What is up with the NHL Playoffs?

What a crazy first seven days in the NHL Playoffs it has been. Close games, lots of controversy, and a couple of surprising sweeps potentially to be completed tonight have made this one of the most memorable first-rounds in NHL Playoff history.

We all know close games are bound to happen in the post-season, but this year has been exceptionally close. As of today (Wednesday April 18^th), there have been 25 games played in the post-season, and only two of them have been decided by more than two goals, both coming in the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia series (8-5 and 8-4 wins for Philadelphia). 16 of the games have been one-goal differences, 8 games have gone into overtime, and there have been three 1-0 shutout victories.

Along with these close games have come a plethora of controversial plays and what appears to be a stiff increase in penalties.

Take into consideration that in the regular season there was an average of 22.4 penalty minutes a game, while in the first 25 games of the playoffs, that number has increased to 34.6 penalty minutes a game. There have been 24 major penalties, 10 misconducts, 11 game misconducts and a pair of match penalties. All that’s missing is the partridge in the pear tree and you complete the image of a circus that has come to symbolize this first round.

16 games have been handed out in suspensions by the NHL’s Brendan Shanahan, but it’s a common sentiment that even this is becoming a joke; take for example the incidents in the New York Rangers-Ottawa Senators game from Saturday night. Matt Carkner of the Sens landed a series of punches on a hapless Brian Boyle, who didn’t drop his own gloves to defend himself. Carkner gets one game.

In that same game, Chris Phillips of the Sens lands what appeared to be an unintentional elbow on Ryan Callahan behind the Ottawa net. No penalty, no suspension.

Still in that game, Carl Hagelin elbows Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson, and earns a three-game suspension. Justice has been served, right Shanny?

Also on Saturday (Saturday was just a crazy night), a brawl erupted at the final buzzer of the St Louis-San Jose game, and during that brawl Roman Polak of the Blues and Dominic Moore of the Sharks got into a tussle. Polak had Moore down on the ice, and one of the linesmen was in between them, trying to separate the two of them (Polak has nearly 50 lbs in weight on Moore). Polak, undeterred, took a sucker punch swipe at the defenceless Moore, breaking the Sharks’ forward’s nose in the process. No suspension. Justice once again serves the righteous.

On Saturday night alone, I counted a total of five elbows to the head (2 in Ottawa-New York, 2 in San Jose-St Louis, and 1 in Phoenix-Chicago). Of these five incidents, only two merited hearings, resulting in Hagelin’s suspension and a similar three-game suspension for Chicago’s Andrew Shaw.

Shanahan, who started out his first campaign as the suspension dealer ruling with an iron fist, handing out nine suspensions (60 games in suspensions) in the pre-season alone. Yes, he’s had to give out some suspensions already in the playoffs, but he’s become very inconsistent with his suspensions.

With all that out of the way, here’s a short glance at each series as they stand before Wednesday’s matchups.

Note: in listing the game results, the higher-ranking team appears first in the scores.

New York Rangers (1) vs Ottawa Senators (8) (NYR lead 2-1)

Game 1: 4-2, Game 2: 2-3 (OT), Game 3: 1-0

Already this series has been closer than most have expected, with the high-flying Rangers disappointing in a way through the first three games. If it wasn’t for Henrik Lundqvist’s exceptional play between the pipes in game three, Ottawa would have been the one ahead 2-1 in the series. Ottawa’s tough, gritty play in game two was the difference in the Sens’ victory, and it is vital that they find that toughness again tonight in game four to avoid being put on the brink of elimination.

Jason Spezza needs to be better for Ottawa, as he was nonexistent in game three, and Sergei Gonchar needs to really step his game up. Most of the Rangers’ goals in the series have come off of horrendous defensive efforts (or lack thereof) on his part. The afore-mentioned Brian Boyle has been the series difference-maker offensively, scoring in all three games including the only goal in game three. Think he has many fans in Ottawa?

Boston Bruins (2) vs Washington Capitals (3) (Bos lead 2-1)

Game 1: 1-0 (OT), Game 2: 1-2 (2OT), Game 3: 4-3

The story of this series has been the play of Braden Holtby in net for Washington. Through the first two games (including an overtime in game one and double overtime in game two), Holtby only allowed two Boston goals before the Bruins were able to really solve him in game three.  The Lloydminster native has had improved help up front, as after being stymied in the first game and struggling in the second, they found their groove in game three with a couple of nice goals. Milan Lucic continues to be a difference maker, whether you love him or hate him, and same goes for Bruins netminder Tim Thomas. If these two continue to play the way they’re playing, it looks like they’ll carry the Bruins into the second round.

This has been one of the lesser-penalized series, with only 66 penalty minutes combined (five teams have more penalty minutes on their own), but don’t let that fool you. This series is just as intense and just as hard-fought. If Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich can continue to work their chemistry, this series could go a lot longer than people might have predicted.

Florida Panthers (3) vs New Jersey Devils (6) (Fla leads 2-1)

Game 1: 2-3, Game 2: 4-2, Game 3: 4-3

This series is otherwise known as “the series which nobody really cares about but is kind of interested in anyway but still won’t watch it.” Despite the low billing, this series is still one that could realistically go either way. Florida took the series lead after overcoming a 3-0 first period deficit in game three, after almost overcoming the same deficit in game one. In addition, New Jersey in game two almost overcame a 3-0 deficit before falling 4-2.

Good goaltending at both ends by both teams’ backup goalies in game three (both starters were pulled after allowing three goals) complements the strong goaltending provided by the starters in games one and two, while the scoring has been relatively balanced. Florida’s Sean Bergenheim leads the series with two goals and two assists for four points. His offensive skill was huge in advancing Tampa Bay to the Eastern Conference Final last season, and Florida will be relying on him again if they hope to advance to the second round.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Philadelphia Flyers (5) (Phi leads 3-0)

Game 1: 3-4 (OT), Game 2: 5-8, Game 3: 4-8

This series has had literally everything. Ok, not literally, there has been no partridge in a pear tree, but at this point one of those appearing in the series wouldn’t surprise me. Pittsburgh has already received more game misconducts in this series (two) than in the entire regular season combined (one) and have gone from 10.7 penalty minutes per game in the regular season to 32.3 in the playoffs. They have also lost more games to suspension (six) than they did in the regular season (five). This complete lack of composure and discipline has really been their demise, along with poor goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury. Not to be outdone, but less in the bullseye, is Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov, who has made some of the best saves of the playoffs, but has by no means played well for a full game yet.

The penalty-filled series, while at 3-0, might yet be far from over. However, Sidney Crosby and his Penguins have got to reel in their emotions and remember what discipline is; for the twelfth least-penalized team in the league during the regular season, they shouldn’t have forgotten that quickly what it’s like to play a discipline game. Easier said than done, especially when going up against Scott Hartnell and the rest of the Flyers, none of whom Crosby likes according to his post-game interview after game three. Whatever happens, the final one to four games of the series will be exciting to watch and will likely continue on its physical, nasty path to the second round.

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs Los Angeles Kings (8) (LA lead 3-0)

Game 1: 2-4, Game 2: 4-2, Game 3: 1-0

I don’t want to be that guy who says it, but isn’t it strange that the closest game of the series happened with Cory Schneider in goal for Vancouver? With Roberto Luongo in goal for games one and two, the Canucks struggled to get anything going for them. Not to attribute their imminent demise to one player, because Luongo has only been one ailment in the big picture. Three shorthanded goals in the first two games by Los Angeles were brutal blows in those games, and again not to attribute failures on one player, but the absence of Daniel Sedin has severely hurt the Canucks, especially on the powerplay. With such a top—heavy powerplay, and such a big drop-off between their first and second units, it’s no wonder they’re struggling. It also hasn’t helped that Vancouver seem more concerned with what they say between the play or after games than what they do during the play itself.  

Jonathan Quick has been marvelous in goal for the Kings, and he has had lots of help up front, with Dustin Brown emerging as the leader on the ice for the underdogs. Drew Doughty hasn’t been anything overly special on the back end, but looks like he is starting to re-discover the form that earned him rave reviews at the 2010 Olympics. This one will be over quickly, as many predicted; the only problem is that for many predictors, it’s the wrong team who will be winning this series.

St Louis Blues (2) vs San Jose Sharks (7) (StL lead 2-1)

Game 1: 2-3 (OT), Game 2: 3-0, Game 3: 4-3

I thought going into the playoffs that this would be the most fun series of the eight to watch, and it has not disappointed. With two very big, physically imposing teams going at it, it’s also had a little bit of everything. After Jaroslav Halak got injured in game two, Brian Elliott has stepped in admirably, keeping the two-headed monster in goal alive for St Louis. The play of St Louis’s centres is crucial to their success, and their top three have been spectacular. David Backes, Patrik Berglund and Jason Arnott have combined for five goals, and have been the strong point for the Blues in the series. Their mantra all season has been strong defensive play and a balanced scoring attack, and they’re showing it off through the first three games.

For San Jose, they need to break out of their offensive struggles soon if they have any hope of advancing. Many thought they might flourish in an underdog role, with less pressure on them in the postseason, but so far they have underachieved, especially when it comes to their star players like Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Dan Boyle. None of these players have found the back of the net in the series, which will have to change if the Sharks want to take a bite out of St Louis. Otherwise San Jose will be singing the Blues for the off-season (yes, those were intentional puns).

Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs Chicago Blackhawks (6) (Phx lead 2-1)

Game 1: 3-2 (OT), Game 2: 3-4 (OT), Game 3: 3-2 (OT)

No, those aren’t typos above, all three games in this series have needed more than 60 minutes to decide the winner. This shows how close the series is, and how close it could continue to be. Chicago fans have to be concerned with Corey Crawford’s confidence after the weak goal he allowed which gave Phoenix the win in game three, while at the other end of the ice Mike Smith has been sharp for the Coyotes. Both team’s best players have been their best players, and the supporting cast has been just as good throughout the first three games.

It’s going to be an interesting next couple of games in the series, as they wrap up in Chicago and move back to Phoenix. The intensity of the series hit a new level on Tuesday night, as Crawford and Smith had a staredown after the second period, and Raffi Torres leveled Marian Hossa, sending the Hawks winger to the hospital. Torres has been suspended indefinitely for the hit, and will have a hearing on Friday to determine his future. His absence, along with revenge in the mind of the Blackhawks, could be a spark to a Chicago team which is also looking to take advantage of an underdog role.

Nashville Predators (4) vs Detroit Red Wings (5) (Nsh lead 3-1)

Game 1: 3-2, Game 2: 2-3, Game 3: 3-2, Game 4: 3-1

The only series past three games at this point is the only one in which it is the goalie who is stealing the series for his team. Nothing against Nashville’s offence, which has produced when needed, but Nashville really had no business winning game four, being outshot 41-17 and spending much of the game chasing Detroit around in their own end. Pekka Rinne has been simply unbelievable for the Preds, making several spectacular saves and providing the people in the Music City a legitimate hope of a deep Cup run. With the series shifting back to Smashville for game five, it is going to be an intense and awesome environment as the Preds look to end the series and avoid another trip to Hockeytown.

Kevin Klein has stepped up from the back end to provide the Predators with some offence, scoring in the last two games, and David Legwand and Gabriel Bourque have been steady contributors in the series as well. Detroit needs better goaltending from Jimmy Howard, who found himself out of position on a couple of Nashville goals. He could also benefit from some help in front of him, as several times Nashville’s skaters have been either unimpeded in on goal or have been wide open in the scoring areas in the slot. Rinne definitely gives Nashville an edge, and with home ice in the next game it would not be surprising to see the series end in five games.

"Playoffs? Playoffs?!" The NHL's now-forgotten teams

With the NHL Playoffs set to begin tonight, the focus of the hockey world shifts onto 16 teams looking to make it to the month of June and emerge victorious with the Stanley Cup. But what about the other 14 teams? Well, for one short half an hour last night, five of the non-playoff teams were in the spotlight, as the NHL Draft Lottery took place, with Edmonton emerging victorious (is it really a victory though?) for the third year in a row with the first overall pick.

Since these 14 other teams will be getting absolutely no love over the next two months, it’s time to pay them a little respect by looking at what went wrong, how they can be improved, and early (really early) expectations.

Here are my thoughts on the 14 non-playoff teams, arranged in order from worst to, well, least-worst.

Columbus Blue Jackets

What went wrong: Their off-season acquisitions didn’t pan out. James Wisniewski wasn’t what they thought he’d be on the blueline, and Jeff Carter was traded at the deadline. And there was that whole thing with Rick Nash asking to be traded, and the GM leaving him out to dry by telling everyone that after the trade deadline. Nash is still a Blue Jacket for the time being, but it is widely expected that he will be traded in the summer months.

How they can be improved: More depth up front. If Nash stays in Columbus, he needs someone else who can score. They improved themselves on the back end by acquiring defenceman Jack Johnson in the Carter trade, but help up front is the big issue.

Expectations for 2012-13: Steve Mason, who struggled in net for the Jackets this season, should have a bounce-back season, but with the imminent departure of Nash, it might be another long season for Columbus. Expect to see them near the bottom of the West once again.

Edmonton Oilers

What went wrong: It’s tough to pinpoint one thing that went wrong, but inconsistency sure cost the Oil kids a bunch. They’re also a really young team, which might lead to some fans calling this year an “experience year” for the Oilers.

How they can be improved: Trading the first pick would be the smart thing to do; every young core needs that veteran piece to the puzzle. Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff can be that, but they still need an established scorer. Jaromir Jagr is one potential free agent to keep in mind.

Expectations for 2012-13: Devan Dubnyk emerged late in the season as a more confident goalie than he’s been in the past. He might unseat Nikolai Khabibulin as the perennial starter, and the Oilers could actually make a run at the playoffs next year instead of find themselves in the draft lottery again.

Montreal Canadiens

What went wrong: Oh boy, where to begin. The fact that Carey Price, in a hugely underachieving season, was their only All-Star, speaks volumes to how bad a season it was in Montreal. A lack of scoring depth for much of the season, and little to no depth on the blueline at times were the weaknesses.

How they can be improved: Scoring depth at forward and a couple of solid blueliners in front of Price would be good to add. Sounds easy, right? Well when the team is looking for a new GM (preferably bilingual) and a new Head Coach (also preferably bilingual) things might be a little tougher than they seem in Montreal. Oh, and ditching Scott Gomez and his ludicrous contract would be a good place to start.

Expectations for 2012-13: Unfortunately, unless Price absolutely stands on his head all season, I anticipate much of the same next season for the Habs.

New York Islanders

What went wrong: Again, like Edmonton, it’s hard to find something that really went wrong with New York; maybe it’s because we’re just so accustomed to seeing them fail that we don’t really watch for anything.

How they can be improved: With some of the best young forwards in the league, John Tavares being the leader, a stronger defensive unit might be in order for the Isles.

Expectations for 2012-13: I think they’ll do better than this year for sure; maybe even a top-ten finish in the East?

Toronto Maple Leafs

What went wrong: They completely collapsed when the calendar turned from 2011 to 2012. Goaltending became a huge problem which was highlighted late in the season when the Leafs were losing games with scores like 6-5 and 7-4.

How they can be improved: Goaltending goaltending goaltending. Brian Burke, the team’s GM, has already said goaltending and team size are the two main issues to be addressed in the off-season, something many thought they’d do at the deadline, but didn’t.

Expectations for 2012-13: Unless they can sign a stud goaltender through free agency, they’re in for another unsuccessful season. Unfortunately for them, the only big-name starting goalie free agent under the age of 35 is their own Jonas Gustavsson. Good luck with the lottery next year, Toronto.

Anaheim Ducks

What went wrong: A really slow start to the season. They basically pulled an anti-Leafs, because as soon as 2012 came around they were on a tear. They were actually in the playoff race briefly before the rest of the Pacific Division took off, but that slow start to the season really set them back.

How they can be improved: Consistency, especially between the pipes from Jonas Hiller, and from their blueline as well. Their top forwards, namely Ryan Getzlaf, need to play to their full potential as well.

Expectations for 2012-13: Their players who had down seasons (Getzlaf, Hiller) will bounce back. If they can reel Teemu Selanne back for another kick at the can, they’ll definitely make a push for the playoffs under Bruce Boudreau.

Minnesota Wild

What went wrong: A collapse of Leaf-like proportions. In November-December 2011, the Wild were on top of the league standings. An injury to goaltender Nicklas Backstrom derailed their season, as their defensive strategy wasn’t as successful.

How they can be improved: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi and Mikko Koivu all had bad seasons, so their bouncing back is huge. Backstrom staying healthy is obviously a big factor too, but the acquisition of defenceman Tom Gilbert shored up their blueline.

Expectations for 2012-13: In an always-competitive Northwest Division, it’s going to be tough for the Wild, especially against young up-and-comers like Edmonton and Colorado. Expect them to be at the basement of the division, but not quite at the conference’s bottom.

Carolina Hurricanes

What went wrong: Their stars weren’t their stars until late in the season. Eric Staal had a nightmarish start, with a plus-minus rating lower than the top five scores at the Masters combined. Cam Ward didn’t find his groove until February, and Jeff Skinner, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was out for about two months with a concussion.

How they can be improved: In all honesty, if the Hurricanes can add one piece on the blueline, and stay healthy, they’ll be more than alright in a lacklustre Southeast Division.

Expectations for 2012-13: The Hurricanes have a great chance of winning their division. Not joking.

Winnipeg Jets

What went wrong: After a surprising start to the season, the Jets faltered. They were in a playoff spot until late February, and a disappointing March led to their demise. Having the 24^th-ranked penalty kill didn’t help very much, and though Ondrej Pavelec played well down the stretch, he did struggle in December and January, and didn’t get a lot of help in front of him at times.

How they can be improved: More consistency from their blueline; picking up someone like Brad Stuart or Dennis Wideman through free agency would be beneficial. Another solid scoring threat like Zach Parise would help, or maybe they’ll do the unthinkable and bring Shane Doan back to the Peg. With around 20 million in spending money at their disposal, the Jets aren’t in a bad position.

Expectations for 2012-13: While Jets fans will look at my comment of their division as “lacklustre” with disgust, they will be happier when I say I think they could challenge for the division title in 2012-13.

Tampa Bay Lightning

What went wrong: Our third Southeast team in a row, and just like the Hurricanes, found their groove too late in the season. Questionable goaltending and anemic defensive play plagued the Lightning for much of the season.

How they can be improved: Easy, they need a goalie and a healthy defence corps. They’ve got the scoring up front with Steven Stamkos scoring 60 times this season, and Teddy Purcell emerging at the season’s end with Ryan Malone. Some support behind these stellar forwards is much-needed.

Expectations for 2012-13: Like the Canes and Jets, they have a shot at winning the division. Which by my math makes five teams who have great chances at winning the Southeast division. The division has five teams. Hmmm

Colorado Avalanche

What went wrong: Another team which found itself in a slow start to the season, but again it’s hard to pinpoint where they really went wrong. The ninth best powerplay was complemented by the twelfth best penalty kill, spearheaded by rookie Gabriel Landeskog. Failure to beat the teams higher in the standings can be credited to their not making the playoffs.

How they can be improved: Experience; the Avalanche are a young team with lots of players who emerged from the woodwork this season. And they still almost made the playoffs.

Expectations for 2012-13: The Avalanche will be fine next season, but in the competitive Western Conference it might be tough for them to crack the top eight again.

Buffalo Sabres

What went wrong: A terrible start to the season set the Sabres way back, and although they staged a late comeback in the season, it was way too late to make up for Ryan Miller’s slow start. Also, paying Ville Leino a lot of money seemed to spook him, as he underachieved big time.

How they can be improved: They just need their scoring forwards to score, and they’ll be fine in a weakening Northeast Division.

Expectations for 2012-13: Ryan Miller will have a bounce-back season for sure; one of the best goalies in the world won’t just curl up and fade away that easily. Watch for the Sabres to be their normal playoff selves again next season.

Dallas Stars

What went wrong: Chalk this one up to being in the best overall division in hockey. Let’s face it, you could be a really good team but it won’t matter if you’re in a division with Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose and Los Angeles.

How they can be improved: They have to be better against their own division. A .500 record against their fellow Pacific Division isn’t going to cut it.

Expectations for 2012-13: This season the Pacific Division title went all the way down to the final day of the regular season; as of a week before the season ended, the Stars still had a shot at the spot before being eliminated during the last week. Next year, they’ll be right back in that mix once again.

Calgary Flames

What went wrong: A lack of real offence hurt the Flames, as Jarome Iginla once again put the team’s scoring on his back and was a major percentage of the team’s offence. Miikka Kiprusoff did his best sieve impression at times as well in goal, not helping the Flames’ cause.

How they can be improved: Secondary offence is going to be crucial if the Flames want to make the playoffs next season.

Expectations for 2012-13: I expect the Flames to make a big splash in free agency, and make a push for that elusive eighth spot. And to be honest, it would be nice to see a Northwest team other than Vancouver make the playoffs…

Ode to the Sleepers and Stinkers

There’s nothing I love more than watching sports analysts be proven wrong. I don’t know why, and it’s strange considering I am a budding sports journalist who one day hopes to be one of these analysts. There’s just some weird, undiscovered pleasure to be found when a team proves one of these guys wrong.

Going into every NHL season, the so-called “experts” make their picks and predictions as to who will win each division, and who will qualify in a playoff spot, and so on and so forth. And every year there’s a few teams who just screw everything up, whether it’s by being a feel-good story taking everyone by surprise, or a team who just manages to stink it up. This week I salute those sleepers and call out the stinkers, and thank them for disrupting the experts since, well, as long as there’s been experts to disrupt.

Eastern Conference

Sleepers

Florida Panthers – who would have picked this group to be leading the Southeast division right now? For the past few years it’s almost been a gimme pick to have Washington atop the divisional standings as a pre-season prediction, but led offensively by Kris Versteeg and helped by Brian Campbell from the blueline, it seems as though Florida is set to take the division. It doesn’t hurt that Jose Theodore has managed to re-discover what it’s like to be an adequate goaltender, and he’s been in net for 19 of the Panthers’ 32 wins this season. A no-name group of players for sure, but one which is ready to de-throne Washington as perennial division champions.

New Jersey Devils – Every year the Devils are picked to be out of the playoff picture, and every year they make playoffs. This year will be no different, as once again the Devils give the metaphorical middle finger to all those doubters. They won’t win the Atlantic division (Rangers, Penguins and Flyers are all ahead of them in the standings), but they’ll still provide an interesting playoff matchup for whoever they play. Ilya Kovalchuk is maintaining his superstar status, while the ageless wonder Martin Brodeur is still, yes still backstopping Jersey to a respectable playoff position. In all likelihood, they’ll finish sixth, but there is a chance they could catch Philadelphia for fifth place in the East. Take that, doubters!

Ottawa Senators – Rank these kids right up there with Florida as surprise team of the year. Not many could have seen the Sens in any type of playoff position in September, with such a young team on the ice every night. However this group of kids has had the right type of veteran leadership provided by Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, and Erik Karlsson could very well be the next great NHL superstar defenceman. Craig Anderson has been steady all season, and Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop have stepped up well in his relief recently. A balanced offensive outburst aided by players like Chris Neil and Zack Smith has allowed Ottawa to find themselves comfortably in sixth place in the East, where they will likely end up. And don’t even try and tell me Paul MacLean’s moustache has nothing to do with their success this year…

Winnipeg Jets – So I know right now the Jets are in tenth in the East, four points behind Washington; but did anyone predict they would be anywhere near this spot? None of the experts did, but I bet the city of Winnipeg saw this coming. Ok, maybe not even they saw it coming, but that’s beside the point, which is that Winnipeg is still realistically in the playoff race. Right in the middle of it. Andrew Ladd’s leadership and the fanbase of Winnipeg have spurred the Jets on all season long, and while they’ve stumbled recently it isn’t because of goaltending. Ondrej Pavelec has been outstanding recently, allowing the former Atlanta Thrashers, who had only made playoffs once in their franchise’s history, to find themselves with a shot. A team essentially ignored by the experts at the beginning of the season has proven they have what it takes to prove these experts wrong, so I salute you Winnipeg!

Stinkers

Washington Capitals – At times this season it seems like the Capitals can’t buy a goal. Which brings me to this thought, which is that they’re paying Alexander Semin way too much money. A coaching change mid-season hasn’t brought about a change in their success, although they do now find themselves in the eighth playoff spot. Still, in a division with teams like Florida and Tampa Bay, you’d think Alexander Ovechkin’s Caps would be able to run away with the division. You would think.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Again, a team making a late-season charge at a playoff spot, but it might be too little, too late for the Lightning, who seemed destined to be a playoff team after making it all the way to the Conference Final  a year ago. Dwayne Roloson hasn’t been the same goalie, and Steven Stamkos has only recently turned on the little goal light in his head that makes him score on a regular basis. Too bad really, they seemed like they were about to challenge for the Southeast division title…

Toronto Maple Leafs – As if you thought they were actually going to make playoffs. Shame on you if you did.

Western Conference

Sleepers

St Louis Blues – Can you believe that the Blues are first overall in the NHL? Can you believe that nobody would have thought that at the beginning of the year? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you’re definitely not alone. Incredible goaltending from Jaro Halak and Brian Elliott has boosted the Blues in the standings all season long, and now they find themselves on top. They don’t have a point-per-game player, but they do have eight players with double-digit goals, showing that any player can contribute offensively on any given night. They’re sure giving these experts the Blues now.

Dallas Stars – Yes, Dallas, the team of the NHL’s best players you’ve never heard of. In the media vacuum that is hockey in Texas, players like Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson provide the offensive spark, while Michael Ryder has scored 30 goals for the first time in five years. Kari Lehtonen has been rock-solid in net for the Pacific-leading Stars, who only lead the division by two points, yet are 9-0-1 in their last ten. If they stay on this roll, playoff hockey will be coming to Texas once again. Not that anybody there really cares.

Phoenix Coyotes – it is truly amazing how this ragtag team of rejects does it year after year. They’re in seventh in the West right now, only two points back of the Pacific Division lead, and they’re doing it with players like Radim Vrbata and Ray Whitney leading the charge. Vrbata, who went through five teams in nine years before finding a home in the desert, Whitney, who had played for six different teams and is now 39 years old. Up and down the roster, you can find players who you remember scoring goals for some other team five years ago, and who you hadn’t heard from in a couple of seasons. Well, they’re emerging (sort of) now in Phoenix, and thriving under Dave Tippett’s coaching. When all is said and done, the team will likely make playoffs for the third year in a row, once again likely amidst rumours of relocation and ownership changes. Take that, experts!

Colorado Avalanche – Oh, those pesky Avalanche, always screwing things up in the Northwest division. Experts tend to take the sexier picks like Calgary, or even this year Edmonton (good one), but the Avs are showing they can never be counted out. Or maybe they should always be counted out, because that’s when they’ve thrived recently. Winners of seven of their last ten, and winners of seventeen games in 2012, the Avalanche are currently holding down eighth spot in the Western playoff picture, ahead of perennial playoff teams like San Jose and Anaheim. A playoff spot would look good on this group, led offensively by a young man named Ryan O’Reilly (sure he’s no Burnaby Joe, but the kid’s got talent).

Stinkers

Los Angeles Kings – I remember one of TSN’s “experts” prior to the season commenting how the Kings were going to have no problem finding offence this season, and the only question mark would be their goaltending. Well, the Kings can now laugh heartily in this “expert’s” egg-covered face, because you guessed it, the opposite has happened! LA has had no luck offensively this season, and goalie Jonathan Quick has single-handedly been what has kept them in the playoff race for so long. They’re not completely out of it (yet), but they desperately need to find that lost offence really soon if they want to have a chance. Nobody knows how to take an expert’s prediction to heart like the LA Kings, they really showed that guy!

San Jose Sharks – Again, a team not completely out of it, sitting only one game back of Colorado with three games in hand. But the Sharks, on paper, should be division leaders, no? Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe, a Cup-winning goaltender in Antti Niemi. No? This doesn’t sound like a perennial division champion to you? Ok good, me either, I was just trying to appease the hungry Sharks. But they should definitely be a playoff team, and the fact they are in ninth is somewhat surprising. Maybe the only good news for the Sharks is that if they make the playoffs, it wouldn’t be very likely at all that they’d play their playoff-nemesis Nashville Predators until the third round at least.

Calgary Flames – Oh, those pesky Flames, always screwing things up in the Northwest division. Sound familiar? It seems like when the consensus is for the Flames to do well, they suck, and when the consensus is for the Flames to do poorly, they do well. This year I don’t think there really was a consensus either way, which explains why the Flames are now floundering in the middle of a tight group racing for the final two playoff spots in the West. Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, as always, lead the Flames’ charge, which is starting to heat up a bit, as is Curtis Glencross. Still, the Flames should be doing better than tenth in the West, especially in the same division as perennial stinkers Colorado, Minnesota, and Edmonton.

Anaheim Ducks – While I do take great pleasure in watching the Ducks fail this season (they just haven’t been the same in my eyes since they ditched the “Mighty”), it is with some surprise. On paper they look like more than a sleeper team, but they’ve turned into a bit of a stinker this year. I guess that’s what can happen when a 41-year old leads your team in scoring, and the guy who’s supposedly the best power forward in hockey (hey Ryan Getzlaf, ever heard of Jarome Iginla?) only scores nine goals. Jonas Hiller has been missing in action as well, with a personal record far below .500.