Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from The Puck Bulletin! In this week’s edition of The Puck Bulletin, we’re taking another look at the playoff seedings if the season was to end on 1/1/23. We’ve also got the usual Weekly Roundup and return of the Player Spotlight!
Updated Playoff Outlook
Once again, not all NHL team have played an equal number of games, but let’s take another look at the current playoff outlook as if the season ended on January 1st. Let’s take a look:
Eastern Conference
A1: Boston Bruins
A2: Toronto Maple Leafs
A3: Tampa Bay Lightning
M1: Carolina Hurricanes
M2: New Jersey Devils
M3: Washington Capitals
WC1: New York Rangers
WC2: Pittsburgh Penguins
Western Conference
C1: Dallas Stars
C2: Winnipeg Jets
C3: Minnesota Wild
P1: Vegas Golden Knights
P2: Los Angeles Kings
P3: Calgary Flames
WC1: Seattle Kraken
WC2: Edmonton Oilers
There’s been a few shakeups in the past month, and I’m curious to see what 2023 holds. Out of the teams not currently in playoff position, who do you think will most likely make the playoffs? Let me know in the poll below!
The Weekly Roundup
Atlantic:
Boston Bruins (60 pts | 28-4-4)
LW: L/SO 2-3 OTT, W 3-1 NJD, OTL 3-4 BUF
1/2 vs. PIT, 1/5 @ LAK, 1/7 @ SJS, 1/8 @ ANA
The Bruins are ready to host the 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park.
Toronto Maple Leafs (52 pts | 23-8-6)
LW: W 5-4 STL, L 3-6 ARI, W 6-2 COL
1/3 vs. STL, 1/5 vs. SEA, 1/7 vs. DET, 1/8 @ PHI
The Leafs continue to look solid heading into 2023.
Tampa Bay Lightning (47 pts | 23-11-1)
LW: W 4-1 MTL, W 2-1 NYR, W 5-3 ARI
1/3 @ CHI, 1/4 @ MIN, 1/6 @ WPG
Tampa has been humming along through the holidays.
Detroit Red Wings (39 pts | 16-12-7)
LW: W 5-4 PIT, L 3-6 BUF, W 4-2 OTT
1/4 vs. NJD, 1/6 vs. FLA, 1/7 @ TOR
The Red Wings had a great 4-goal comeback against the Pens this past week.
Buffalo Sabres (38 pts | 18-15-2)
LW: W 6-3 DET, W 4-3 BOS, L 1-3 OTT
1/3 @ WSH, 1/7 vs. MIN
The Sabres winning streak was snapped by the Sens to start the year new year.
Ottawa Senators (37 pts | 17-17-3)
LW: W 3-2 BOS, W 4-3 WSH, L 2-4 DET, W 3-1 BUF
1/3 vs. CBJ, 1/7 vs. SEA
The Sens are charging towards playoff contention.
Florida Panthers (36 pts | 16-18-4)
LW: W 7-2 MTL, L 0-4 CAR, L 3-5 NYR
1/3 vs. ARI, 1/6 @ DET, 1/8 @ DAL
The Panthers continue to struggle a bit.
Montreal Canadiens (33 pts | 15-19-3)
LW: L 1-4 TBL, L 2-7 @ FLA, L 2-9 WSH
1/3 @ NSH, 1/5 vs. NYR, 1/7 vs. STL
Montreal now finds themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic.
Metropolitan:
Carolina Hurricanes (56 pts | 25-6-6)
LW: W 3-0 CHI, W 4-0 FLA, W 5-4 NJD
1/3 @ NYR, 1/5 vs. NSH, 1/7 @ CBJ
The Canes are on an 11-game winning streak.
New Jersey Devils (49 pts | 23-11-3)
LW: L 1-3 BOS, W 4-2 PIT, L 4-5 CAR
1/4 @ DET, 1/5 vs. STL, 1/7 vs. NYR
The Devils have been stumbling a bit through the holidays, going 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.
Washington Capitals (47 pts | 21-13-5)
LW: W 4-0 NYR, OTL 3-4 OTT, W 9-2 MTL
1/3 vs. BUF, 1/5 @ CBJ, 1/6 vs. NSH, 1/8 vs. CBJ
Washington is currently one of the hottest teams in the NHL.
New York Rangers (46 pts | 20-12-6)
LW: L 0-4 WSH, L/SO 1-2 TBL, W 5-3 FLA
1/3 vs. CAR, 1/5 @ MTL, 1/7 @ NJD
The Rangers continue to march back up the standings.
Pittsburgh Penguins (44 pts | 19-11-6)
LW: L 1-5 NYI, OTL 4-5 DET, L 2-4 NJD
1/2 @ BOS, 1/5 @ VGK, 1/8 @ ARI
The Penguins bring a 4-game losing streak to the Winter Classic.
New York Islanders (44 pts | 21-15-2)
LW: W 5-1 PIT, W 2-1 CBJ, L 1-4 SEA
1/3 @ VAN, 1/5 @ EDM, 1/6 @ CGY
The Isles have been such an up-and-down team this season.
Philadelphia Flyers (33 pts | 13-17-7)
LW: W 4-3 SJS, W 4-2 LAK
1/2 @ ANA, 1/5 vs. ARI, 1/8 vs. TOR
I’m curious to see how the Flyers begin play in 2023.
Columbus Blue Jackets (24 pts | 11-22-2)
LW: L 1-2 NYI, W 4-1 CHI
1/3 @ OTT, 1/5 vs. WSH, 1/7 vs. CAR, 1/8 @ WSH
The Blue Jackets might be the most disappointing team of the season thus far. I’m hoping they bounce back in 2023.
Central:
Dallas Stars (52 pts | 23-9-6)
LW: W 3-2 NSH, W 4-1 MIN, W 5-2 SJS
1/3 @ LAK, 1/4 @ ANA, 1/8 vs. FLA
Is Dallas the team to beat in the West?
Winnipeg Jets (47 pts | 23-13-1)
LW: L 1-4 MIN, W 4-2 VAN, L 2-3 CGY, W 2-1 EDM
1/3 vs. CGY, 1/6 vs. TBL, 1/8 vs. VAN
Winnipeg continues to be a pleasant surprise in the Central.
Minnesota Wild (44 pts | 21-13-2)
LW: W 4-1 WPG, L 1-4 DAL, W 5-2 STL
1/4 vs. TBL, 1/7 @ BUF, 1/8 vs. STL
The Wild are among the hottest NHL teams heading into the new year.
Colorado Avalanche (41 pts | 19-13-3)
LW: L 3-6 ARI, L/SO 4-5 LAK, L 2-6 TOR
1/2 vs. VGK, 1/5 @ VAN, 1/7 @ EDM
The Avs had a tough week, but Nathan MacKinnon is back in the lineup.
St. Louis Blues (37 pts | 17-17-3)
LW: OTL 4-5 TOR, W 3-1 CHI, L 2-5 MIN
1/3 @ TOR, 1/5 @ NJD, 1/7 @ MTL, 1/8 @ MIN
The Blues are still hanging around the Central.
Nashville Predators (36 pts | 15-14-6)
LW: L 2-3 DAL, W 6-1 ANA, OTL 4-5 VGK
1/3 vs. MTL, 1/5 @ CAR, 1/6 @ WSH
I can’t tell if the Preds are a playoff team this year…
Arizona Coyotes (31 pts | 13-17-5)
LW: W 6-3 COL, W 6-3 TOR, L 3-5 TBL
12/13 @ SJS, 12/16 vs. NYI, 12/17 vs. BUF
The Yotes continue to play some solid hockey at the Mullet.
Chicago Blackhawks (20 pts | 8-24-4)
LW: L 0-3 CAR, L 1-3 STL, L 1-4 CBJ, L 2-5 SJS
12/13 vs. WSH, 12/15 vs. VGK, 12/16 @ MIN, 12/18 vs. NYR
Chicago is now at the bottom of the NHL.
Pacific:
Vegas Golden Knights (52 pts | 25-12-2)
LW: L 2-4 VGK, L/SO 2-3 ANA, W 5-4 NSH
1/2 @ COL, 1/5 vs. PIT, 1/7 vs. LAK
Vegas continues to hold a small lead in the Pacific.
Los Angeles Kings (48 pts | 21-13-6)
LW: W 4-2 VGK, W 5-4 COL, L 2-4 PHI
1/3 vs. DAL, 1/5 vs. BOS, 1/7 @ VGK
The Kings have their eyes on the top of the Pacific.
Calgary Flames (43 pts | 18-13-7)
LW: L 1-2 EDM, W 3-2 SEA, W 3-2 VAN
1/3 @ WPG, 1/6 vs. NYI, 1/8 @ CHI
Calgary has yet to play their best hockey this season.
Seattle Kraken (42 pts | 18-12-4)
LW: L 2-3 CGY, L 2-7 EDM, W 4-1 NYI
1/3 @ EDM, 1/5 @ TOR, 1/7 @ OTT
The Kraken have been stumbling a bit after their hot start.
Edmonton Oilers (42 pts | 20-16-2)
LW: W 2-1 CGY, W 7-2 SEA, L 1-2 WPG
1/3 vs. SEA, 1/5 vs. NYI, 1/7 vs. COL
The Oilers continue their standing in the middle of the Pacific.
Vancouver Canucks (35 pts | 16-17-3)
LW: W 6-2 SJS, L 2-4 WPG, L 2-3 CGY
1/3 vs. NYI, 1/5 vs. COL, 1/8 @ WPG
Who will be the first Canuck traded out of Vancouver?
San Jose Sharks (31 pts | 12-20-7)
LW: L 2-6 VAN, OTL 3-4 PHI, L 2-5 DAL, W 5-2 CHI
1/6 @ ANA, 1/7 vs. BOS
The Sharks are hungry for some better hockey in 2023.
Anaheim Ducks (24 pts | 10-23-4)
LW: W 3-2 VGK, L 1-6 NSH
1/2 vs. PHI, 1/4 vs. DAL, 1/6 vs. SJS, 1/8 vs. BOS
The young Ducks can really only go upward in 2023.
Player Spotlight
Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights
This week’s player spotlight is on Vegas Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith. The 31-year-old from Ontario is on pace to a career-high in goals this season. Through 39 games this season, Smith has tallied 28 points (18g, 10a) for the division-leading Golden Knights.
Drafted in 2009 by the Dallas Stars, Reilly Smith has spent time in the NHL playing for Dallas, Boston, Florida, and now Vegas. Smith joined Vegas as part of the 2017 expansion draft. Vegas has seen a lot of player turnover since making the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season, but Smith is among the six original players still on the Golden Knights roster since 2017-2018. One more fun fact about Reilly Smith is that he’s the younger brother of New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. I also found this older photo on the NHL twitter page which appears to show that Reilly is a fan of Star Wars…
If you get a chance to watch Vegas this season, look out for Smith. He’s been one of my favorite underrated players to watch in the NHL since he came into the league, and I hope you can appreciate his playing style as well!