| # |
Team |
+/- |
Comments |
| 1 |
 |
---- |
Heading into the break, their goal differential is at +70, they've won 7 of their last 10, and they have the top four players in the league in terms of +/-. Is there any beating this team? Doubtful. They're my pick for the President's Trophy. |
| 2 |
 |
---- |
Speed, talent, and youth are all coming together to make Chicago a team to beat in the West. They've got almost all of the right pieces there, but goaltending still needs some help before they can win the conference. |
| 3 |
 |
---- |
The Sharks are setting themselves up nicely for a deep playoff run, provided they don't choke. Sharks fans everywhere probably hate me for jinxing it, but isn't it inevitable? Late season leadership is key for this team's success. |
| 4 |
 |
---- |
We all knew the Kings were going to be good this year, but this good? They're taking 8 wins in their last 10 into the Olympic break. If they can hold on to that momentum, they're a lock for home-ice advantage in the playoffs. |
| 5 |
 |
---- |
The Canucks finally have two legitimate scoring lines. If they can nail down some sort of consistency after the epic road trip ends, they'll hold off Colorado to get the #3 seed. |
| 6 |
 |
---- |
For New Jersey, it all comes down to how many points Kovalchuk can score after the Olympic break. If Russia wins gold, he could ride the high straight through to the playoffs. But what let-down will there be if they don't? |
| 7 |
 |
---- |
I think I'm still surprised to see Phoenix so far up in the standings, even after all this time. Nonetheless, playing in a very tough division will make them a very tough team in the playoffs. |
| 8 |
 |
---- |
Right when it seemed like the Senators were down and out for good, they start winning hockey games. Lots of them. Winning 11 straight and 14 of 16 proves they're absolutely capable of winning the Northeast. |
| 9 |
 |
---- |
The Penguins are apparently right where they're supposed to be. They beat every team below them in the standings, and lose to every team better than them. Come playoff-time, that won't win a cup. Look for Ray Shero to make a subtle but smart move at the deadline. |
| 10 |
 |
---- |
Colorado has slipped lately, but the rest for most of their players during the Olympic break should be helpful. A couple weeks of training could bring them back to their early-season form, with Matt Duchene at the helm. |
| 11 |
 |
---- |
Winning hockey games from the goal crease out is great -- for a while. The Sabres have been flirting with disaster all season, relying so heavily on Rayn Miller. This hurts their chances going forward. They're not a legitimate threat in the playoffs, and would be wise to acquire some youthful depth. |
| 12 |
 |
---- |
The return of Johan Franzen is obviously a huge lift to the Wings, and will help them in the stretch. A strong performance by Team Sweden wouldn't hurt either. |
| 13 |
 |
---- |
The Flames are much better off having shipped Olli Jokinen to New York, but losing three of four into the break isn't the best memory to be carrying. If the Flames want to remain in the playoff race, they need to turn things around, and quickly. |
| 14 |
 |
---- |
Nashville continues to find themselves right on the bubble, and are really starting to remind me of Dallas -- a team that's always there, but never there. This isn't their year, but they've proven that they can skate with talented teams, including an overtime victory of the Pens to carry them into the break. |
| 15 |
 |
---- |
See above. Although the acquisition of Kari Lehtonen is very interesting for this Dallas team. The future is actually quite bright, on the shoulders of Neal, Eriksson, Niskanen, and others. |
| 16 |
 |
---- |
Can Michael Leighton really carry this team to the playoffs? Time will tell, but it may be wise for the Flyers to acquire at least a reliable backup, or at most someone like Marty Turco. |
| 17 |
 |
---- |
Anaheim has been coming on of late, and looks like they're ready to have a strong finish, as long as Ryan Getzlaf stays healthy. A little offensive production from Ryan Whitney wouldn't hurt them (or my fantasy team) either.
|
| 18 |
 |
---- |
Boston really dropped the ball by missing out on Ilya Kovalchuk. Maybe the price tag was too high, maybe they didn't have the right pieces, but adding Kovalchuk would have won them the cup. |
| 19 |
 |
---- |
Some things are really working in Minnesota right now, and adding Cam Barker to the mix is a huge boost. Look for the Wild to have a solid end-of-season stretch. They may not make the playoffs, but they've set themselves up nicely for next year. |
| 20 |
 |
---- |
It isn't coming together as expected for the Blues this year, although they're carrying three straight wins into the Olympic break. Maybe they can turn it around and squeak into the playoffs, but I doubt it. |
| 21 |
 |
---- |
The Habs are doing well to give their kids a chance, but injuries have destroyed this team's hopes of anything better than a first-round exit. |
| 22 |
 |
---- |
The Lightning have put together a couple of short stretches of good hockey, and Stamkos is living up to (and sometimes beyond) expectations. |
| 23 |
 |
---- |
The Rangers have made a couple of good moves, but there seems to be a lot of negativity in the Big Apple. Unless they can miraculously move Redden or Roszival, success there is unlikely. |
| 24 |
 |
---- |
Columbus really fell short of expectation this year with the poor performance of sophomore goalie Steve Mason. If they can start filling their opponents' net, they can win games. |
| 25 |
 |
---- |
Injuries hurt the Panthers early on, but the return of David Booth was a huge boost. That is, until Nathan Horton hit IR. When all of these young guys play together, Florida will be a very good team. |
| 26 |
 |
---- |
Trading Kovalchuk was the right move, and the return was as good as it could've been. Now it's time to rebuild for Atlanta, and hope for the playoffs two or three years down the line. |
| 27 |
 |
---- |
The Leafs have a lot of the right pieces, they just aren't quite ready yet. But every week this looks more and more like Brian Burke's team. |
| 28 |
 |
---- |
What happened to John Tavares? After ruling the Calder race early on, Tavares has really fallen off and with that, so have the Isles dim playoff hopes. |
| 29 |
 |
---- |
Cam Ward injured again. That's the story in Carolina. That's the only story in Carolina. |
| 30 |
 |
---- |
Edmonton just needs to be patient while Hemsky gets healthy and their young stars develop. They really need help in goal though, both short term and long term. |