WaFd Bank Weekly Warmup: April 19

As we skate into the second half of April (wow, Seattle and the PNW are so gorgeous in the spring), the NHL regular season now will extend into mid-May.
Let's drop the
WaFd Bank
Weekly Warmup to talk divisional races and schedule updates:

Playoff Pushes Start Now

In the Central division, three teams are within three standings points of each for the fourth and final playoffs spot. Nashville has course-corrected to hold the playoff position with 49 points, two points ahead of Chicago and three on Dallas. Both the surprising Blackhawks (one) and 2020 Stanley Cup finalist Stars (three) have games in hand on the Predators.

Chicago is succeeding with a rookie Finnish starting goalie (Kevin Lankinen) and promising first-year forwards (Brandon Hagel, Pius Suter, Philipp Kurashev) and defensemen (Wyatt Kalynuk, Ian Mitchell, Nicolas Beaudin) learning about pressure-filled hockey whether the Blackhawks nab that fourth spot in the Central or not.
Chicago, which has held its own against division foes such as Tampa Bay and Carolina, now jumps into a three-game series with Nashville, Monday at home and on the road Wednesday and Friday that will no doubt have a postseason feel even without fans in Chicago or capacity in Nashville.
Dallas is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games and a team loaded with veterans who know how to prosper under pressure. The Stars play Detroit (4-4-2 in its last 10) Tuesday and Thursday while their fellow contenders take points from each other.

Playoff Push on Pause

Colorado and future Kraken divisional rival Vegas are tied for the top spot in the West division with 64 standing points each (which tops the league too). Colorado has a game in hand and will rack up more this week.
The National Hockey League announced last week that, with a third Avalanche player entering the NHL's COVID protocol, the team's two games last week against Los Angeles and Tuesday versus St. Louis were postponed. The decision was jointly made by the NHL, NHL Players' Association and team medical groups.
Pending test results, it's expected Colorado will be able to re-open facilities for practice Wednesday and get back to regular-season business Thursday and Saturday on the road at St. Louis. Then the fun starts for hockey fans. Colorado will next travel to Vegas for a two-game set Monday and Wednesday.

Challenging Days for Vancouver

The Kraken's instant rival Canucks had not played a game in 25 days before Sunday's overtime victory over all-Canada North division leader Toronto. Vancouver captain Bo Horvat scored the winner (his 16th of a season that stands at 38 games to date, four to seven less than other North teams). Braden Holtby was named the game's top star, making spectacular saves to keep the tie in the third period and overtime.
Vancouver's situation has affected 22 players and staff members plus family members. It's pushed the end of the regular season back at least 10 days from the planned end date of the 2020-21 season and possibly longer.
Two things for fans to know: One, whatever the end date, playoff series are likely to start within three days. Two, the extended season is not anticipated to change the planned July 21 date for the Kraken's Expansion Draft.

Late Show on Broadway

The New York Rangers are theoretically in the playoffs hunt, thanks to winning four straight games last week. In fact, NYR featured three scorers in the top 10 for the week, including star forward Artemi Panarin (four goals and six assists) as the league leader.
The reality is the Rangers are four points behind Boston for the fourth postseason spot, with the Bruins holding two games in hand. Plus, it's a tough division to crack. The Rangers are 23-16-6 (the last category is games lost in overtime or shootout) for 52 points, which is the 14th best record in the league during what was supposed to be a rebuild year.
But this season, four teams from each division will comprise the 16 playoff squads. NYR coach David Quinn is on record saying the next four weeks is all about winning and striving for a postseason bid, perhaps hinting 2020 overall No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere might continue to be getting limited minutes on the third line.

Games to Watch This Week

Monday:The aforementioned series between Nashville and Chicago starts tonight. And Colorado bears watching as it returns to play. But one game to stop and ponder is Monday's San Jose-Vegas matchup. It's less about the playoff races and more about history: SJS forward Patrick Marleau is going to play in his 1,768th NHL game and pass all-time great Gordie Howe for most games by any NHL player. The late Howe, nicknamed "Mr. Hockey" has held the record for just a few months shy of 60 years when passed another Hall of Famer, Ted Lindsay (999). Howe was the first NHLer to notch 1,000 games played during the regular season.