Photo credit: AP Photo/Lucas Peltier

8. Anaheim Ducks (23-45-12)

Last week: 8

Anaheim nearly snapped a 10-game winless streak last night, but instead blew a 4-2 lead in the third period over the Colorado Avalanche and lost 5-4 in overtime.

Worse for the Ducks, they’ve picked up points in each of their last two games, also losing 5-4 in OT to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Had they lost both those games in regulation, they’d currently have the best odds at Connor Bedard. Thanks to those points, they’re sitting third in the lottery standings right now.

Adam Henrique scored twice against the Coyotes and and then added another goal against the Avalanche. He’s part of a four-way tie for the team lead in goals with 22.

This week: VS VAN, VS LA

7. San Jose Sharks (22-41-16)

Last week: 7

The Sharks had a tough schedule last week, playing the Avalanche twice and then hosting the scorching Edmonton Oilers on Saturday. They took the Avs to overtime in the first game, but lost 4-3, then got crushed 6-2 in the rematch against Colorado and 6-1 by Edmonton.

Erik Karlsson scored a goal and added two assists last week. He needs just two more points in San Jose’s final three games to become the sixth defenseman in NHL history to post a 100-point season.

This week: @ WPG, @ CGY, @ EDM

6. Vancouver Canucks (36-36-7)

Last week: 6

The Canucks began their week with a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken. They responded by shutting out the Chicago Blackhawks, 3-0, then robbing the Calgary Flames of a crucial point on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win.

College free agent defenseman Cole McWard signed with Vancouver after completing his sophomore season at Ohio State and scored his first NHL goal in the win over Calgary.

This week: @ LA, @ ANA, @ ARI

5. Calgary Flames (37-27-16)

Last week: 5

The Flames won their biggest game of the year, beating the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 last Wednesday.

It may not end up mattering, though, because of their other results last week: A 4-3 loss to a tanking Blackhawks team and a 3-2 shootout loss to an eliminated Canucks team. Somehow, Calgary managed to go 0-2-1 against Chicago this season. That’s quite a few points left on the table that they could sure use right now. (It’s also a few points the Hawks might rather not have right now. You’ve got to love results that are bad for everybody involved.)

They still have some faint hope thanks to that win over Winnipeg, but they need help. In order to make the playoffs now, the Flames will need to win their final two games and have the Jets record fewer than three points over their final three games.

The dagger in the win in Winnipeg was scored by Nikita Zadorov, his 11th goal of the season. The previous career-high for the big defenseman was seven.

This week: VS NSH, VS SJ

4. LA Kings (45-25-10)

Last week: 3

Things sure can change in a hurry.

Not long ago, it felt like the LA Kings would never lose again. But since a 10-0-2 stretch they’ve now gone 2-5-0 and dropped their last three games. Thanks to two losses to the Oilers over the last two weeks and a loss to the Golden Knights last Thursday, home-ice advantage is no longer in play for LA, and dropping into a Wild Card spot is also now a distinct possibility. They’re just two points ahead of the Kraken, who have a game in hand and the tiebreaker.

It’s not how he would’ve wanted it to happen, but thanks to Kevin Fiala’s injury, Anže Kopitar may end up leading the Kings in scoring for the sixth straight year and 15th time in the last 16. Kopitar is now tied for the team lead with Fiala with 72 points. He has six points over the last four games and assisted on all three of LA’s goals in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to Colorado.

This week: VS VAN, @ ANA

3. Seattle Kraken (45-26-8)

Last week: 4

The Kraken are officially playoff-bound. This season is a massive success for Seattle regardless of what happens in the postseason, but this doesn’t look like a team satisfied just to be in the playoffs. They won all four games they played last week.

Sure, they played the Coyotes twice and also played the Blackhawks and Canucks. But the Kraken didn’t just win those games. They dominated, outscoring their opponents by a combined total of 24-8.

And besides, those games aren’t always gimmes. Just ask the Flames.

Jared McCann had a huge week with four goals and four assists in four games. He’s one goal away from 40 on the season.

This week: @ ARI, @ VGK, VS VGK

2. Vegas Golden Knights (49-22-9)

Last week: 1

The Golden Knights only won two of four games last week, beating the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in a shootout and beating the Kings 5-2. They picked up points in each of the games they lost, though, a 3-2 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators and a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars. Thanks to those points they remain two points up on the Oilers for first place in the division and the conference.

Alex Pietrangelo scored both goals in the OT loss to Nashville. His 53 points (11 G, 42 A) in just 71 games so far this season are one back of his career-high.

This week: VS SEA, @ SEA

1. Edmonton Oilers (48-23-9)

Last week: 2

The Oilers swept their California road trip, picking up 3-1 wins over the Kings and Ducks before smoking the Sharks 6-1.

They’ve won seven straight games. They’re 12-0-1 in their last 13. They’ve allowed a total of three goals over their last five games. Edmonton has clinched home-ice advantage in the first round and still has a shot at first place in the Western Conference, sitting just two points back of Vegas.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins became the third Oiler to join the 100-point club this season with an assist on an empty-net goal against Anaheim last Wednesday. (Can you guess who the other two are?) Not the flashiest way to get your 100th point, but he followed that up with a three-point night (a goal and two assists) against San Jose on Saturday.

This week: @ COL, VS SJ

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