The West Is Wide Open for the Pickings

The teams to make the playoffs in the west are wide open. Pretty much the last four spots in the playoffs can go to any one of the teams that aren't San Jose, Detroit, or Chicago, and maybe Calgary.

If Vancouver we're to have some jump in its game and had Mats Sundin playing like Sundin, or Luongo playing like he did before he went down with an injury in November, they could push Calgary for the Northwest division seed.

Dallas has gone from the basement in the western conference to the fifth seed. Separating them at the fifth seed to the 15th spot is a mere ninth points, St. Louis Blues currently hold the basement in the conference.

They're not out of a playoff race just yet, and one has to wonder where they'd be in the standings if they didn't lose key players to season long injuries such as Ryan Johnson(hurt before the pre-season even started), Andy McDonald, and Paul Kariya.

The Stars have gone back to their now 10 year formula of strong defensive play and goal-tending and timely scoring that has suited them so well. Now their back to their form the key is to keep it up if they want to stay in the playoff picture another slump will certainly take them out of it.

The Blues are still winning games thanks to Brad Boyes to continue a steady production without McDonald feeding him the puck. The Blues goal-tending is an issue as they've placed Lanny Legace on waivers and Chris Mason has been average.

The Blues don't have much offensive punch to stay in the race much longer, they'll certainly make the gap bigger by the March trade deadline. Patrick Berglund has been slipping in production and Keith Tkachuk hasn't been scoring any goals lately like he had before McDonald went down with his season long injury.

Anaheim has been slipping in large part to outside of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, and Correy Perry, no one on the team is consistent. Chris Kunitz game has been lacking ever since they traded McDonald for Weight to make room for the return of Scott Niedermayer mid-season last year.

Giguire has had family issues all season with the illness and death of his father, Jonas Hillar has been a good fill-in posting a 2.17 GAA but has eleven loses in his 29 starts, stats like that should garner more wins and less loses.

The Ducks have to score more if they want to find themselves in the playoffs and not go out in the first round again.

Minnesota has done better than most would expect without Marian Gaborik. If they want to stay in the playoff picture, they need to add a scorer at the deadline, to release pressure off of its defense and goal-tending.

Vancouver as stated above needs Luongo to play better and Sundin to be worth all the trouble and drama he's garnered since the off-season. If they miss the playoffs this year, it sure has to be in part because Sundin ruined team Chemistry as they were fifth in the conference when he joined and now sit in eighth with a six-point lead from the basement.

Colorado will a playoff appearance isn't far-fetched especially if they ever find consistency in net from either Budja or Raycroft. Are more likely to fall out completely by March and will be selling off players such as Tucker and Svatos.

Injuries to star centers Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny has certainly made it harder for them to contend each night. Tyler Arnason isn't a first line center on any team.

Edmonton is a team most would have thought would be a playoff team after the strong push they made last season behind it's young-star line of Cogliano, Gagner, Nilsson. Certainly having Ales Hemsky in and out of the lineup has hurt Edmonton, and the lack of production from it's three young players, and the goal-tending drama is what is keeping Edmonton from making solid ground.

It also would help if Dustin Penner would ever stay consistent and play to the offer sheet Kevin Lowe signed him for back in the the '07 offseason.

Los Angeles is built for the future behind Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, Jack Johnson, Drew Doughty, and waiver pick up Kyle Quincy. Some Stabilization in net would certainly help the kings, but Jonathan Quick has been their best bet so far posting a .92 SV% and a 2.38 GAA in 18 games.

If the gap continues to grow they could trade Alex Frolov for some prospects to add to their re-building project. The biggest surprise this year is the Kings Penalty Kill. Last year it was near the bottom and this year it's 9th in the league. Pretty good for a team with such a young core.

This year has been Columbus' best hopes of making the playoffs but a season ending injury to rookie center Derick Brassard, Pascal Leclaire ever-going injury problems, and Mono recently putting Rookie sensation Steve Mason have put a road block this year.

It's not impossible for them to still make the playoffs, a trade for a veteran center and possibly a winger as well would help. Maybe the Jackets will take Manny Legace off of waivers or re-entry waivers for goal-tending depth to ride out the absence of both Leclaire and Mason.

Nonetheless if the Jackets want to make the playoffs, they have to find someone else to help Rick Nash out on offense as he leads the team in all three offensive categories.

Nashville doesn't have enough scoring punch to stay competitive. The lose of Alex Radulov to the KHL this past summer has certainly hurt them as others leaving. They stay competitive to their strong core of defense. Their goaltending situation looks to be leveled with the emergence of rookie netminder Pekka Rinne.

It's surprising after Dan Ellis almost stole a series from the eventual Stanley Cup winners the Detriot Red Wings last spring, has been anything but great this season.

Phoenix needs to make the playoffs if they are to survive in the desert. The franchise is bleeding money right now. If they make the playoffs it could gain interest and fan base in the desert to keep it afloat. Otherwise the team will probably be moving to Canada or Kansas City, or even Las Vegas.

I guess the record that Oli Jokinen has broken will continue to grow after this season of most games played to never appear in a playoff picture. Maybe if they're sitting too far away from a playoff spot by March Management and the league will find it in the hearts to put him on the trade block to a contending team to end the embarrassment of never playing in the playoffs.

Jokinen is too good of a player to not have played in a single playoff game.

Like I said the fifth spot all the way to the 15th spot is up for anyone in this conference outside of the top four teams. The biggest advantage any team could get is a trade that to fix any holes they have.