The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just three weeks away as they open on Wednesday, April 15, but the 2014-15 regular season has offered a lot of great moments and surprises thus far.
As the regular season winds down, it's as good a time as any to look back on some of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season.
Here are five of the biggest storylines heading into the final leg of the season.
5) Filip Forsberg and the Nashville Predators: Forsberg, 20, is a Calder Trophy candidate after bursting on the scene in his first full NHL season and he is tied for the team lead with 56 points through 74 games. Forsberg also ranks second on the club with 22 goals and is tied for the team lead with six game-winning tallies. The Predators have enjoyed a fine season, going 45-21-8 thus far this campaign with 98 points. Nashville was atop the standings in the Central Division for the last few weeks, but a recent swoon has them in second place behind the St. Louis Blues (99 points), but it's still been a great run for the Predators.
4) Struggling Powerhouses: The Los Angeles Kings are the defending Stanley Cup champions and the Boston Bruins were expected to be a beast in the east, however both teams were on the outside looking in on the playoff picture entering Wednesday after slow starts and an uneven run through their respective schedules. The Kings (86 points), a team that notoriously starts slow, have the same amount of points as the Calgary Flames, but are in fourth place in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles is two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference, which is currently held by the Winnipeg Jets (88). The Bruins (84) were recently surpassed by the Ottawa Senators (85) and have struggled often through this 2014-15 campaign. Both of these teams could very well make the playoffs and aren't far out, but no one expected them to be this low in the standings in late-March.
3) The Hamburgler: Andrew Hammond is a big reason for the Senators resurgence as the netminder came aboard and took the NHL by storm. Hammond made his first career NHL start in February and has been unbelievable in the crease ever since. Hammond, 27, is an astounding 14-0-1 with a 1.67 goals-against average, .946 save percentage and two shutouts since his debut. "The Hamburgler" also became the second goalie in NHL history to allow two or fewer goals in his first 12 career starts.
2) Devan Dubnyk, The Minnesota Miracle: The Minnesota Wild have surged into playoff contention ever since acquiring Dubnyk from the Arizona Coyotes in January. The netminder has started a mind-numbing 33 consecutive games for the Wild. Dubnyk, 28, is 24-6-1 for the Wild since the trade with a 1.71 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and five shutouts. Dubnyk and the Wild have escalated to the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference with a 42-25-7 record and 91 points this season and are within three points of the Chicago Blackhawks for third in the Central Division.
1) Started from the Bottom: Last season, the New York Islanders (79 points in 2013-14), Predators (88), Winnipeg Jets (84) and Calgary Flames (77) all finished in the bottom half of the standings, but each team has enjoyed a resurgence in 2014-15. The Islanders (93 points in 2014-15) sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division as of Wednesday, the Predators (98) are second in the Central, the Jets (88) own the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference and the Flames (86) are holding onto the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Parity is alive and well in the NHL.
As the puck drops on more NHL action in the next three weeks, plenty of twists and turns are sure to come as the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a heartbeat away.
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