The Biggest Question Marks for NHL Teams That Have Clinched a Playoff Spot

With three days to go in the 2014-15 NHL regular season, 10 playoff spots have been claimed, while six remain up for grabs.

Teams that have secured their positions can breathe a little easier, though most are still jockeying for better seeding that could bring them preferred matchups or home-ice advantage.

When nearly half the league's teams get left on the sidelines as the postseason begins, a well-deserved sense of accomplishment comes along with the "X" that means you've made it to the dance. But only two weeks after the playoffs begin, another eight teams will find themselves staring at a long summer ahead.

Here's a look at the biggest question mark facing each of the confirmed contenders as they play out the final games of this year's main schedule. Teams are listed according to their current position in the overall league standings.

New York Rangers

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Current Status: First in Metropolitan Division with 111 points; clinched Presidents' Trophy

Biggest Question Mark: Can Nash deliver?

During the New York Rangers' run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, Rick Nash took loads of criticism for his inability to ripple the twine. With just three goals and 10 points in 25 playoff games, the player with the Rangers' highest cap hit, according to NHL Numbers, tied for ninth in team scoring with Benoit Pouliot.

Nash has gotten back on track with 42 goals in 2014-15, but he has slowed down in the season's late stages, scoring just five times in New York's last 22 games. Is it a temporary slump or a harbinger of playoff trouble again this year?

How It'll Play Out: They'll be OK

New York is a deep, resilient team. The group weathered the absence of star netminder Henrik Lundqvist without batting an eye and continued to win its way to the top spot in the league standings even as Nash's scoring sputtered.

The Rangers showed last season that they can get by without massive offense from Nash. If he can make a bigger contribution this year, that's a bonus.

Anaheim Ducks

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Current Status: First in Pacific Division with 107 points; current Western Conference leader

Biggest Question Mark: Coaching

In eight seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has won seven division titles—four with the Washington Capitals and now three with the Anaheim Ducks. Despite his teams' strong regular-season records, Boudreau has never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

In each of the past two seasons, Boudreau has led his Ducks teams to 3-2 series leads but has been unable to finish the job—in the first round against the Detroit Red Wings in 2012-13 and then in the second round against the Los Angeles Kings last year.

Now that the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks have fallen, the Ducks are the class of California and should be a tough out.

How It'll Play Out: The same

Despite a number of lineup changes that are supposed to make them tougher to play against, the Ducks have put together a top-level regular-season record with a mid-level playoff team. They'll be prime candidates for another early upset.

Montreal Canadiens

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Current Status: First in Atlantic Division with 106 points; second seed in Eastern Conference

Biggest Question Mark: Scoring

To illustrate how important Carey Price has been to the Montreal Canadiens' success this season, consider this: Though the Habs have the best goals-against in the league, they're ranked 21st in scoring with just 213 goals.

Montreal's lack of offense was further compounded after Max Pacioretty was sidelined after hitting his head awkwardly against the boards on April 5 against the Florida Panthers. Coach Michel Therrien told Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette that there's "a possibility" that his team's leading scorer might be ready to go in time to start the playoffs next week.

Pacioretty has a memorable concussion history; he was famously sidelined for the remainder of the 2010-11 season after being driven into the stanchion near his team's bench by Boston's Zdeno Chara on March 10, 2011. 

How It'll Play Out: Successfully

Pacioretty might not be fit to play in time for Game 1 next week, but the Habs' great goaltending will keep them in the mix until he's ready to return.

St. Louis Blues

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Current Status: First in Central Division with 106 points; second seed in Western Conference

Biggest Question Mark: Advancing in playoffs

About to make their fourth straight playoff appearance after strong regular seasons, the St. Louis Blues will be looking to snap a reputation for mediocrity and win a game in the second round for the first time since Chris Pronger ruled their blue line back in 2002.

Unlike Bruce Boudreau, coach Ken Hitchcock does have a Stanley Cup on his resume—with the Dallas Stars, back in 1999. But after being fired in Dallas midway through the 2001-02 season, he has failed to take his team past the second round during stints in Philadelphia, Columbus and now St. Louis.

At 63, Hitchcock is the oldest head coach in the NHL. Time is running out for him to tap into the potential of a talented club that has yet to dial in at playoff time.

How It'll Play Out: Same as usual

With the Blues, Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks all within three points of one another, Central Division seeding hasn't been decided. St. Louis will be playing hard until the end of the regular season in an effort to avoid another first-round matchup against Chicago.

With sniper Vladimir Tarasenko currently sidelined and Brian Elliott and Jake Allen still jockeying for the No. 1 spot in net, today's Blues feel like yesterday's Blues—ready to crumble at the first sign of playoff adversity.

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Current Status: Second in Atlantic Division with 104 points

Biggest Question Mark: Ben Bishop

Last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning had high hopes for their playoff run before their star goaltender Ben Bishop was knocked out for the season with a wrist injury on the eve of the playoffs.

This year, he is healthy and ready to backstop a serious playoff run for the Lightning—his first time in the NHL's postseason pressure cooker.

How It'll Play Out: They'll be dangerous

Tampa Bay doesn't get much media exposure outside of its immediate region, but the Lightning have a solid arsenal of weapons at their disposal. Bishop will get the lion's share of attention as he takes the playoff stage for the first time, but Tampa Bay also boasts two top 20 scorers in Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, a deep collection of two-way forwards and the best home record in the league at 30-8-1.

Whether they finish up first or second in the Atlantic Division, the Lightning are guaranteed home-ice advantage in the first round. Look for them to win their first playoff games—and series—in five years and become a force in the Eastern Conference.

Nashville Predators

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Current Status: Second in Central Division with 104 points

Biggest Question Mark: Special teams

Referees have a tendency to put their whistles in their pockets come playoff time, but in tightly contested games between good teams, outcomes often come down to a single power-play goal.

Ranked just 15th in the NHL with the man advantage and 21st on the penalty kill, the Predators' special teams could unravel their outstanding comeback season.

A beast with the man advantage in the past thanks to his booming point shot, captain Shea Weber uncharacteristically scored just five power-play goals this season.

How It'll Play Out: It's trouble

It's still unclear where Nashville will finish in the regular-season standings. The Predators could climb back into the Central Division's top spot and play a wild-card team, or they could drop to third and lose home-ice advantage.

No matter where they end up, the Preds are poised for yet another first-round exit. They have won just two playoff series in their 15-season franchise history.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Current Status: Third in Central Division with 102 points

Biggest Question Mark: Patrick Kane

Though Patrick Kane's broken clavicle was projected to keep him off the ice for 12 weeks when he was injured back in mid-February, the Chicago Blackhawks' spark plug is back practicing with his team—and taking slap shots, according to Brian Hedger of NHL.com.

When considering a potentially accelerated timeline for Kane's return, Hedger points to left wing Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild. Zucker returned to action on April 7, less than eight weeks after suffering a similar injury, and scored the game-winner in Minnesota's 2-1 win over Chicago.

Zucker had his surgery on Feb. 12—13 days before Kane.

How It'll Play Out: Spectacularly

Though there's a risk of re-injury if the bone isn't fully healed, expect to see Kane to push himself to return even faster than Zucker did.

He'll hit seven weeks after his surgery on April 15—the first day of the playoffs. The Blackhawks may start their run without him, but he'll join them soon enough—especially if the team hits an early rough patch.

Washington Capitals

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Current Status: Second in Metropolitan Division with 101 points

Biggest Question Mark: Alex Ovechkin

Thanks to a brilliant second half of his season, super sniper Alex Ovechkin cracked the 50-goal mark for the sixth time in his 10-year NHL career, leading second-place Steven Stamkos and Rick Nash by a margin of 10 goals. The Great 8 anchors the league's best power play and has stepped up his defensive play to help his team return to the playoffs.

But Ovechkin has a reputation for disappearing in high-pressure situations. He managed just two points in seven games in Washington's last postseason appearance against the New York Rangers in 2012-13 and two points in five games when Russia failed to reach the medal round at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

This year, he'll be expected to deliver the scoring on a new-look Caps team that's stronger in all aspects of the game.

How It'll Play Out: It'll be a test

After returning to the 100-point club for the first time in four seasons, Washington will strut its new identity under coach Barry Trotz, whether the opposition ends up being the New York Islanders or Pittsburgh Penguins.

The league's best scorer might be hoping to line up against the Penguins. He scored three goals in two games against Pittsburgh during the regular season while managing just a single tally in two games against the Islanders.

Minnesota Wild

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Current Status: Fourth in Central Division with 98 points; first Western Conference wild card

Biggest Question Mark: Devan Dubnyk

The arrival of goaltender Devan Dubnyk in mid-January turned around the season for the Minnesota Wild. He has started all 38 games since joining the team and posted a 27-8-2 record, with five shutouts.

The Wild sat 12th in the Western Conference when Dubnyk came on board on Jan. 15—eight points out of a wild-card spot. On April 7, they clinched a postseason berth thanks to a goalie who now ranks second in the league in goals-against (2.04) and save percentage (.930) and has climbed to sixth overall with 36 wins in Minnesota and Arizona.

Dubnyk ranks 14th among goalies in total minutes for the whole season, but no one has played more than him during the second half. How long can he keep his hot hand going in the playoffs before he burns out?

How It'll Play Out: Upset city

According to Sports Club Stats, the Wild's most likely playoff opponents, in order, are the St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks. Though they all have good regular-season records, none are known as strong Stanley Cup teams.

A frustrating opponent like the Wild, backstopped by more of Dubnyk's first-class netminding, could be a perfect recipe for a first-round Western Conference upset.

Vancouver Canucks

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Current Status: Second in Pacific Division with 97 points

Biggest Question Mark: Lack or Miller?

It wouldn't be Vancouver if there wasn't a goaltending controversy at playoff time.

The Canucks sat second in the Pacific Division when first-year starter Ryan Miller went down with a knee sprain after a collision with teammate Jannik Hansen on Feb. 22.

Sophomore netminder Eddie Lack took the reins, who is no stranger to a heavy load of late-season relief after being thrown to the wolves when Roberto Luongo was abruptly traded last season.

Lack hasn't been perfect, but he has allowed the Canucks to keep their spot in the standings and has been spectacular at times—most notably in Vancouver's two key recent wins over the Los Angeles Kings, where he allowed just one goal in each contest.

Miller is now back practicing with the team, and his return looks imminent. Who gets the start for Game 1—and how long is his leash?

How It'll Play Out: More calmly than before

Vancouver's goaltending situation has the potential to become a serious distraction, but this year's Canucks have shown the ability to weather tough situations much more successfully than they did in the past.

No-nonsense leadership from coach Willie Desjardins and general manager Jim Benning has been snuffing out sparks before they erupt into forest fires all season long. Miller may see action in one of Vancouver's last two games, but whichever way the coin falls, the team will stand behind the coach's decision.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.