USAToday Sports Images
USAToday Sports Images

Atlantic Division

  • Buffalo is better than expected at 8-8-1 (17 pts), and Jack Eichel has not had to carry the weight.
  • Montreal is off to a little better than expected start at 13-3-2 (28 pts), but the big surprise is that they have had to pull this record off minus the services of last years MVP Carey Price. He has missed two weeks now with a lower body injury.
  • Tampa Bay is off to a sluggish at 8-8-3 (19 pts), and I can’t help but think that the Steven Stamkos contract issues are becoming a distraction.

Metropolitan Division

  • New York Rangers are dominating. Their 14-2-2 (30 pts) record out of the gate is crazy good. They are also playing as one of the most complete teams offensively and defensively in the league. This team is poised to make a strong cup run. Nothing short of hoisting the Stanley Cup will equal success in the “Big Apple”.
  • The New Jersey Devils were expected to struggle, but they have pushed their way to a 10-6-1 (21 pts) start. Pretty impressive.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have hit the skids. There 10-7-0 (20 pts) record actually looks much better than this team has played. They have had a complete roller coaster of a year, and currently are in their biggest dip. Surprisingly goal production is a major struggle. Superstar Sidney Crosby is a mile off his normal pace, and tension seems to be surrounding this team.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets would like to just go to sleep and wake up next year. This nightmare of a season sees them at 6-12-0 (12 pts), and there are not a lot of signs of optimism. New coach John Tortorella was summoned to save this team’s season. Let’s see what he has to help this team turn it around.

Central Division

  • Almost every team in this division is good, and that really is not a surprise.
  • Dallas may be the biggest surprise, and that really is not a shocker. They are off to a 14-4-0 (28 pts) start, but the surprise may just be that they are in first place.
  • The Minnesota Wild may just have found a way to solve last season woes. They are off to an impressive 10-3-3 (23 pts) which lands them in second place.
  • Off course Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago also look great. This will be a battle for the three playoff spots in this division, and probably will also hold the two Western Conference wildcards.

Pacific Division

  • The Los Angeles Kings are back, and back strong. The usually slow starting Kings are 11-6-0 (22 pts) out of the gates, and definitely the class of the weaker Pacific Division.
  • Phoenix is wowing the league. The young talent that this team has is very impressive, and is the main reason they find themselves in second place with a record of 9-7-1 (19 pts).
  • Anaheim is probably the biggest disappointment. This powerhouse was pegged by many to win the Stanley Cup. That looks like a task that may just be falling out of reach. A birth in the playoffs just might have to be the goal, and that will be very difficult. The Ducks 5-8-4 record has them stuck at 14 points and five points out of a playoff spot. That does not sound like much, and really isn’t, but this team was expected to be rolling this year. This talented team will probably turn it around, but this poor start was very unexpected.
  • The Calgary Flames were everyone’s Cinderella story last year. They outworked every opponent. The young talent produced, they had the best defensive core in the league, and goaltending gave them a chance to win on a nightly basis. This year has been the exact opposite. They are often out worked, goaltending has been miserable, defense has been horrible, and too much pressure is being put on the young stars of this team. The Flames 13 points (6-12-1) just may have them already out of any playoff hopes.