Playoff Predictions - Eastern Conference

The playoffs are a month and a half away, and the fight for the final spots are heating up.  The bubble teams know their need for a real push from now until the end of the season.  With the conferences as tight as they are, who actually makes the playoffs?  Here's my prediction:


Eastern Conference


The Atlantic division is easily the best division in the conference this season, having four teams currently in a playoff spot, none of which are on the brink of falling under.  The New York Rangers easily hold the division and the conference.  The New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins are fourth, fifth and sixth respectively in the conference.  These teams can easily jumble around as they are all within 1 point of each other.


The Northeast division is not as strong as the Atlantic, however they currently have three representatives of their own.  The Boston Bruins lead the way as the second seeded team in the conference.  The Ottawa Senators are just two points back of the Bruins in seventh, although that statistic is misleading considering the Bruins have played four less games.  Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs are on a small thread holding the bulls-eye, barely holding on to the final playoff spot in the conference.  


The Southeast division is the most interesting of them all.  Currently, the Florida Panthers are the only team sitting in a playoff spot.  Even though that's the case, they are only one point ahead of the eighth place Leafs.  The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets are sitting right behind the Panthers, waiting to pounce on their prey.  The Jets are only one point back of the Florida Panthers, and tied with the Leafs.  The Capitals are two points back of the Panthers, meaning they are one point back on the Leafs (Leafs, Leafs, Leafs... that's why they hold the bulls-eye).


This one was a tough one to predict, and I will definitely get some people disagreeing with me, but this is where I predict the East to be as the regular season ends:


#1 New York Rangers
#2 Boston Bruins
#3 Washington Capitals
#4 Pittsburgh Penguins 
#5 New Jersey Devils
#6 Philadelphia Flyers
#7 Ottawa Senators
#8 Toronto Maple Leafs


The most controversial predictions here is the #3 and #8 spot.  The Washington Capitals are currently only two points behind the Panthers, and I believe they are the better team once they get out of their current funk.  Likewise, the Capitals are a better team than  the Jets of current (ask me that again in a couple of years and I may have a completely different answer).  That leaves the Jets and Panthers to fight with Toronto.  The Leafs are currently in the middle of a tough road schedule, after just playing the red hot Flames and the Canucks, while playing the also hot Devils at home tonight.  Once they get out to some clear air, I think they will find their grove and hold on to the final playoff spot.