As we head down the stretch drive towards the playoffs, the races are in full force. Some teams have dropped out of the mix, while others have put themselves in the running. In the West, the teams that look like they're going to the dance will be Vancouver, Detroit, San Jose, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Phoenix will probably make it as well, which will make for another remarkable season in light of all their off-ice troubles. Phoenix has a very favourable schedule down the stretch, so their chances of hitting the post-season are almost assured.

In the East it's a lot messier. As it was last season, the post season bar is so much lower in the East, than it is in the West. It's ridiculous to think that the Eastern Conference Final last year involved two teams that wouldn't have made the playoffs in the Western Conference. The teams that are on the bubble in the East really shouldn't be in the playoff mix, but they're there, and all it takes is to get a lucky hot goaltender and anything can happen. The main contenders in the East are Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, and Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh will make the playoffs, but everything rides on Sidney Crosby if he can return from a concussion. Montreal will also make the playoffs, but their inconsistent play, and overflowing injury list make them a contender only because they'll play in the playoffs. If Carey Price does a Jaroslav Halak impression from last year, it's not inconceivable in this incredibly weak conference that the Canadiens could make a run.
Here's a breakdown of the rest of the teams that are either contenders or pretenders.

Western Conference

Dallas Stars
The Stars have taken a free fall since the All-Star break and have lost their standing at the top of the Pacific Division, but they've picked it up of late to be in a position to not drop out of the playoffs all together. Their big trade of bringing in Alex Goligoski, while shipping out James Neal and Matt Niskanen was originally panned, but Goligoski has given Dallas a much needed offence push from the back side. Whether it's made them a better team overall is still to be determined. Their biggest problem is the inconsistency in goal from Kari Lehtonen, which will prevent them from being a real contender.
Verdict: Contender to make the playoffs, but Pretender when they get there.

Calgary Flames
Calgary were almost fully dead around the All-Star break, but suddenly with a compact schedule, they started to build up the wins that now has them in the top eight. The problem is that they've played more games than practically everyone around them, which should see the Flames slip back and probably out of the playoff picture. They've already had their strong run, and recently they've started to slip. With the schedule against them, and a rash of injuries recently, they'll most likely fall out of the playoffs.
Verdict: Pretender.

Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators made a rare bold move, when they traded for Mike Fisher, one of the most sought after guys around the trade deadline. So heading towards the final weeks, the Predators were supposed to be in a good position to not only make the playoffs, but be in good position to win their first playoff series in their history. Unfortunately things haven't worked out that way for them, and they are still scraping by with a stingy defense but still lacking in an offensive push. They've got enough pieces on the team which include Vezina candidate Pekka Rinne, that they should be able to make the final push to make the playoffs. They are the type of team, that if they do get in, they could scare some teams, with their hard nose and sound defensive play.
Verdict: Contender

Anaheim Ducks
Many people didn't pick the Anaheim Ducks at the beginning of the season to even be in a position to make the playoffs, but Randy Carlyle has done a lot with his new young defense that has been sorely devoid of perennial all-star Scott Niedermayer. They are the type of team with its big forwards in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry that no team would want to face in the playoffs. There's also All-Star Jonas Hiller, but he's been hit with a case of Vertigo, cuing a slew of Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock analogies across the hockey blogosphere. Without Hiller though, the hill will be too steep to climb to get in the playoffs.
Verdict: Pretender

Eastern Conference

 New York Rangers
Looking at this Rangers team, it's really hard to gauge what kind of a team they are. Coach Tortarella has molded them into a hard hitting stingy team that has gotten by mainly because of goaltender Henrik Lundquist. Now that Gaborik has returned from his 100th injury, he should give them that extra push to keep their playoff standing, but whether they'd be there if they played in the West is another story.
Verdict: Contender only because there's no one else better.

Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are back once again, eking it out every single night. This team though, seems as if it's lacking its signature defense first mentality that grinded teams down, and then got them on the power play. As it stands the Sabres are only 19th in the league in Goals Against. Much of that goes onto their superstar goalie Ryan Miller, who hasn't been living up to kind of play that he gave the Sabres and to Team USA last year. He looks fatigued which is a danger when your best player is your goaltender, and you rely on him to win you every game. There's always the possibility that Miller can regain his form, and in this Conference that's the only way it gets done.
Verdict: Pretenders unless Miller can pick it up.

Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are a team that should be in a better spot than they are. They have a Stanley Cup pedigree in Cam Ward and Eric Staal, plus young talent that have arisen in Jeff Skinner and Brandon Sutter. It seems that they just haven't been able to put it all together, yet. The Hurricanes like their name sake can pick up steam quickly, and if they can continue to put the pressure on Buffalo they should be able to overtake them for that final spot. There are just too many guys on this Hurricanes team that can be difference makers down the stretch. Once they do get into the playoffs though, they probably won't have anything left for Philadelphia.
Verdict: Contenders, but only for the final spot in the East.

Atlanta Thrashers
With some deft off-season acquisitions, the Thrashers came out of the gate quickly, and power forward turned defenseman Dustin Byfuglien even emerged as an early Norris trophy candidate. While they do have two excellent offensive defenseman in Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom, their team defense as a whole is one of the worst in the league. They're currently 28th in the league in goals against. That alone tells you why they won't make the playoffs, despite mathematically still having a chance.
Verdict: Pretenders.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Somehow with a strange twist of fate, the Maple Leafs who decided to be sellers at the deadline, somehow found their game and started winning. All credit must go to their CBC loving savior goalie James Reimer. After suffering through endless years of goalie hell, the Maple Leafs found someone to stop pucks and enable them to win a few games, even though it's put the rest of Canada through media hell, having to listen to the great miracle of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They've stocked piled their team with some young talent so at least for the first time in almost a decade you might be able to say that they have some hope for the future. Lord knows we'll all hear about it. For now however, they'll have to be content to hone their golf game, which must be really good about now.
Verdict: Chrissie Hynde was in a band once that describe the Leafs, or was it that famous Platters song from the 1950's.

Originially posted at http://www.betfair.net/blog/hockey/the-great-pretenders-210311.html