NHL Playoffs 2012: Failing Teams That Will Miss Postseason

The postseason march for the Stanley Cup will commence shortly, but a few teams that had hopes just weeks ago of being involved will be turned away. 

It's been a magical year for the NHL, but a select few teams will head into the summer with a bitter taste in their mouths. 

With great talent and such promise, a few mistakes down the stretch will cost them the coveted berth at playoff action. 

Here are some teams that will be turned away with just a few games left to play. 

1. Dallas Stars: 

There may be no more frustrating finish in the NHL. The Stars are on the cusp of playing into the eight seed in the Western Conference, but have a horrendous schedule remaining, and it will serve to disastrous results. 

The Stars went cold at the wrong time, ending a great run in late February and early March with dismal results. 

They have lost six of their last nine and have to face San Jose, Nashville and St. Louis to close things out. It will take a red hot return to form to pull off a seemingly impossible playoff berth. 

2. Buffalo Sabres: 

It's bad enough when you drop a game to a horrendous club, but it's worse when it comes at the tail end of the year, with the possibility that you will remember it well into next season. 

The Sabres are sitting at ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points shy of the Washington Capitals. They will take on Toronto, Philadelphia and Boston, so things look bleak. 

It was a loss to the dismal Toronto that now brings their playoff hopes into question. They were given a gift in back-to-back games against a team that had gone 3-5-1 before Sunday's win. 

3. Colorado Avalanche: 

That brings us to the perennial "team that needs help," to be played this year by the Colorado Avalanche. 

They only have two games left to make an impact, against Columbus and Nashville. We may be looking at a split, but even a win over Nashville would mean that two of three teams in Colorado, Phoenix and San Jose would have to falter. 

Their last five games may have sealed the deal. 

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