Q: Safe to say we already know the eight teams that will be in the Western Conference playoffs?  If one team was going to flop in the first round, who would it likely be?
— Adrian from Pueblo, Colo.
A: The Canucks picked up some offensive help with the acquisition of veteran center Brian Smolinski, but they are still challenged to put the puck in the net. Thankfully, franchise forward Markus Naslund has picked up the pace since the new year, collecting 23 points in the 20 games leading up to the trade deadline.

Roberto Luongo, a potential Hart (MVP) winner, can take these guys a very long way. However, even he needs to be backed by more than one or two goals a game. I could see Luongo holding the opposition to six goals over four games of a first-round series, and the Canucks possibly be swept. He might feel like he never left Florida.

Q: Which coaches probably have to guide their teams into the playoffs to avoid the pink slip?
— Gus McLish from Minneapolis.
A: There isn't likely to be much movement, in part because there was so much shakeout after last season, and then during 2006-'07.

But, as always, there are candidates to walk the plank.

It's unlikely that the Rangers will make it back to the postseason, and that could be the end for Tom Renney. He is a pretty good coach, but a DNQ on top of last year's first-round KO probably will be too much for him to survive.

The Thrashers, especially after picking up Tkachuk at the deadline, should be shoo-ins for a playoff spot. However, if they were to falter, it could come down to GM Don Waddell getting canned or Bob Hartley getting cashiered. In fact, another DNQ could point them both out the door.

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