With playoffs approaching, U.S. Division race remains tight

If the WHL playoffs were to begin today, all five teams in the U.S. Division would qualify, with fourth-place Spokane and fifth-place Tri-City grabbing the Western Conference’s two wild-card spots.

Unlike any other division in the league, the U.S. Division is currently in the midst of a tight race that could see the standings change significantly before the regular season concludes in March. Eighteen points separate first-place Everett from fifth-place Tri-City, with Portland, Seattle, and Spokane falling second, third, and fourth in the division.

For perspective, 54 points separate the Eastern Conference’s East Division leader, Brandon, from last-place Saskatoon. In the Central Division, 37 points separate Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. In the Western Conference’s B.C. Division, Kelowna holds a 42-point lead in the standings over bottom-dweller Prince George.

Everett, Portland, and Tri-City all have 17 games remaining in their regular seasons, while Seattle and Spokane each have 18. It wouldn’t be inconceivable to see a hot streak push Seattle up into second place or Portland into first past Everett, and it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the Silvertips to drop a few games and tighten the race even more.

The past 10 contests for the top three teams give an indication of just how close this division is. Everett has fallen three times to division opponents during that span – twice to Tri-City and once to Portland, which is hoping to finish the season atop the U.S. Division for the third straight year. The Winterhawks are 8-1-1-0, inching them closer to the division lead, with their only regulation loss in those 10 games coming at the hands of the team directly below them, the Thunderbirds. They’ve beaten Seattle and Everett once each in their past 10, and also most recently fell to the ‘Tips in overtime last Sunday.

With the T-Birds the healthiest they’ve been all season, we’re finally getting a decent picture of how good this team actually is. Seattle is 6-3-1-0 in its past 10 with some notable victories over WHL-leading Kelowna, a 6-3 victory over Portland, and three shutouts over Spokane, Prince George and Vancouver. The T-Birds have also seen some disappointing outcomes over the past couple of weeks, especially a 4-0 loss to Tri-City and a 4-3 loss to Kamloops in a game where they led in the third period.

Below is an outlook for the division’s top three teams and how we could see these standings shift during the season’s final six weeks.

Everett Silvertips

In the final 17 games, the class of the U.S. will face off against divisional opponents nine times, including one remaining matchup versus Portland and four against Seattle. Leading the Winterhawks by just seven points and Seattle by 11, Everett controls its own destiny. It won’t be an easy task, especially considering that Everett also has tough matchups remaining against Calgary, Kelowna, and two against Victoria in addition to trying to stave off its two biggest division rivals.

After building a comfortable early-season lead in the standings, Everett has slowed down a bit over the past couple months, allowing others to sneak back into the race. It’s a desirable place to be in, as Everett would face Spokane if the playoffs began today, with Portland and Seattle being pitted against each other in what would surely be an intense and exhausting first-round series.

Portland Winterhawks

In their chase for the top spot, the Winterhawks will also be keeping a close eye on the rearview mirror as Seattle trails them by a mere four points in the standings with the Thunderbirds also having a game in hand. A potent offense is led by future NHLers Oliver Bjorkstrand, Nic Petan, and Chase de Leo, but the Winterhawks’ defense has left something to be desired all season, allowing the most goals in the U.S. Division despite stellar play from 18-year-old goaltender Adin Hill.

Thirteen of their remaining 17 games will come against U.S. Division opponents – one against Everett, three against Seattle, and six against last-place Tri-City – which could go a long way in helping Portland move up in the standings. The Winterhawks also avoid the B.C. Division’s top two teams, Kelowna and Victoria, for the rest of the regular season, giving them a traversable route to the top of the division and what one would think would be a much less painful first-round series, likely against either Spokane or Tri-City once all is said and done.

Seattle Thunderbirds

The T-Birds may end up seeing the toughest schedule of the U.S. Division’s top three teams over the next month and a half. They’ll play nine games within their division, including four against Everett and three versus Portland. Aside from those contests, they also have three against Victoria and one more against Kelowna. Of the remaining 18 games, 11 will be against four of the West’s top teams. They also have one scheduled against Calgary, which is second in the East’s Central Division, and two with Kamloops, which has beaten Seattle twice in two contests so far this year.

It won’t be an easy path for Seattle by any means, but as the T-Birds proved over the past week with significant victories over both Portland and Kelowna, we have yet to see their best hockey and this is a team on the rise. Injured players are finding their full potential, goaltender Taran Kozun has been a brick wall in net, and the defense is allowing just 2.7 goals per game on the season, 2.3 over their past 10. If defense truly does win championships, Seattle will be as much of a contender in the playoffs as either Everett or Portland.

In this race, neither Spokane nor Tri-City can be forgotten, with both still en route to a playoff spot and with the potential to greatly influence the rest of the division.

Spokane has 10 games within the division, with two against Everett, three against Portland, and one against Seattle. Tri-City will play 13 of its remaining 17 games within the division, including two versus Everett, six against Portland, and one against Seattle.

While 80 percent of teams in the Western Conference end up making the playoffs, every point is valuable as matchups are going to be huge come the postseason. Neither Tri-City nor Spokane want the eighth seed, as that team will almost undoubtedly face powerhouse Kelowna in the first round. There’s major disparity between what currently stand as the West’s top five teams – Kelowna, Victoria, Everett, Portland and Seattle – and the bottom three – Vancouver, Spokane, and Tri-City – which are all hovering around the .500 mark on the season.

For most teams, the playoffs have essentially already begun. We’re at a point in the season where every point and every game matters and has the potential to shift the balance in the postseason.