Wings, Lightning expect East race to stay tight

Tampa, Fla. — There’s a logjam surrounding the Eastern Conference playoff chase — and nobody expects it to change before the end of the regular season April 10.

Eleven teams were separated by seven points in the Eastern Conference standings — with Washington (74 points) and Florida (65) leading the way — it’s expected to stay tight.

So strap in and expect a ton of nailibiters over the final 30 games.

“Everybody seems to be finding ways to scratch and win games,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “There’s a lot of good teams, we’ve talked about that all year, about how good every team is and how close everyone is and how good everybody plays each other.

“There’s hardly any difference (between teams).”

Lightning coach Jon Cooper (Lansing) feels the same way as Blashill, his friend.

Cooper feels it was an aberration last season when Pittsburgh was the final wild card with a staggering 98 points.

“This year will be aberration the other way,” said Cooper, who feels something like 90-92 points should get a team in.

The reason?

“Last year there were probably some teams, by the trade deadline, they were sellers and there were teams you kind of had a good feeling you could get some points in those games,” Cooper said. “There’s none of that this year.

“Whoever the 30th team in the league is right now, it can beat the No. 1 team all day, and that’s what’ll keep everyone (close). It’s just way too close this year.”

The parity in the league has been a story line all season.

And most players and coaches feel it’s a great thing, as it makes every game that much more important and close, especially late in the season.

That, too, will keep the races tight until the very end.

“You could move from first in the division to sixth pretty quick,” Red Wings forward Brad Richards said. “You have to stay away from long losing streaks and keep putting points on the board. It’ll be a tough final 30-something games on the schedule.”

Holmstrom Junior?

Darren Helm has taken over as the net-front player on the power play, a position Helm enjoys.

“I love it,” said Helm of the thankless job, getting whacked by defensemen and opposing goalies, as well as hit by shots from your teammates. “Nobody loves to be crosschecked and get hit in front of the net too often, but I love to be out there.

“OK, I don’t love it, but love to be part of that power play and try to do some things to help.”

Helm sees the position a little different from the days Tomas Holmstrom played it.

“The defense would be right on top of you crosschecking and hacking you,” Helm said. “Now, the defense is a little more passive and lets you stay there.

“The main thing is to get in the goalies’ eyes.”

Sheahan update

Riley Sheahan (illness) took part in the morning skate but Blashill didn’t feel he’s quite ready to play. Sheahan is hopeful of returning Thursday in Florida.

“He could probably play but wouldn’t be able to play at 100 percent,” Blashill said. “My kind of rule of thumb is we want guys, even when they don’t feel 100 percent, to play at 100 percent and Riley isn’t quite there.”

Joakim Andersson took Sheahan’s place in the lineup, but it was Luke Glendening centering Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist, taking Sheahan’s spot on that line.

“Glennie brings a lot of the same qualities as Sheahan,” Blashill said. “Net presence, first on the puck on the forecheck, a big body who can complement those two players well.”

Ice chips

General manager Ken Holland said defenseman Jakub Kindl will join the Red Wings in time for the game against Florida.

The Red Wings only have six defensemen with Niklas Kronwall (knee surgery) unavailable until mid-February.

Kindl, who was waived in mid-January and sent to Grand Rapids, provides depth.

…Blashill feels the Lightning are close to the level where they were late last season because of good health.

“Earlier in the year they weren’t healthy,” Blashill said. “Nobody uses that as an excuse and that’s probably why it isn’t talked about but when you look at the league, when you lose elite players, you usually see those teams dip a bit.

“They’re (the Lightning) rolling now. They’re what everybody thought they were at the beginning of the year and that’s one of the best teams.”

ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com

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Red Wings at Panthers

Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV/radio: FSD/97.1

Outlook: The Panthers (30-15-5, 65 points) have begun to pull away in the Atlantic Division. …The Panthers have won four consecutive games and have a division-best plus-30 goal differential.