NHL division races still close with two weeks left in season

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Winnipeg Jets celebrate Andrew Copp's (9) goal as Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) look on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Mani ... — Winnipeg Jets celebrate Andrew Copp’s (9) goal as Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) look on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets celebrate from the bench as Kyle Connor (81) skates by during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets’ Kevin Hayes (12) celebrates his goal with Jacob Trouba (8), Kyle Connor (81) and Patrik Laine (29) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Nashville Predators’ Yannick Weber (7) blocks the shot in front of Winnipeg Jets’ Adam Lowry (17) and goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets’ Patrik Laine (29) can’t get the puck past Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) as he makes the save during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets’ Dmitry Kulikov (5) looks for a rebound as Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) makes the save during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (37) keeps his eye on the puck as Nashville Predators’ Craig Smith (15) tips it during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Winnipeg Jets’ Andrew Copp (9) gets a shot in from behind the net after it rebounded off the pad of Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) as Mattias Ekholm (14) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/Canadian Press via AP)

Everything seems up for grabs with two weeks left in the NHL regular season except the Atlantic Division title.

That belongs to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have a 21-point lead on the second-place Boston Bruins. Every other division race is tight, which should set up a frenetic fight to the finish because those four titles are key to clubs’ playoff hopes.

“That’s such a key point for teams now,” Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt said. “If you win your division, the teams that are right behind you are very strong teams. You maybe don’t want to see them for the first round.”

The division leaders outside of the Atlantic are the Washington Capitals (Metropolitan), Winnipeg Jets (Central) and Calgary Flames (Pacific). The Capitals have a three-point lead on the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, and the defending Stanley Cup champions probably want to avoid a tense rivalry series with Pittsburgh in the first round of the playoffs.

“These games have history to them,” said Schmidt, who played with the Capitals for four seasons. “That stuff doesn’t really blow over. When I played in Washington, however many times it was Pittsburgh, it didn’t matter.”

The Jets have a four-point lead on second-place Nashville after a 5-0 victory over the Predators on Saturday. Winnipeg eliminated Nashville in seven games in the second round last season.

“We always get up for those games (against Nashville),” Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot said Thursday. “Those are fun games to be a part of.”

The Flames are four points ahead of the second-place San Jose Sharks. Winning a division title for the first time since the 2005-06 season would be huge for Calgary because the Western Conference’s second wild-card contenders — the Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes — seem less intimidating than the Sharks.

Still, the Flames’ shaky goaltending situation — primary starter David Rittich never has played in the postseason — could set them up for an upset. That’s why Jets coach Paul Maurice wasn’t keen to share how good he thought opposing teams were after a 5-0 loss to the Golden Knights on Thursday.

He’ll let the next few weeks do that.

“That’s what the playoffs are going to tell us about all our teams,” Maurice said.

Stay classy, Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Kings’ broadcast team got a whole lot classier Thursday.

Actor Will Ferrell joined the team’s telecast in the second period in character as Ron Burgundy, his famous persona from the 2004 cult classic “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” As Burgundy himself would say: “I don’t know how to put this, but that’s kind of a big deal.”

Columbus flounders

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in at the trade deadline, acquiring center Matt Duchene, forward Ryan Dzingel, defenseman Adam McQuaid and goaltender Keith Kinkaid and holding onto pending free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin.

But the Blue Jackets are 5-7-1 since the deadline and would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.