As the NHL season nears its climax, the importance of finishing strong has never been more evident. Four teams that struggled early in the year are now proving that it’s not how you start, but how you finish. The Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning have all transformed into serious playoff contenders, showing that momentum can carry a team to unexpected heights. With the postseason approaching, these teams are ready to make some noise and could be key players in both the Stanley Cup race and fantasy hockey leagues.
By any metric, the Avalanche struggled in the early going. Their goaltending was weak, offensive production was sporadic, and defensive play was mediocre. However, it didn’t take long for Colorado GM Joe Sakic to react. He traded for two new goalies, Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, remade his forward corps with the likes of Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, and Charlie Coyle, and added veteran defensemen Erik Johnson and Ryan Lindgren. While it took a bit of time, the Avalanche have gelled and are playing their best hockey of the year with the playoffs just weeks away.
The same could be said of the Montreal Canadiens. They are a young squad in rebuild mode, and it was thought that they might show improvement this season, yet they still could fall short of making the playoffs. Led by captain Nick Suzuki, sniper Cole Caulfield, and rookie of the year candidate, defenseman Lane Hutson, the Habs currently occupy the second wild card position in the NHL East, just one point ahead of the New York Islanders. Additionally, they’ve shown a ton of character in posting several comeback wins and playing playoff-bound teams tough. They will be a handful should they ride this momentum into the postseason.
Next, the hottest team in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues, is an even better story. Winner of seven straight as of this writing (March 27), the Blues – a physical, hard-working team – were inconsistent until lately. However, over the last month or so, they’ve improved their defensive game, shored up their penalty kill, and are scoring more goals. Suddenly led by forwards Jordan Kyrou and Rob Thomas, and defenseman Philip Broberg, this version of the team is being compared to the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup winning team. They could be a nightmare for a first-place team to play should they continue their run and claim the West's final conference wild card spot.
Finally, there’s the Tampa Bay Lightning. Led by coach extraordinaire Jon Cooper – and with Andrei Vasilevskiy in net, Viktor Hedman on defense, and Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point up front – the Lightning have been playing exceptionally well since tinkering with their lineup. Their emergence means that it’s not guaranteed that the Florida Panthers – or the enigmatic Toronto Maple Leafs – will take top spot in the Atlantic division. Additionally, no matter who the Bolts play in the first round, they will be a handful to contend with.
As the regular season draws to a close, these four teams serve as reminders that resilience and adjustments are key in the NHL. Whether it's the Avalanche finding their groove, the Canadiens surprising with a wild card spot, the Blues riding a hot streak, or the Lightning gearing up for another deep playoff run, all four are poised to make an impact. In a league where momentum is everything, they’ve proved that how you finish can be just as important as how you start.
