The Golden Knights are closing in on their seventh playoff berth in eight seasons.
That makes now a good time to look into the future.
The Knights, with 18 games remaining, are in a good spot. They’re first in the Pacific Division with 83 points heading into Thursday’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. They’re five points up on the second-place Edmonton Oilers and six points ahead of the third-place Los Angeles Kings, who have played one fewer game than the Knights.
The division race isn’t close to over. But the Knights have started to separate themselves by going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. The Oilers, on the other hand, are 3-7 in their last 10. The Kings are 5-3-2.
The Knights, if they win the Pacific, would likely be the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets hold the top spot with 94 points from 66 games and don’t seem likely to relinquish it.
That means the Knights would be ticketed to face the top wild-card team as things stand. There are four clubs in the mix at the moment.
Minnesota Wild
Record entering Wednesday: 37-24-4 (78 points), first wild card
The Wild would be the Knights’ first-round opponent as of Wednesday. Minnesota has held onto its playoff spot despite its top two forwards being out with injuries.
Left wing Kirill Kaprizov hasn’t played since Jan. 28 because of a lower-body injury that required surgery. Center Joel Eriksson Ek has been out since Feb. 22 with a lower-body injury.
The Wild, despite those setbacks, are surviving. They’re eight points ahead of the Calgary Flames, who hold the second wild-card spot.
A rematch of the 2021 first-round series between the Knights and the Wild, which the Knights won in seven games, is very much on the table. The showdown, if it happens, would give fans the opportunity to acknowledge goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury one last time before he retires at the end of the season.
Colorado Avalanche
Entering Wednesday: 39-24-3 (81 points), third in Central Division
The Avalanche, after losing 2-1 to Minnesota in a shootout Tuesday, are three points up on the Wild in the Central Division standings with an extra game played.
But if Colorado falters down the stretch, it could drop into the first wild-card spot.
That doesn’t seem likely given the tear the Avalanche have been on lately. They’ve gotten great goaltending from Mackenzie Blackwood, who is 18-7-3 with a .919 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average since being acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks in December.
Center Nathan MacKinnon also continues to play at an MVP level. He has a NHL-leading 102 points and could win a second straight Hart Trophy this summer.
A first-round series between the Knights and Avalanche would produce plenty of fireworks if it happens. The two teams played an epic six-game series in the second round of the 2021 playoffs, with the Knights winning after trailing 2-0.
Edmonton Oilers
Entering Wednesday: 37-24-4 (78 points), second in Pacific
The Oilers and Kings, for now, are set to meet in the playoffs for a fourth straight year. But there’s still a chance Edmonton faces the Knights in the first round if Los Angeles makes a late run to win the division.
The Oilers don’t seem likely to charge into first place themselves at the moment. Their defense has struggled lately, even though superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to put up points. Draisaitl has 97 points this season, second only to MacKinnon, while McDavid has 82.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner has an .876 save percentage and a 3.60 goals-against average since Feb. 9. His backup Calvin Pickard, a former Knights expansion draft selection, has an .864 save percentage and a 4.75 goals-against average in that same span.
Los Angeles Kings
Entering Wednesday: 34-20-9 (77 points), third in Pacific
The Kings could face the Knights in the first round if Edmonton gets its act together and wins the Pacific.
That doesn’t feel like a matchup the Knights would want.
Los Angeles won three of the four games between the two teams this season, including a 6-5 win at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. The Kings scored at least five goals in all three of their wins, though backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov started two of those games. The Knights would still be the favorite in a seven-game series.
Meeting again in the playoffs would take the rivalry between the two teams to new heights. They haven’t met in the postseason since the Knights swept in the Kings in the first round in 2018.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
