Todd Cordell
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (47-25-8)
Since December 1st the Penguins are the NHL's 2nd best possession team (behind only Los Angeles) and rank 1st in goals for and goal differential. It's no coincidence the wins continue to pile up.
2. Anaheim Ducks (44-24-11)
On December 1st the Ducks had just 23 points and were 24th in the NHL. Now they lead the Pacific Division.
3. Washington Capitals (55-17-7)
The Caps have cooled down of late but they're without Nicklas Backstrom and, in reality, haven't been playing for anything for a while now. They're still going to be very dangerous come playoff time.
4. Dallas Stars (48-23-9)
They continue to win games despite horrible goaltending and the absence of Tyler Seguin. This team is very good.
5. Los Angeles Kings (47-28-5)
Losing to Vancouver and following that up with an overtime win over Calgary isn't the best look but I'm confident in saying the Kings will be an extremely tough out for anyone come playoff time.
Peter Tessier 1. Penguins- hey now don't look too close you may talk yourself out of believing the waddling birds aren't playing the best hockey in the league right now. 2. Stars- you think they are going to slip, they seem like they should slip but they just keep hanging on. 3. Capitals- sure they are at the top but they aren't playing the best hockey. Hopefully they can if they face Philly in round 1. 4. Blues- should they be higher? Maybe. Should they be better? Maybe. Problem is how they do in the playoffs always starts with 'maybe' 5. Panthers- yep the big bad cats are playing better than the reigning champs. Credit where credit is due here and Florida deserves some.
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