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Wild wild Western Conference playoff spots up for grabs

Josh Cooper
Wild wild Western Conference playoff spots up for grabs

The Western Conference playoff race is multi-team oriented. And Saturday’s games provide a feast of awesomeness for the sprint to the finish.

Will San Jose’s tiff from Friday between Joe Thornton and GM Doug Wilson simmer over into a crucial match up with Chicago?

Can the Kings take advantage of the slumping Predators?

Will Devan Dubnyk’s ‘Iron Man’ streak continue, or will his entire body collapse against St. Louis?

Can Winnipeg regain some ground?

Can Vancouver please not lose to Toronto?

Will Johnny Hockey continue his Johnny Calder push against Colorado? So many big games in just one day … yaaaaa.

Below are some that have perked our interest.

1. Chicago at San Jose, 4 p.m.

The Sharks have won four of their last five games. They’re three points back of the last Wild Card spot. They were playing well … and then general manager Doug Wilson had to open his mouth at a season ticket holder event and needle his former captain with some ill thought out words. And then Joe Thornton leveled a hammer at Wilson. Watch this game, not really for the result, but for the postgame quotes coming out of San Jose’s room. Because it’s pretty obvious that win or lose, people are going to want to talk to Jumbo Joe. Even better if he scores four goals.

2. Minnesota at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Mike Russo, goaltender Devan Dubnyk said he’s good to start for this game. Ha! That would be 27 straight games for Dubnyk – the Wild’s unlikely savior. A win over the Central Division leading Blues would further Minnesota’s playoff chances – they’re already three points clear of Winnipeg for the final Wild Card spot. A loss, and it’s back to fighting to stay in the mix.

3. Winnipeg at Tampa Bay 7 p.m.

The Jets, arguably the biggest mover and shaker around the trade deadline are now out of the playoff picture – thanks to red hot Minnesota and Los Angeles. And now Winnipeg has the speedy and skilled (and injured) Lightning to deal with. The Jets are just a point back of Los Angeles for the final Western Conference playoff spot and three back of the Wild. They haven’t been awful, but 4-4-2 in their last 10 after all the moves they made?

4. Calgary at Colorado, 9 p.m.

The Flames were going to fall apart with Mark Giordano. He was too important, too good. And then Gaudreau stepped up with nine points in his last six games to keep Calgary in the postseason with 81 points, three clear of the Peg. Keep us as believers? Beat a team you’re supposed to beat in Colorado.

5. Vancouver at Toronto, 7 p.m.

A match-up up of Fish Bowl East meets Fish Bowl West. If the Canucks don't get a point from Toronto after a loss to Los Angeles ... that would be bad.

6. Predators at Kings, 10 p.m.

So those Predators, the slump proof group with the super hot goaltender? They’ve lost seven of eight games. And now they play the Kings of the best home record in the Pacific Division, a team pushing for the final playoff spot. The Kings have methodically churned out wins to get back into the postseason race. The Predators? They’re limping into the playoffs right now.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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