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10 questions for the final week of the NHL regular season

10 questions for the final week of the NHL regular season

Entering the final week of the 2015-16 NHL regular season, here are 10 questions looking for answers:

1. Can anyone steal the Hart Trophy from Patrick Kane?

It would be a stunning surprise if Kane isn’t named the NHL’s MVP. The Blackhawks winger has been the NHL’s wire-to-wire scoring leader, highlighted by a 26-game point streak which was the league’s longest since 1992-93. He should crack 100 points; the Stars’ Jamie Benn is the only other player who might hit 90 (unless Sidney Crosby goes bonkers in Pittsburgh’s final five games). Capitals goalie Braden Holtby and Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson were in the running for a while, but Holtby had a few bumpy outings down the stretch and Ottawa missing the playoffs all but eliminates Karlsson.

2. Will Caps goalie Braden Holtby win 50 games?

With five games to go, Holtby needs three wins to become the first goalie ever to hit hockey’s magic number (and just one win to tie Martin Brodeur’s single-season mark of 48 victories, which isn’t too shabby, either). Washington already has first place overall wrapped up, so they’ll give him some time off in the final week. But at the same time, he’s on the verge of breaking Brodeur’s record – not to mention, they’ll want to keep him sharp heading into the playoffs – so you have to think they’ll give him three more starts. The Caps visit Arizona on Saturday, then host the Islanders and Penguins before visiting the Blues next Saturday and then concluding the season with a makeup game at home against the Ducks on the Sunday.

Did Oilers rookie Connor McDavid play enough games to win the Calder Trophy? (AP)
Did Oilers rookie Connor McDavid play enough games to win the Calder Trophy? (AP)

3. Does Connor McDavid have a chance to win the Calder Trophy?

Does the Oilers prodigy have a chance at being named the NHL’s top rookie despite missing nearly half the season with a broken collarbone? Yes, of course. He could finish in the top three in rookie scoring, not to mention finish second among all NHL players in points per game behind only Kane. That’s incredibly impressive, a telling testament to the teenager’s truly elite skill set. However … in this corner, McDavid shouldn’t win the Calder Trophy because he missed too much time. Chicago’s Artemi Panarin went from October to April as the league’s top-scoring rookie – yes, we know he’s 24, played four-plus seasons in the KHL before ending up as Patrick Kane’s NHL linemate. But even though he’s slowed down in the last month, he still deserves top billing. Not to mention, Flyers defenseman Shane Gostisbehere, the Sabres’ Jack Eichel and Coyotes’ Max Domi also delivered Calder-caliber campaigns.

4. Drew Doughty or Erik Karlsson for the Norris Trophy?

Who is the NHL’s best defenseman? It has been one of the biggest debates all season, the raging East Coast vs. West Coast rivalry that won’t go away. The Senators’ Karlsson has already copped two Norris Trophies, including last year, while the Kings’ Drew Doughty is still looking for his first. They share some high-end skills, notably their skating and overall mobility as well as vision, hockey sense, passing and the rare ability to dictate the flow of a game. They both have great shots from the point. Doughty is the more physical player – and the Kings are headed back to the playoffs while the Sens are not – but it says here that Karlsson deserves a third Norris Trophy. Sorry, Drew, better luck next year (or maybe a third Stanley Cup will ease the pain).

5. Does Alex Ovechkin have a shot at 50 goals?

Well, sure, with 45 goals and five games left, of course he’s got a shot … but don’t bet on it. Washington clinched the Presidents’ Trophy with time to spare, they haven’t played a meaningful game in weeks, and they’ve got no desire to overtire their resident superstar in the final days before the playoffs. Ovechkin is more likely to get a game or two off than be double-shifted in the final week.

The Wings' 24-season playoff streak is in trouble. (AP)
The Wings' 24-season playoff streak is in trouble. (AP)

6. Who’s the odd team out in the race for wild-card playoff spots in the East?

All good things come to an end, even the Detroit Red Wings’ 24-season playoff streak. The Wings’ remarkable postseason run – they haven’t missed the NHL’s spring fling since 1990 – is one of the great sporting accomplishments of the past quarter-century, but it’s in real danger. The Wings are battling the Bruins and Flyers for the final two spots in the East. Philadelphia has six games left – and has fared well with the pressure on the past few weeks – while Boston and Detroit have four games remaining. The Wings play both the Bruins and Flyers (as well as Leafs and Rangers), so Detroit controls its playoff fate to a certain degree. The Streak ain’t over. But it’s in more jeopardy than at any point in the past 25 seasons.

7. Do the Avs have a chance at a wild card in the West?

The short answer: No. The slightly longer answer: No, not really. Colorado pretty much has to win its final four games – against the Blues, Preds, Stars and Ducks -- which would be hard enough to do at the best of times, and becomes that much more difficult without Nathan MacKinnon and with Matt Duchene rushing back from a knee injury. The Avs would also need some help from Minnesota, who face the Jets, Sharks and Flames to close out the season. Give the Wild credit, they turned it on in the final month of the season to squeeze out Colorado for the final spot in the West.

8. Who wins the West, the Stars or the Blues?

We’ll take St. Louis by a nose. The Blues have played their best hockey in the past couple of weeks – with Friday night’s 6-5 loss to Boston being the exception that proves the rule -- and have a more favorable schedule to close out the season. Their reward would probably be a first-round matchup against the Wild, while the Stars would likely draw the Predators. Breaking: It’s tough to win the West.

9. Who finishes last overall?

They ravaged their roster with trades and packed their lineup with AHL prospects. No one has tried harder to tank this season than the Leafs, so they’ve got the inside track on last place (and by extension, the best odds in the draft lottery). Give the Oilers credit, though, they’re not giving up on being the league’s worst team without a fight. The Blue Jackets and Canada’s five other NHL teams are also in the running. But the Leafs deserve it the most, they’ve been gunning for it all year.

10. Will a Canadian team ever make the playoffs again?

Depends if Quebec City returns to the NHL or not...

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