Jason Brough

We'll mention this really quickly, if only because you got to mention when you're talking about Anaheim that it's their first playoff appearance since 2018.

That was the third longest playoff drought in the National Hockey League.

Now it's interesting when we talk about Detroit, they were bookended by two pretty lengthy droughts.

Obviously the Buffalo one, which was one of the longest playoff droughts in North American sports.

And that's done.

Detroit is now going on 10 years.

Anaheim was third at eight years, but the ducks are back in the dance.

So right now, the Ducks sit third in the Pacific.

They're one behind Edmonton, three behind the Vegas Golden Knights.

Anaheim has a game in hand on each team, but the Kings are fourth, just one point behind Anaheim.

So all these games over Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights are going to have a lot to dictate about who's going to finish where in the Pacific.

This is a nice little feather in the cap for Joel Quenville, who came aboard in his first season.

I wouldn't necessarily say he put a ton of structure in place because they're very leaky defensively, but he got them to play better hockey than what they had over the last couple of years with all this young talent.

So they go back to the playoffs.

Speaking of coaching jobs going on in the Pacific division right now, I got to mention that Vegas has been a red hot under John Tortorella.

They are now six.

Oh, and one since torts took over from Bruce Cassidy.

And that came with a six, two victory over the Winnipeg jets at T-Mobile arena yesterday.

Oh,

I'm starting to get a handle on it.