Hey, it’s the end of the 20th week of the NHL regular season. And it feels like we’re getting into the real dog days of the season.

Sure, the trade deadline is less than a month away so that’s always going to generate some intrigue. But have a look at the playoff races, such as they are, in the entire league. The East has been sewn up for months, and it’s just about seeing who’s seeded where, which isn’t exactly as exciting as the “in-or-out?” you’d normally want. That’s also true of the Central Division, where four teams are playing for three divisional playoff spots but are in little danger of actually missing the playoffs.

So all that’s left is finding out whether the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, or maybe the Anaheim Ducks takes that last spot in the West? Is that it? Another 30 games of this? I mean, I guess we don’t have anything better going on.

Let’s go: