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This Is the Home Stretch: Western Conference

Apr 7, 2009, 5:40 PM UTC

Yesterday, we took a look at the teams in the East that still have something to play for during this final week of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the situation in the Western Conference.â†µ

â†µSAN JOSE (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they've achieved: Under first-year head coach Todd McLellan, the Sharks currently have the best record in the entire NHL. They've clinched the Pacific Division and home ice in at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
â†µWhat's left: With three games remaining, the Sharks have yet to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West. To clinch and lock the Red Wings into the second seed, they need just three points in their remaining three games. With six, they'll clinch the President's Trophy, locking out Boston.â†µ

â†µâ†µDETROIT (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: Clinched the Central Division what seems like ages ago. They can’t finish lower than second overall in the West, which means they’ll have home ice in at least the first two rounds of the playoffs. Congrats to head coach Mike Babcock for becoming the second head coach in NHL history to record 50 wins in each of his first four seasons with a team since Scotty Bowman did it with the Montreal Canadiens.
â†µWhat’s left: If San Jose and Boston stumble and Detroit wins out, the top seed in the West and the President’s Trophy are still within reach.â†µ

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â†µCALGARY (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they've achieved: They've clinched a playoff spot, and can't finish lower than fifth overall.
â†µWhat's left: With three games remaining, Calgary holds a tenuous 2-point lead over Vancouver in the Pacific. Five points in their remaining three games would clinch the division even if Vancouver were to win out. In case of a tie, which is a very real possibility, Vancouver currently holds an advantage in points between the two clubs, 6-5, which makes tonight's clash between the two teams in Vancouver all the more critical.â†µ

â†µâ†µCHICAGO (78 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: The team’s first playoff berth since 2002.
â†µWhat’s left: Depending on how things shake out in the battle between Calgary and Vancouver for first place in the Northwest Division, the Hawks could drop into fifth place, losing home ice advantage in the first round. With just four points in their last four games, they could lock in the fourth seed.â†µ

â†µâ†µVANCOUVER (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: They’ve clinched a playoff berth and can’t finish lower than sixth place.
â†µWhat’s left: See Calgary above.â†µ

â†µâ†µCOLUMBUS (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: On the cusp of clinching the first playoff berth in the history of the franchise.
â†µWhat’s left: Locking up that playoff spot. Four more points is what they need to get it done. If Vancouver falters, fifth place is a possibility.â†µ

â†µâ†µANAHEIM (80 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved:: Outside of undershooting expectations, not a lot.
â†µWhat’s left: Locking down that postseason berth while holding off four other teams in their rear view mirror. Just one more point means no longer worrying about Edmonton or Minnesota. But thanks to the schedule, the Ducks have only two games remaining this week, which means they can’t top out any higher than 92 points. Two wins would lock down the seventh seed.â†µ

â†µâ†µNASHVILLE (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: Fighting through multiple injuries, the franchise has gotten to the last week of the regular season in the eighth and final playoff spot.
â†µWhat’s left: Keeping an eye on ninth place St. Louis as the two teams tied in points sprint to the finish. Thanks to the tiebreaker, three wins will mean 92 points and 42 wins, and will lock either St. Louis or Anaheim out of the playoffs.â†µ

â†µâ†µST. LOUIS (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: They’ve proved that all the talk from management about being on the cusp of something exciting was more than talk. Wait till Erik Johnson returns from injury next season.
â†µWhat’s left: Locking up a surprise playoff berth. If they win out and Nashville loses just one game, they’re in. As of now, Nashville owns the first tiebreaker over the Blues because they have one more victory. But if that changes and the Blues tie Nashville in wins, the tiebreaker advantage shifts back to St. Louis, because they have more points in games between the two teams (10-6). Hold on.â†µ

â†µâ†µMINNESOTA and EDMONTON (79 GP) --
â†µWhat they’ve achieved: Nothing. Fans this loyal to the sport deserve to see a more exciting brand of hockey than this.
â†µWhat’s left: A long shot at sneaking into the postseason. With identical records, both teams are three points in back of Nashville and St. Louis. The winning formula: Win out and pray. The more likely role for the Wild is as spoilers, as they have games with both Nashville and Columbus remaining on the schedule.â†µ

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This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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