Being in the playoff picture on Thanksgiving in the United States is usually a favorable sign for the rest of the NHL season.
The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are among the teams on the wrong side of the standings with the holiday here south of the border.
Last season, only two teams in each conference failed to make the playoffs despite having a playoff spot on Nov. 24.In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Red Wings fell out of contention after opening 10-5-4 in the Atlantic Division, and the Pittsburgh Penguins lost their hold on the final wild-card berth after starting 10-7-3. The New York Rangers and Florida Panthers, who were two spots behind the Penguins at the time, made up ground.
The Flames were eliminated from the Western Conference playoff picture after holding the top wild-card place with a points percentage of.553. The St. Louis Blues also officially dropped out of the final wild-card berth, albeit they were tied with the Minnesota Wild at the time with a points percentage of.526. The Wild and Oilers, who had a.500 point % at American Thanksgiving, went on to make the playoffs.Last season, no team ranked lower than 10th in their conference on November 24th made the playoffs, which does not speak well for the Flames or Oilers this year.
Calgary fell to 7-9-3 after a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, dropping the Flames to 11th in the Western Conference.
The Oilers’ 0-2 start was exacerbated Wednesday by a 6-3 setback to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Oilers are now 5-12-1, ranking 14th in the Western Conference in both points (11) and points percentage (.306).Last season, Edmonton exploded after a 10-10-0 start, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record. After Jay Woodcroft was fired on Nov. 12, the team faces a far more difficult path to overcoming their slow star this year, now led by head coach Kris Knoblauch.
The Canucks and Jets are in a good spot heading into Thanksgiving, with Vancouver fourth and Winnipeg tied for fifth in the West in points percentage. Since 2020, the Canucks have not made the playoffs.
If maintaining a top-10 ranking in your conference at this point is critical to making the playoffs, the Ottawa Senators are exactly where they need to be.
The Senators are 10th in the East with a points percentage of.533 after an 8-7-0 start to the season. No team, however, has played fewer games this season than the Senators, who have played 15. Ottawa is 15th in the Eastern Conference in terms of points, but it has up to five games on opponents in the postseason picture.
A 15-game month in December could be crucial in determining if the Senators make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Despite their win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens’ prospects in the East remain grim. With a.474 point percentage, Montreal is tied for second-last in the East with the Buffalo Sabres. While currently only three points behind the Red Wings for the last wild-card playoff slot, no team made the playoffs last season with a points percentage below.500 on November 24.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a solid position to make the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, currently sitting fifth in the East in points percentage.
