NHL Playoff Standings 2015: Predicting Which Teams Will Fall Short of Postseason

The 2014-15 NHL regular season is in the midst of its stretch run, and there is no question that both conferences will feature some intriguing battles for the final playoffs spots in the coming weeks.

Things are tight near the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences as well, but the primary focus is on which teams will extend their seasons and which will hit the golf course after 82 games. Teams have won it all after barely qualifying for the postseason in the past, so simply getting into the playoffs is paramount regardless of seeding.

With every team in the NHL having 14 or less games remaining on the schedule, here is a rundown of the current playoff standings, as well as predictions for which teams will come up empty in their postseason quests.

Eastern Conference Playoff Standings

Place	Team	Division	Points	Games Remaining
Atlantic Division
1	Montreal Canadiens	A	93	12
2	Tampa Bay Lightning	A	93	11
3	Detroit Red Wings	A	87	14
Metropolitan Division
1	New York Rangers	M	95	14
2	New York Islanders	M	90	11
3	Pittsburgh Penguins	M	88	13
Wild Card
1	Washington Capitals	M	86	11
2	Boston Bruins	A	82	12
In the Hunt
3	Ottawa Senators	A	77	14
4	Florida Panthers	A	76	13
5	Philadelphia Flyers	M	73	11

Western Conference Playoff Standings

Place	Team	Division	Points	Games Remaining
Pacific Division
1	Anaheim Ducks	P	95	11
2	Vancouver Canucks	P	82	14
3	Calgary Flames	P	81	13
Central Division
1	St. Louis Blues	C	93	13
2	Nashville Predators	C	93	11
3	Chicago Blackhawks	C	88	14
Wild Card
1	Minnesota Wild	C	83	13
2	Los Angeles Kings	P	81	13
In the Hunt
3	Winnipeg Jets	C	80	13
4	San Jose Sharks	P	76	13
5	Colorado Avalanche	C	75	13
6	Dallas Stars	C	74	12

Teams That Will Miss the Postseason

Calgary Flames

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The Calgary Flames have been among the NHL's most pleasant surprises this season and are currently in the playoffs, but holding that spot will prove difficult as some hard-charging teams are in position to overtake them.

A big reason for Calgary's success this season has been the play of young forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Beyond that, though, veteran defenseman and team captain Mark Giordano has ascended to an elite level.

The 31-year-old star has 48 points in 61 games, but he won't play another one for the Flames due to a torn biceps. Giordano was perhaps the leading candidate for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman before going down, but the Flames haven't missed a beat.

According to Darren Haynes of The Canadian Press, Calgary has thrived without its captain entering Tuesday's slate of games:

Per NHL.com's Aaron Vickers, Monahan believes the rest of the team has rallied together and used Giordano's injury as motivation:

While that seems to be working, the Flames are now tied with the Los Angeles Kings at 81 points, and it seems only a matter of time before the Kings supplant them for third in the Pacific Division. That would knock Calgary down into wild-card territory, where the Winnipeg Jets lurk just one point behind.

What the Flames have done is nothing short of spectacular, but Giordano's absence is bound to catch up with them eventually, and it will ultimately prevent them from making a run at the Stanley Cup.

Ottawa Senators

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It wasn't long ago that the Ottawa Senators' playoff hopes seemed to be dead in the water, but with wins in 12 of their past 15 games, they enter Tuesday a manageable five points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand.

The biggest key to the Sens' run has been the play of rookie goaltender Andrew Hammond. He is the definition of a late bloomer at 27 years of age and has somehow managed to establish himself as one of the NHL's best goalies this season despite never being viewed as a blue-chip prospect.

Hammond is a remarkable 10-0-1 in 11 starts with a 1.39 goals-against average and an insane save percentage of .955. Not surprisingly, those numbers have given Hammond a unique spot in NHL history, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Few goalies have had better starts to their careers than Hammond, and while everyone expects him to fall flat on his face eventually, he continues to defy the odds. His success at the NHL level is made even more amazing by the fact that he had just a 2.81 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 48 games with the AHL's Binghamton Senators this season before being called up.

Strong defensive play and some offensive support have definitely helped Hammond along the way, but he has clearly stolen some games almost single-handedly. As great of a story as Hammond has been, in all likelihood, this type of play is unsustainable for another 14 games.

Ottawa still has ground to make up on the Bruins, and there isn't much time left to do it. The NHL season is made up of peaks and valleys, and the odds suggest that the bubble is bound to burst on the Senators' peak sooner rather than later.

San Jose Sharks

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The San Jose Sharks haven't missed the playoffs since the 2002-03 season, but that impressive streak is very much in danger of coming to an end.

San Jose is five points out of both third place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division and the final wild-card spot entering play Tuesday. The Sharks have just 13 games remaining on their schedule, and it isn't an ideal slate either.

According to Jeff Paterson of TSN 1040, San Jose must now head east for a lengthy road trip:

Seven straight away from home is tough at any point during the season, but it is even more difficult late in the year with a playoff berth hanging in the balance. In addition to that, the Sharks aren't exactly in a good place right now from a morale perspective.

After general manager Doug Wilson attributed stripping Joe Thornton of his captaincy due to pressure and stress, the veteran center responded sharply, per David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.

"I think Doug just needs to shut his mouth," Thornton said. "I think that's the bottom line. ... All I've got to say is I've been here every day working hard. I haven't taken a sabbatical. He just needs to stop lying, shut his mouth."

The Sharks are stacked with talent up front thanks to Thornton, Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau, but the mixture of poor team harmony and an arduous road trip could prove costly.

San Jose has a reputation for falling apart in the playoffs, but it is highly unlikely that it will have the opportunity to turn that around this year.

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