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Bleacher Report
It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States.
That means big meals and heavy prep are on their way to kitchens and dining rooms across the country, but to those who consider themselves hockey types, there’s more.
Recent NHL history suggests any team in a playoff position through the holiday week—the quarter-pole of the season—is in a particularly good position when it comes to holding on to that place when the season’s end arrives in the spring.
That’s familiar news in a lot of cities around the league.
Six of the eight teams now in a playoff spot in the two conferences were in the tournament in 2023-24, including both of last season’s top seeds—the New York Rangers and the Dallas Stars—and the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Crashing the Eastern party so far are the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, while the Western newcomers are the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames.
The Sabres would be particularly newsworthy if they hold on to what’s now the second wild-card spot in the East, given their league-high run of 13 straight seasons without a postseason berth.
The B/R hockey team has waded into the pre-turkey standings and got together for voting purposes to assemble this week’s rankings. Votes were cast that awarded 32 points for first place all the way down to a single point for No. 32.