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What makes the NHL such a beautiful league is that there is so much parity.
Given how tight the playoff picture is in both conferences, who knows which bubble teams will punch their ticket to the dance at this point?
Here are three teams currently on the outside looking in that could make it to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Columbus Blue Jackets
This summer, the Columbus Blue Jackets and their fans faced two enormous tragedies when an alleged drunk driver killed Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew.
Regardless of the results, this season was going to be about honoring the Gaudreaus and their family and providing support for a fan base in need of healing. But, through the pain and the sadness, the Blue Jackets have been a group that’s shown unwavering resilience.
Related: Columbus Blue Jackets And Fans Rally Together Early In 2024-25
Dean Evason’s group is 10-9-3 through 22 games this season and currently have 23 points – just four back of the second wild-card spot in the East.
Leading the charge for the squad has been 27-year-old D-man Zach Werenski. The defenseman leads the team with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) in 22 games and currently boasts a plus-minus of plus-9, tied for second on the team with center Sean Monahan.
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Although Columbus has some ground to make up, they have hung around due to their team mentality. Filling the hole left by Gaudreau was impossible, but the role players have stepped up.
What makes things even more impressive for this group is that they’ve been without their captain, Boone Jenner, at a time when leadership is vital for the franchise.
Jenner will miss most of the season with a shoulder injury but could be back before the regular season concludes.
Regardless, there just seems to be something special brewing in Columbus, and we are all here for it.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues (11-12-2) needed a remedy after a 9-12-1 start to the season, and Jim Montgomery is just what the doctor ordered.
Once the Boston Bruins elected to fire Montgomery after a sluggish start to their season, Doug Armstrong couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring his former assistant coach back. He fired head coach Drew Bannister to do just that, and the results have been encouraging.
They won their first two games of the Montgomery era, beating the New York Rangers 5-2 before shutting out the surging New Jersey Devils 3-0.
They closed out November falling 3-2 in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers after coming back twice in the third period to earn a critical point.
For a team that has struggled to defend, they’ve only allowed five goals over the last three games, the second-fewest in the NHL over that span.
Starting netminder Jordan Binnington’s overall numbers aren’t ideal, posting a 7-9-2 record through 19 starts with a 2.87 GAA and a .899 save percentage. But over his last four outings, he’s gone 2-1-1, posting a 1.75 GAA and a .940 SP.
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The Blues find themselves just three points back of a wild-card spot, and if any team knows what it takes to turn a season around, it’s this franchise after climbing from the basement following the halfway mark in 2018-19 to not only make the playoffs but hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.
Ottawa Senators
If we are making a list of teams that need a playoff berth, the Ottawa Senators (10-12-1) are at the top of the list.
They have missed the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons and are currently six points back of a wild-card spot after 23 games.
The Senators have had some strong showings from three players this season. Tim Stutzle (10 goals, 19 assists), captain Brady Tkachuk (11 goals, 15 assists) and Drake Batherson (nine goals, 15 assists), are all averaging more than a point-per-game this season.
But what should give the Senators hope that they can turn their slow start around is goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The 31-year-old, who was acquired from the Boston Bruins this summer in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo, center Mark Kastelic and their 2024 first-round pick (Dean Letourneau), inked a four-year, $33-million extension worth $8.25 million annually. However, his first 14 games haven’t been great, posting a 3.09 GAA with an .886 SP.
Ullmark won the 2023 Vezina Trophy after posting a 1.89 GAA with a .938 SP. He followed up that season with a 2.57 GAA with a .915 SP in his final year in Boston.
He’s better than what he’s shown, and if he can get hot, that can be the key to Ottawa sneaking into the playoffs.
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