Hey, it’s the end of the 27th week of the NHL regular season. And things are heating up in the West.

If you’re not watching every game involving the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars and even the Vancouver Canucks (right up until they’re formally put out by the curb), you better have a good excuse. It’s not that other teams aren’t providing plenty of entertainment — who doesn’t want to watch the Colorado Avalanche speedbag some hapless Eastern-Conference non-playoff team for the umpteenth time this year? — but there isn't nearly as much existential drama behind every result or even in some games, every goal? 

All those teams are going to be stuck scoreboard watching for the entire rest of the season.

There are only four nights left in the regular season in which none of those teams play. That’s not an easy two-week roller coaster; all but the Kings also play on the final night of the season. Imagine your entire season comes down to that? Wow. 

Let’s go: