I know Arctic Ice Hockey doesn't do a lot of gameday thread articles (at least not consistently) And some people are fine with that because they feel that GDT doesn't really serve a purpose. Don't worry, Father, I'm not here to convince anyone of the merits of such articles.
To emphasize this point, I won't talk much about tonight's game in this article, but I'll include at the end the lineup that the Jets may or may not use against the Ducks. The reason I'm doing this is to take a quick peek at what the remaining games have in store for each team vying for the best record in the Central Division. First, let's take a look at the NHL's Western Wild Card standings (Provided by ESPN).
Looking at the top of the Central Division, if Winnipeg wins tonight, the Jets, Stars, and Avalanche will be tied with 89 points on the season, and the battle for first place could become even more intense. If our team can manage regulation and beat the Ducks (30th in NHL), Peg would then officially take the top spot by holding the first tiebreaker (The regulation 37 times exceeds Colorado's 36 times. & Dallas 29).
Even if the remaining games for the three franchises are different (From 14:00 to 17:00), I decided to take a peek at their final stretch to determine the level of competition that awaits the Abs, Stars, and Jets.
Starting in Winnipeg, the Jets have 17 regular season games remaining: four games against the top eight NHL teams, five games against teams ranked 9th through 16th, and 6 games against franchises competing for a playoff spot. (17th to 24th), and two games. The average point total of Peg's remaining opponents is his 74.294, which puts him in a point total just outside his race for the Western Conference playoffs.
Moving on to Colorado, the Avalanche have the second-most games remaining with 15, with a total of 10 of those games to be played against top 16 teams in the NHL. The Avs will play three teams in the top eight and seven teams ranked between 9th and 16th, but they have the advantage of playing only one team still in playoff contention and four of the NHL's worst franchises. be. Colorado's opponent scoring average will be his 75.333, the highest of any team aiming for a Central District title.
Finally we arrive in Dallas. Dallas has the easiest path left to the postseason, with nine games against teams currently outside of the playoff picture. That includes five games against the NHL's worst teams and four against teams with varying degrees of playoff potential. The Stars must play three games against the top eight teams and two games against teams ranked 9th through 16th. The Lone Star NHL franchise's remaining opponents are averaging 69.214 points on the season, possibly making up for having the fewest games left (14).
Well, if the “numbers” work out, the Stars will be the key bet to get to the top of the Central…but we all know we'll have to play the games to find out . It will be interesting to see if the higher quality opponents Winnipeg and Colorado will face will better prepare them for a tough postseason run. Or will it just wear down the Jets and Avalanche faster than necessary? In any case, I'll be here with you all watching the situation unfold.
We mentioned earlier the potential lineup for the Winnipeg Jets tonight…now, a post from longtime member ForgetTeemu provides a hint.
That’s all I have to say before you make your pre-game meal… GO JETS!!!
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