The Blues lose to the Hawks, and stay No. 1? It may sound silly, but a team like the Hawks is dangerous right now. They have talent but aren't a playoff team, so they have nothing to lose, especially on the road. They just let it all hang out. Also, while Dallas and Washington remain steady, where the heck are the Avs? Slipping fast.
Team
|
PVS
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W-L-T-RT
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ESPN.com says
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1. Blues
|
1
|
40-16-6-0
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Hold steady now, they can't win 'em all. Still the best team in the league.
|
2. Flyers
|
5
|
33-17-11-1
|
Bandwagon shmandwagon. If the Flyers beat the Blues on Tuesday, they're officially a contender.
|
3. Wings
|
4
|
38-20-6-1
|
Wins over the Isles and Lightning shouldn't get anyone too excited, but wins are wins.
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4. Devils
|
2
|
37-19-7-5
|
From the Master of the obvious, better known as MOTO, department: Martin Brodeur is Vezina favorite. |
5. Stars
|
3
|
34-23-6-3
|
Losing to Preds and Hawks hurts. Key for Stars is finding a consistent scoring touch.
|
6. Capitals
|
6
|
31-21-10-1
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Must beat Isles and Lightning to keep pace and be in position for next week's game with division-leading Panthers.
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7. Leafs
|
15
|
33-22-7-3
|
Three straight wins over solid teams has restored some confidence in Toronto.
|
8. Senators
|
11
|
30-22-9-2
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Few think Sens can challenge for the Cup, but at the same time, everyone knows they're tough to play against.
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9. Oilers
|
18
|
24-25-15-8
|
Don't let their record deceive you. They're the best sub-.500 team going, even if that fails to inspire admiration.
|
10. Panthers
|
9
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34-24-4-5
|
Have lost four of five and Sabres and Leafs are coming to town. Anything less than two points may allow Caps to catch them.
|
11. 'Yotes
|
8
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32-23-7-1
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How valuable is Keith Tkachuk? Recent play enough to prove that trading him would be a mistake.
|
12. Kings
|
7
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30-25-7-3
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No playoff-level team has allowed more goals than the 183 the Kings have let between the pipes.
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13. Sharks
|
14
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26-30-8-7
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When Owen Nolan gets mad, he can control a game like few in the game can. Check Saturday's game vs. the Kings for proof.
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14. Flames
|
19
|
26-30-7-5
|
Doesn't it seem like this team is always three points out of a playoff spot? It would be exciting if the Flames traded to upgrade for a late push.
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15. Ducks
|
16
|
26-27-10-1
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Guys like Marty McInnis and Ted Donato may finally be giving the Ducks some much-needed depth. |
16. Rangers
|
23
|
26-29-9-3
|
GM Neil Smith says he's not looking to make any deals, which usually means you should expect something big to happen.
|
17. Sabres
|
13
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25-29-9-2
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From the big, red flag department: Dominik Hasek looked mighty human over the weekend. |
18. Avalanche
|
17
|
28-26-10-1
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New Webster's entry for "enigma": Cup caliber team from Denver that can't win consistently.
|
19. Penguins
|
10
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26-29-7-6
|
No Jagr. No wins. No chance.
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20. Canadiens
|
12
|
25-30-7-3
|
Is the joyride over? Let's hope not. Seeing the Habs grab the No. 8 spot would be a great story.
|
21. 'Canes
|
21
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26-28-9-0
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A 14-13-4 home record speaks to some of the problems in Carolina. Being at home isn't really an advantage.
|
22. Predators
|
26
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22-34-6-5
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Preds aren't a bad team, but to reach the next level, they need to get more scoring and some depth. But 20 other teams need exactly the same thing.
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23. Canucks
|
22
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21-30-11-6
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Don't fool anyone. This team won't make the playoffs, so move the Mess man and get the Sedin lockers ready.
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24. Lightning
|
27
|
15-39-7-6
|
Three wins in a week is something to be happy about, and it couldn't have come at a better time with morale pretty low in FLA.
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25. 'Hawks
|
24
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22-33-7-2
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For anyone who thinks the regular season is irrelevant, consider the position the Hawks would be in had they played this way in October.
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26. Bruins
|
25
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19-26-17-4
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From the caustic comment department: The organization is getting embarrassing. Injuries aren't an excuse.
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27. Thrashers
|
28
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12-43-6-4
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Any chance of catching the Lightning is now gone. GM Don Waddell starting to dislike losing ... a lot.
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28. Islanders
|
20
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17-38-7-1
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They had their hot week, and any positive karma has been passed to Tampa.
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