Eleven of the 16 NHL playoff teams from 2013 also made the postseason last season.
Some of those are mainstays like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston who worry only about their seeding instead of fretting actually reaching the tournament. Others, like the New York Rangers, needed to get hot in order to qualify before running to the Stanley Cup final.
The cliche goes: you can’t win the Stanley Cup in October, but you can lose it. As of Friday morning, six playoff teams from last year found themselves outside the field. It’s still relatively early in this season, but some of those tournament teams have legitimate cause for concern already.
Let’s explore those.
Chicago Blackhawks
Record: 7-5-1, 15 points; ninth in Western Conference.
What’s ailing them: The high-flying Blackhawks may be suffering a letdown from so many deep postseason runs, and as stunning as it sounds, their offense is scuffling, averaging just 2.6 goals per game in 13 games. Patrick Sharp, who is second on the team in points, will miss at least three weeks with a lower-body injury.
Level of concern: Low. Let’s be real here: the Blackhawks will be fine. They’ve allowed the fewest goals in the NHL and are one point out of a playoff spot — and that’s only because they’ve played one fewer game than San Jose, Winnipeg and Los Angeles. Expect Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Chicago’s offense to kick it in soon.
Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 6-5-2, 14 points; 10th place in Eastern Conference
What’s ailing them: The Flyers are rebounding from an 0-2-2 start. They boast one of the most intimidating home-ice advantages in hockey but are just 2-4 on the road this season. Philadelphia’s 40 goals allowed in just 13 games (3.07 per game) are emblematic of the club’s defensive liabilities.
Level of concern: Moderate. The Flyers aren’t a great team, plus they’re hurting a bit as Michael Raffl is out six weeks and defenseman Braydon Coburn has played only one game. Still, the East is a mess, and Philadelphia has talent and scoring depth. They’ll be around until the end.
Minnesota Wild
Record: 7-5-0, 14 points; 10th place in West.
What’s ailing them: The Wild have used balanced scoring and a sturdy defense to reach postseason two straight seasons, but like the Flyers, the Wild are scuffling on the road with just two wins in six games away from home. Newly acquired Thomas Vanek has just one goal in 12 games, plus Minnesota just lost leading scorer, Zach Parise, to a concussion.
Level of concern: Moderate. The Wild are good, but the Western Conference is nasty. Plus, Minnesota needs to get going on the power play, scoring just 5.3 percent of the time with a man-advantage right now. Goaltending has been terrific, as Darcy Kuemper’s at it again, and if Minnesota can stem the tide of Parise’s absence and get Vanek going, it’ll be OK. If not, who knows.
Colorado Avalanche
Record: 4-6-5, 13 points; 11th place in West.
What’s ailing them: Shocker of all shockers, the Avalanche have regressed due to their inability to possess the puck. Colorado has the second-worst corsi-for percentage (42.3 percent) with only Buffalo posting a worse number. As a result, the Avalanche have allowed 46 goals in 15 games — the second-most in the NHL.
Level of concern: High. Unless they find a way to possess the puck more, they’ll continue to scuffle. No matter how terrific their offensive talent is, you can’t play offense if you’re constantly defending.
Dallas Stars
Record: 4-5-4, 12 points; 12th place in West.
What’s ailing them: The Stars, it appears, are caught up in trying to outscore teams and have played fast and loose defensively. Only Colorado and Edmonton have allowed more goals than Dallas’ 45, and only the Oilers and Coyotes are surrendering more than the 3.46 goals per game the Stars are.
Level of concern: High. Maybe the Stars will be fine — they certainly have the talent to turn it around — but if a Lindy Ruff team isn’t playing defense, that is a cause for concern. Plus, Kari Lehtonen’s the goalie, and his .904 save percentage and 2.94 goals-against average aren’t good enough. There aren’t any reinforcements coming — unless general manager Jim Nill can pull off a miracle.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Record: 4-8-0, 8 points; T14th place in Eastern Conference
What’s ailing them: The Blue Jackets are a mess, sharing the basement of the entire NHL with Connor McDavid candidates Carolina and Buffalo. Columbus has endured injuries to its defense, as James Wisniewski missed time with a broken finger, Ryan Murray is out, and Jack Johnson was just suspended. The goal-scoring well has run dry too as the Blue Jackets are averaging just 2.5 goals per game through 12 games.
Level of concern: High. The Blue Jackets were just 5-9 through 14 games in 2013 and rebounded to reach the postseason, but that’s not easy to do every year. Columbus has lost six straight entering Friday night’s affair in Carolina, but that kicks off a hellacious stretch that includes meetings with Tampa Bay, Washington, San Jose, Detroit and Boston. Fail to rise from that, and we might start talking about Todd Richards’ job security.
