are only points apart. The Bruins are leading their conference with 100 points, and 44 wins out of 70 games played.
St. Louis Blues (Western, Central)
The current Stanley Cup champions have so far wiped the floor with the competition and played an aggressive season. The Blues are currently 2 wins (42) behind the Bruins with a few more losses to their name (19) and have so far played 71 matches. In total, the Blues have 94 points not far behind their rivals.
Carolina Hurricanes (Easter, Wild Card)
The Hurricanes are currently in the top slot for the Wild Card closely followed by the Blue Jackets. They have a history of storming the playoffs at the last moment and upsetting the champions. They are a real underdog team with a huge fanbase. The Canes have an underlying rivalry with the Bruins after last seasons knock out, but will they be able to take back the glory this year?
The Canes currently hold 38 wins and 81 points out of the 68 games they've played.
Watch This Space
As we all know, sports predictions can turn on a dime, and the NHL is always full of thrilling surprises, that's why we love it after all! Make sure to keep your eye on the teams mentioned above because they are sure to hit the end of the season hard when they return to claim those playoff spots.
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