Dunkel Index NHL Rankings

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived! Well, kind of. There are just a couple of games left in the regular season, but the postseason will get underway on Saturday. The 16 teams playing in the postseason have been decided, and the teams that did not make the postseason have been eliminated. These final games will determine playoff seedings. Let’s take a look at the most up-to-date Dunkel Index NHL Rankings!

Race for the Honda West

The Vegas Golden Knights had a chance to close the door on the Honda West Division, but Colorado came from behind and won 2-1 in regulation. Now, the Avalanche have a chance to win their final two games and grab the top seed in the West. The top seed will get the St. Louis Blues in the first round, while second place will take on the Minnesota Wild. Vegas comes into the new rankings at #3, while Colorado has moved ahead of them at #2. Minnesota checks in at #6, while the St. Louis Blues have the worst ranking of all playoff teams - at #19.

East Scheduled

The East Division is over, and the pairings are set. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals tied for the most points at 77, with Boston coming in at 73 and the Islanders at 71. What a competitive division all season long. Pittsburgh gets the tiebreaker with 34 ROW to the Capitals 33. That means the Penguins get the Islanders in the first round, while the Bruins will start on the road at the Capitals. The rankings to finish the season saw the Penguins at #7, Washington at #9, Boston at #10, and the Islanders at #12.

Central Also Ready

The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers were surprises in the National Hockey League this season. Those two teams finished with 80 and 79 points respectively—what a season for both of them. The Hurricanes are the top team in the latest rankings, while the Panthers finished the season at #5. The Panthers' gift for having such a great season is a first round matchup with the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. What a Florida rivalry series that will be. Tampa Bay is 4th at the end of the year rankings. The final team in the Central to make the postseason is the Nashville Predators. They will be huge underdogs in the series against the Hurricanes. Nashville wrapped up the regular season rankings at #14.

Oh, Canada in the North

The “All Canadian” division was a fun one to watch. In the end, Toronto won the division with 76 points. That put the Maple Leafs in 8th in the rankings. They will get a first round matchup with Montreal. What a rivalry series that will be. The Canadiens have played 55 games and picked up 58 points with a game against Edmonton on Wednesday.  Montreal was the final team to clinch a postseason spot. The Canadiens are 17th in the rankings. Finally, the other matchup in the North will feature the Edmonton Oilers and the Winnipeg Jets. Edmonton has 70 points and Winnipeg 61. Edmonton is 13th and Winnipeg 18th in the latest rankings.
Make sure to check out Dunkel Index rankings for other sports too!