This article is part of our Schedule Analysis series.
It's here! The playoffs have arrived for a good percentage of you which means there's one month of hockey remaining. With nearly half the league playing four games this week, we've got a lot of work to do.
GNW - Games Next Week
2WL - Two Weeks Left
FW - Final Week
TRG - Total Remaining Games
Four Aces
Ranked by a strength of schedule, here are the weekly forecasts for the 14 NHL teams playing four times this week:
1. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks (combined record of 3-0 versus this week's opponents) host a trio of east coast teams before heading out for a five-game road trip starting with Winnipeg on Sunday.
2. Florida Panthers
Playing 10 of their remaining 14 games this season on the road where the Panthers are barely above .500 should be the ultimate test of their sustainability. While they have had a tight season series against Detroit (2-1, 8:7 GF:GA), they have enjoyed their previous matchups against Montreal, Toronto (three games remaining) and especially the Islanders (2-0, 8:3 GF:GA).
3. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks also play three of four at home against opponents from three different divisions. While Chicago has had decent results against Los Angels and Winnipeg (combined record of 3-1-1), their 3-0 loss to Philly and 0-3 record against Minnesota should give you cause for concern.
4. New York Islanders
With a league-high 16 games remaining in their regular season, the Isles will play at least four games in three of the
It's here! The playoffs have arrived for a good percentage of you which means there's one month of hockey remaining. With nearly half the league playing four games this week, we've got a lot of work to do.
GNW - Games Next Week
2WL - Two Weeks Left
FW - Final Week
TRG - Total Remaining Games
Four Aces
Ranked by a strength of schedule, here are the weekly forecasts for the 14 NHL teams playing four times this week:
1. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks (combined record of 3-0 versus this week's opponents) host a trio of east coast teams before heading out for a five-game road trip starting with Winnipeg on Sunday.
2. Florida Panthers
Playing 10 of their remaining 14 games this season on the road where the Panthers are barely above .500 should be the ultimate test of their sustainability. While they have had a tight season series against Detroit (2-1, 8:7 GF:GA), they have enjoyed their previous matchups against Montreal, Toronto (three games remaining) and especially the Islanders (2-0, 8:3 GF:GA).
3. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks also play three of four at home against opponents from three different divisions. While Chicago has had decent results against Los Angels and Winnipeg (combined record of 3-1-1), their 3-0 loss to Philly and 0-3 record against Minnesota should give you cause for concern.
4. New York Islanders
With a league-high 16 games remaining in their regular season, the Isles will play at least four games in three of the final four weeks of the season. Unfortunately for Isles fans and fantasy owners, that stretch begins with four quality teams (3-2-1 combined record this season against their opponents) this week and three road games where New York has lost two straight after winning seven of their last eight.
5. Calgary Flames
The Flames finish out their six-game home stand with three Central division opponents (2-4, 17:17 GF:GA) before heading out to Montreal hoping to avenge a 6-2 loss to the Canadiens in the season's opening month.
6. Montreal Canadiens
Still peeking in on a tight points race for the Eastern Conference's final wild card, the Canadiens play division rivals in three of four games this week and all come on a back-to-back, a scenario Montreal has not done well (3-9) in since the calendar flipped to 2016. Still, their record against Ottawa (2-0, 7:4 GF:GA) and Calgary (1-0, 6:2 GF:GA) should balance out your apprehension, regardless of whether P.K. Subban returns.
7. Los Angeles Kings
Aside from a 9-2 shellacking of Boston, the Kings have had tight games against their three other opponents this week.
8. Minnesota Wild
Somehow hanging onto a wild-card spot, Minnesota spends three of four on the road this week.
9. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets (combined 3-4 against this week's opponents) play two Canadian teams before settling in back home for seven of their next nine.
10. Edmonton Oilers
With a league-low 11 games remaining in the final 30 days of the season, the Oilers finish out their five-game home stand with four tough opponents. Although Edmonton has managed a 1-0-1 record against the Canucks, each team has scored just three goals in the two games. The bad news is the Oilers are an unsightly 0-6 against Nashville, St. Louis and Colorado, being outscored 21-7 this season.
11. San Jose Sharks
Fifteen points ahead of their closest suitor Arizona (2-0, 7:2 GF:GA), who they play a split home-and-home against this week, the Sharks aren't so much concerned with punching their playoff ticket as they are looking to fix their woes at home (13-15-3), where they play 10 of their remaining 14 games.
12. New Jersey Devils
Hoping to stay in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild-card race, New Jersey has had a few 2-1 wins-losses against this week's Western Conference opponents. One might think a traditional home-and-home with Columbus would be a welcomed sight for their upcoming weekend but the Jackets have owned the Devils this season, outscoring New Jersey 11-3 while going 3-0.
13. Pittsburgh Penguins
With four division rivals, who all fighting for a playoff berth, on the docket this week, we will find out immediately if Evgeni Malkin's absense will cause the Penguins to sink or swim.
14. Vancouver Canucks
One of four teams with 15 games in hand, the Canucks will need to win the majority of those games if they want any hope of grabbing the final wild card in the Western Conference. Although the Canucks bring an 0-2 record against the Jets and Blues, they've thoroughly enjoyed both wins (2-0, 8:2 GF:GA) over the Avs.
The Flop
A nightly microscope on one game a day for the upcoming week:
Monday: The Islanders and Panthers haven't met since December when Florida beat Jaroslav Halak for five goals, so even if Halak wasn't injured, we were likely to see Thomas Greiss. Both teams will be on the front end of back-to-backs, so it's possible to see Jean-Francois Berube and/or Al Montyoa. Both teams will play weaker opponents on Tuesday, so look for the No. 1 tenders to duke it out. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists and Jussi Jokinen had a pair of assists in the aforementioned 5-1 win.
Tuesday: Both the Bruins and Sharks' power-play units had a fruitful (pair of goals each) night in their last meeting, a 5-4 San Jose win. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton each had three points in that game while Dennis Seidenberg and David Krejci each had a pair of assists. Martin Jones has been very good of late, but former Toronto goalie James Reimer has a more expansive career log (6-6-3, 2.43 GAA) against Boston.
Wednesday: Likely to repeat yet another 5-1 (Vincent Trocheck, Barkov PPG) win, this time the Panthers should victimize the barely-breathing Maple Leafs for the first of three remaining games this season.
Thursday: It should be an interesting re-match after these two teams combined for nine goals in their last game, a 5-4 Kings win, last month. Marian Gaborik and Kevin Hayes each grabbed a power-play goal for their respective teams, but Anze Kopitar stole the spotlight by collecting a hat trick. Kopitar has 14 points in 12 career games versus New York.
Friday: As mentioned previously, L.A. torched Boston earlier this season in a game that saw all but three Kings register a point, including Milan Lucic, who had a goal and two assists in a spirited return to the lineup.
Saturday: The Stars and Islanders are two teams that could never be accused of having a defense-first philosophy. That logic came out in spades when the two teams combined for nearly 90 shots on goal and the Islanders collected a pair of power-play goals in their 6-5 win over the visiting Stars in early January. Brad Marchand, Jeff Carter and Luke Schenn all registered power-play goals for the visiting Kings in that win.
Sunday: Anaheim burned Winnipeg for two power-play goals (Kevin Bieska, Ryan Kesler) in their 4-1 win over Winnipeg in January.
