At the halfway point of the lengthy National Hockey League season, the top teams in the league will begin to separate themselves from the pack. After looking at the teams at the top of the standing, breaking them down and comparing their schedules, statistics and other factors, here is a list of the top 10 NHL teams one week after the break.
- St. Louis Blues; 2nd in Central Division, 3rd in Western Conference
The Blues have continued to impress during the 2014-15 season, jumping out to a 29-13-4 record before the All Star break. Currently, the Blues have won nine of their last 10 games, and the one loss was to Detroit in overtime. The Blues are led by their leading goal and points scorer, Vladimir Tarasenko, who has scored 24 goals with 24 assists on the season. The Blues are anchored by a pair of goaltenders in Brian Elliott and Jake Allen who both have a .900 plus save percentage and with Elliott posting a sub two goals against average (GAA).
The Blues continued to roll into the second half with a win over their division leading Nashville Predators, and then went on to beat the Carolina Hurricanes on the road. Their efforts have earned them the number one rank.
- Montreal Canadiens; 2nd Atlantic Division, 2nd Eastern Conference
As a Bruins fan, it pains me to place the Habs this high on the list, but they have earned their spot. They entered the break with a 29-13-3 record, and finishing with two big wins versus the Islanders and Predators. With players like Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and PK Subban leading the way on offense, backed by a goalie like Carey Price, who has posted a 2.03 GAA, this team is hard to stop right now.
They opened the second half with three straight wins versus the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars and the New York Rangers, this team has not skipped a beat over the All-Star break. Look for this team to make a deep playoff run come June.
- Anaheim Ducks; 1st Pacific Division, 1st Western Conference
Despite being the top team in the west, the Ducks are not invincible. They opened the season with a strong first half, earning their division and conference leading record of 31-10-6. They are led in total points by forward Ryan Getzlaf with 50, but the nearest player to him only has 32. The Ducks are still high on the list because of their 7-1-0 month of January. Their goalie, Frederik Andersen, is still playing well between the pipes.
The Ducks fell to third on the list due to two big losses, a 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks and then a 4-1 loss at home to the Chicago Blackhawks. But this team is down, but not out, and you can probably bet you’ll see the Ducks in the playoff bracket in a few months.
- Chicago Blackhawks; 3rd Central Division, 4th Western Conference
The Blackhawks are never a team that should be counted out. With players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Towes and Patrick Sharp, these guys are always dangerous. Not to mention having a man like Corey Crawford in net, who has played well despite being on the short end of a few close games.
It is because of a few bad losses that the ‘Hawks are only fourth on this list. Before the break they were 30-15-2, but have started the break at just 1-2, taking two tough losses to San Jose and the Los Angeles Kings that have set them back.
- Tampa Bay Lightning; 1st Atlantic Division, 1st Eastern Conference
This team continues to play well after the break, going 30-14-4 start to the season. With three players that have scored over 40 points, including the deadly Steven Stamkos, this team is a force to be reckoned with. Their speed as a team and their relentless attack is often too much for teams to handle. And with Maine hockey alumnus Ben Bishop making over 1,000 saves and losing only eight games, this team is playing well.
They were set back by a 4-2 loss to Carolina to begin the second half, but have since bounced back to win their last two straight. They have a tough matchup against the Blues and Stars on the road.
- Nashville Predators; 1st Central Division, 2nd Western Conference
The Predators have been a bit of a surprising team this season and have jumped into one of the top spots in the west with a 30-10-5. They are getting some production from Mike Ribeiro and second-year center Filip Forsberg, and we can not forget defenseman Shea Weber, who recorded the hardest shot at the NHL Skills competition with a 105 MPH slapshot.
The real problem for the Preds’ is the fact that their star goaltender, Pekka Rinne, who has posted a 1.96 GAA, was injured on Jan. 13. Since his injury, Nashville has been 2-2-2, giving up over three goals per game. They bounced back with a 4-3 win over Colorado Avalanche, but have lost two games in a row; one to the Blues and one to the Avalanche again. So without Rinne, this team could continue to slide down the standings.
- Detroit Red Wings; 3rd Atlantic Division, 3rd Eastern Conference
Hockeytown, USA continues to impress as the season continues, and they have worked towards a 27-11-9 record. With talent like Henrik Zetterberg, Maine alumnus Gustav Nyquist and Pavel Datsyuk, this team is always dangerous and will put up a heck of a fight in every game. Former Maine goaltender Jimmy Howard has performed well this season, but has since gone down with a groin injury in January.
But since Howard’s injury, the Wings have won seven of their last eight games, and eights of their last 10. Without Howard, the Red Wings’ playoff hopes are up in the air, but so far so good, and they remain in the top 10.
- New York Islanders; 1st Metropolitan Division, 4th Eastern Conference
The Islanders are another surprise team in the NHL this season. They finished the first half of their season with a 31-14-1 record, good enough for the top spot in their division. Captain John Tavares continues to score goals, leading the team with 23. The Isles are also anchored by a strong defense led by former Bruin Johnny Boychuk, who also has 25 points, 21 of which are assists. The Islanders have also won 32 games after only having played 49 this season, the second fewest in the NHL.
The Islanders took two hard losses to begin the second half, a 4-1 loss to Detroit and a 5-2 loss to Boston. But they did manage to put the Rangers down by a score of 4-1, so they will remain in the bottom half of the top 10.
- New York Rangers; 3rd Metropolitan Division, 7th Eastern Conference
The Rangers were a dominant team in the first half, posting a 31-14-1 record. Their offense has been a tad sluggish at times, with Rick Nash and Martin St. Louis leading the way. Henrik Lundqvist is still an elite goalie, and is part of the reason why the Rangers are still on this list. The Rangers have won six of their last 10 games, but some of those losses have come to teams that they should be able to beat.
The Rangers began the second half with a big loss to their rival, the Islanders, but were able to beat the lowly Hurricanes. Their hard fought 1-0 loss to Montreal is one of the only reasons they stayed on this list. After barely beating the Ottawa Senators before the break, this team needs a few big wins to get back up in the rankings.
- Boston Bruins; 4th Atlantic Division, 6th Eastern Conference
Call me a homer, but the Bruins have turned their horrible start into potential playoff contention. The Bruins began the season with scoring inconsistencies and frankly, they looked pretty horrible. But they have since turned their offense around and have won eight of their last 10 games. Offense is still at a premium, Patrice Bergeron and Carl Soderberg topping the points total with 33 and 32 points respectively. But the B’s have some young talent, rookie David Pastrnak and Seth Griffith showing they can put the puck in the net. Tuukka Rask has been solid for Boston in net, making over 1100 saves en route to 22 wins.
The B’s have gained momentum since the break, winning both games versus talented opponents. Their most triumphant victory came on the road against the Islanders, winning the game 5-2. If Boston can continue to win big games and be consistent on offense, they could become a legitimate playoff team.
Anything can happen in the NHL and these rankings are subject to change. Anyone can beat anyone, and in one of the longest seasons in all of professional sports, every win counts as the final half of the season begins.