The Western Conference is starting to see the cream rise to the top, but the playoff picture is certainly still a bit milky this early in the season. That being said, teams more than 5 points outside of the playoff picture on Thanksgiving, rarely make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Interestingly, both the Central and Pacific Divisions have picked up 200 points, making things extremely even. The powerhouse Central Division, perhaps, hasn’t been quite as dominant as they were last season. However, aside from Edmonton, all 14 teams in the conference are currently within 5 points of the final wild-card playoff spot.
The month of December will be critical for the Central Division, as teams like Colorado and Dallas look to turn around slow starts, and Nashville and Winnipeg look to cement their solid first two months of the season, into the tangible accomplishment of playoff hockey. Would be huge for both of those fanbases.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at where the power lies in the division, on this early December day.