NHL: Things to Follow as the Regular Season Winds Down

The end of NHL regular season is just weeks away but there is plenty to watch out for as teams battle to qualify for the postseason, while others play for better positions during the first round matchups.

The San Jose Sharks lost Marc-Edouard Vlasic last Thursday to an injury. A timeline for his return is not known, but he should return for the playoffs.

Without Vlasic, the Sharks are not the same. Of course, since they lost him this season, the Sharks are 2-0, which means their depth at the blue line might be better. However, over the long haul his absence is huge especially for penalty killing.

The Sharks are still battling Anaheim for the Pacific division second place spot and home ice during the first round of the playoffs.

Thomas Vanek is the center of attention in Minnesota. The high-paid veteran has been left out of two straight games by John Torchetti the team’s new head coach.

This seems strange during a playoff race, as every game is so important. Vanek is the third leading goal scorer on the team, but clearly, his effort has frustrated the new coach.

Another part of this could be Vanek’s deal of full no-movement in his contract. Minnesota has little room under the cap and Vanek could be worth moving, but the veteran can negate that if he wishes.

The Los Angeles Kings clinched their postseason berth last weekend. When they won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and again in 2014, the Kings did not clinch a spot in the postseason until late April.

Now, the big question, will the Kings continue to battle to try to win the division title in the Pacific or will they now start thinking about the postseason?

It seemed as if the Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender would nearly be a matter of announcing Braden Holtby as the winner as he is leading the league in wins with 43 and has had a great season.

However, Jonathan Quick has performed hard all season and should get a look, as should Corey Crawford. There is reason to think Ben Bishop should be considered as well. He leads the NHL in goals against average at 2.02. With his club not scoring as much this season for him, Bishop has played under the radar all season.

All four goalies in their own way are deserving of winning the Vezina and Holtby might not be the foregone conclusion that everyone thought he was.