In their season series, the Sens won 3 out of 4 against New York and have proven they can use their speed and offense to compete with the tough Rangers.   But a late season slip moved them to the #8 spot and the Senators lack a lot of experience and toughness to be expected to go deep in the playoffs.

RANGERS: New York has risen from the ashes to win the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a team that hasn’t made the Conference Finals since 1997.  Thanks to the stellar goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist the Rangers are good to go deep in the playoffs.

OK.  They might need some help. Toss in big free-agent Brad Richrads and the revived Marian Gaborik and the Rangers can help put up some points to match their great goaltending.  The Rangers have been sloppy in the final stretch but I expect them to man up and take the series.  The Sens have speed but the Rangers have the size and speed to keep them in check.

Note, if there is to be an upset of any kind in the playoffs, it could happen here if the Senators get hot early in the series and we all know that the Rangers biggest enemy is the Rangers themselves.  Possible meltdown could happen at MSG.

PREDICTION : Rangers win series 4-1

Goalies. Who will it be? Tomas Vokoun has been fighting injuries and Braden Holtby looks to be the man in net.  Wait…who?

BRUINS: Like the Canucks, the Bruins started off slow and then found their gear to fly to the top of the standings.  Goalie Tim Thomas is on fire and as long as the Capitals don’t invite Barack Obama to their game he should be stellar again in goal for the Bruins.

Brad Marchand, Tyler Seguin, Chris Kelly and David Krejci all topped the 20+ goal mark to help out the Bruin offense but it’s their defense that is really the key.

Despite the ups and downs, the Bruins are still the Bruins and I respect them as Stanley Cup defenders.  Look for them and their defensive vets like Zdeno Chara to advance to the next round.

It’s hard to repeat as Champions but the Bruins love to grind out their opponents physically.  Look for them to fight off an early push by Washington to steer the series their way.

PREDICTION : Bruins win series 4-2

The penalty-killing for the Devils is tops in the league

PANTHERS:  The last time the Panthers were in the playoffs, 2000, they lost to the Devils.  It’s safe to say that Florida has gone through some makeovers since then.  In fact, they have turned over most of their team since DeBoer coached there a few years back.

What Florida lacks in talent they make up for in depth.   Overall, they are just a well-rounded team but will need to step up and have someone define their leadership to keep the high-flying Devils offense in check.

The Devils know the Panthers and the Panthers know the Devils. Former Brodeur backup goalie Scott Clemmensen may get some playing time to face his old team as the Panthers will also us the defensive trap to choke the New Jersey scorers.  Somehow, that’s just so fitting.

PREDICTION : Panthers win series 4-3

The Flyers and Penguins matchup will be all-out war.  Physical, bone-jarring war.  Look for lots of hits, lots of fights, and plenty of scoring and enjoy the ride. It’s hard not to focus on these two teams that hate each other more than Boston and Montreal.

Throw out everything you know about the teams and just watch this series. Pittsburgh is such a dominant force but Philly knows how to get under their skin. It will be memorable, I can all but guarantee it. It’s going to be Last Man Standing here.

PREDICTION : Penguins win series 4-3 in quadruple overtime shootout, dueling pistols thumb war.

Despite an offensive slump of late that doesn’t mean it won’t be a great series.  Late season trades to bring in the talents of a star like Jeff Carter helps but his 9 points in 16 games are on the bench with an injury.  He’s expected back but it hurts not knowing for sure what he’ll be able to bring to the table.

As with any good playoff team, you’ll only go as far as your goalie will allow. Thankfully for Kings fans, they have the stellar Jonathan Quick who led the NHL with 10 shutouts.  He’s a solid ray of light on a team still looking for it’s playoff identity.  If he’s hot, look for the Kings to pull a Pekka Rinne-type run like the Preds did last year.

Anze Kopitar led the team with a respectable 76 points this season but for the Kings to fly past the Canucks and keep up with the high-flying Vancouver offense, Kopitar will have to have a series of career games and fire up his team. Mike Richards has been quiet most of the last half of the season but he did finish off by scoring in each of the last five games.  Maybe the Kings are ready to wake up their offense?

CANUCKS:  The Canucks are still the most talented team in the league despite Daniel Sedin out with injuries.  They are deep and have proven they can go deep, like last year.  They also proved they can’t pull out a win, like last year.

The Canucks won the Western Conference title by only dropping 6 games in regulation since March 1st.  So, yeah, they’re still hot and they should be properly motivated to go deep again this year.

If the bad taste of losing to Boston in the last minutes doesn’t fire them up, nothing will.  Even the Oilers lost early in the Gretzky days to the Islanders before kicking off their dynasty.  It all has to begin somewhere.

Problem is, Roberto Luongo and the Canucks have been known to take most of the first round off so we’ll go with the safe bet and say they’ll squeak one out in 7 games and then run deep again.

PREDICTION: Canucks win series 4-3

Joe Thornton is still an assist machine and Patrick Marleau gladly benefits from that but their offensive output is slightly down from years past.  So Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski will need to step up and catch on fire for the Sharks to have much of a chance.

Antti Niemi is a workhorse in goal but he will need the Sharks to fire on all cylinders to try and dent the tough Blues defense.  There’s a lot of pressure on the Sharks to win this year but their rather lackluster season overall leaves me in doubt.

BLUES: The Blues are young and tough.  They seemingly came out of nowhere to almost win the Western Conference thanks to a very tough defense and stellar goaltending. They have two solid goaltenders who will lead the team very deep if they continue to play at their season level. But that’s where youth comes in.

How will Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott hold up to the playoff pressure?

As long as coach Ken Hitchcock, who turned this franchise around, keeps their feet on the ground I expect similar results as their regular season series with San Jose.

PREDICTION: Blues win series 4-2

The fate of the ‘Hawks rests in Toews return. Without him, a lot of players are going to have to pick up slack against a hot team.  The ‘Hawks gave Vancouver a run last year and I’m leaning toward them being strong enough to make that leap into the second round if they can get into a grinding series and wear the Coyotes down.

Goalie Corey Crawford has only lost 3 games in regulation since Feb. 16th. If he continues to play well and pulls out a similar effort from the Vancouver series last playoffs, look for the Blackhawks to do some fun things in the playoffs.

COYOTES: The Coyotes have never made it to the 2nd round while in Arizona. They may not again as talk continues with the franchise moving at the end of the year … again.

Despite finishing 1st in the Pacific Division, the Blackhawks come into town with a better record, more points and playing in a tougher division. There’s a lot of pressure in Phoenix to win as the fate of the franchise is literally on the line.  But unlike the Predators in small-market Nashville winning last year and reviving the franchise, the Phoenix organization is a clusterfudge and the weight of the drama may loom too much for the team if it falls behind in the series.

Mike Smith was a monster in goal for Phoenix and you should be hearing his name quite a bit in this playoffs with some spectacular saves. Both teams suffer from a lame power play so look for the key to this series being the guy in the net. Remember, this happened last year with Bryz in goal and it didn’t go well for Phoenix.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks win series 4-2

Age and experience will help the Wings but as long as Pavel Datsyuk does his thing, and it’s a wonderful thing, the Red Wings will be in competition.   The Red Wings are stacked with veterans in their lineup but have proven to be mortal this season. They had a 20-game winning streaks but also a couple of 6-game losing streaks.  Their up/down season is just hard to predict.

Injuries to goalie Jimmy Howard have started to take their toll and he’ll have to stay healthy for the Wings to have a chance.  Although I think the Wings could win the series, I don’t see them as Stanley Cup contenders like in years past.

PREDATORS: For the third time in 8 trips, the Preds will face the Wings in the playoffs.  Nashville has a small playoff record but did wonderful things last year as they went all the way to Vancouver to advance past the first round for the first time in franchise history.

And the Preds are a better team this year. Probably the best in their franchise history.  The Wings have always been the monkey on Nashville’s back and in their season series the two split the games 4-4.  It’s going to be a tough one for Nashville.  It might even be one of their hardest series ever as expectations are leaning toward Nashville going very deep in the playoffs if they can pull off this one against their rivals.

Goalie Pekka Rinne was a stud in the pipes last year and had another fantastic year and the defensive duo of Shea Weber and Ryan Suter is one of the best in the league.

Add in the extra offense from the newly reacquired Paul Gaustad, Andrei Kostitsyn and the once exiled Alexander Radulov and the Predators offense is stronger as well, which is a welcome sight to Mike Fisher and Martin Erat.

Radulov is looking to make a name for himself in the NHL with free agency approaching which is why he rushed so hard to get back into the league. Look for him to be a big factor in the Predators advancing.

PREDICTION: Predators win series 4-3

The hottest team right now is on one of the best tears I’ve seen in years. At 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, the Bruins are now one of the best in the league. Not a bad comeback from a very cold start.

Not the hottest team in the league right now, the Wild are still the best. As long as they can keep winning those 1-goal games they’re golden. They just continue to find a way to win.

Like the Bruins, the Rangers are on an epic tear through the league. Their 12-2 record is very impressive as well as their 51 goals allowed, tied with the Bruins for the best.

The Pens will be without Sidney for a few days as injuries have prompted the team to cautiously keep him at home for their road trip. Win streaks are starting to be interrupted by losses more frequently as the Pens struggle to hold onto the top spot.

No name Panthers continue to surprise as they hold an impressive 5-point lead in the division.

Huge turnaround for the Wings as goalie Jimmy Howard went 11-4-1 in his last 16 games. Chicago still holds a nice lead in the division and 2 straight losses will knock them down a few pegs next week.

Philly is one point out of the lead for the division and their 7-3-0 record in their last 10 indicate now is a great time to leap on the Pens who will be without Sidney for a few games.  If goaltending can hold up that is…

The Leafs stayed mediocre during James Reimer’s absence but his return means they will lean back on him to challenge the Panthers.

The Canucks, like the Bruins, have finally woken up. Not as impressive as the Bruins but enough to make them crack the top 10 finally. Trade rumors about Luongo seemed to have awaken the team.

The ‘Yotes have a small hold on the division as they continue their surprising year.  Close division that could sway easily as 4th place San Jose is only 4 points out.

The new and improved Blues continue to roll with Hitchcock and now have only 3 points to gain on the leading Blackhawks. Hitchcock has worked a small miracle here.

The Sharks have chilled and continue to struggle. 4 loses in their last five drops them significantly.

The Kings are still hot and cold as they have gone 2-3 in the last five and 4 of those were decided by one goal.

At 7-2-1, the Jets have won 4 straight for one of the hottest streaks in the league. The bad news is they were so far down that this new win streak only brings them to 3rd in the division. Losing record on the road is hurting them the most but that will change next year with the new alignments.

The Stars dimmed by losing 3 of their last five.  Huge road trip awaits to challenge them.

New coach and new philosophy have not helped much as the Caps continue to sink from the top team to the middle of the pack. Ovi has started to thaw with a goal and assist in the last three games but he will need to catch fire to get this team back in the mix.

Ryan Miller is back and that will help, as long as they can keep opposing goons from rushing his net.

Up and down still, the Sens have lost 3 of their last four.  Despite their erratic play, this is a rebuilding team that spurts out win streaks on occasion. If they can stabilize their defense enough and get more hot than cold, this team could sneak into the postseason.

The hot streak is over as the Preds struggle to get wins for Pekka Rinne, who has not won since Nov. 17th.

Edmonton Oilers (13-12-3)

Ehhh…the Oilers aren’t hot anymore and have lost 4 of 5 but a weak schedule ahead might be just what the Doctor ordered.

Hmmm…what happened here. After a brief awakening, the Bolts have struggled to win. Their offense, which should be in the top 10, is anemic.

The Flames have nine unrestricted free agents at the end of they year. They’re not gonna make the playoffs with this group so why not start the fire sale?

The Habs just can’t shake their mediocrity but their current losing streak ( one win in five games) and growing IR may sink them permanently.

Semyon Varlamov has woken up from his hibernation and helped the Avs roll off three wins in a row before being blown out 0-6 by Vancouver.

The Devils ended a nasty four-game losing streak with a solid win with a nice win over Toronto. Mix of bad goaltending and lazy offense have put this team in a huge hole.

Silently, the Isles have won 4 of their last 5 with some great play by goalie Al Montoya.

Dead last in goals scored, the Jackets have pumped out a rather impressive (for them ) 4-4 record.

A new coach hasn’t helped much yet but give it time.  They finally snapped their 7-game losing streak which is a very small step in the right direction.

The biggest disappointment of the year so far, the Ducks can’t score and have a Columbus-style offensive output right now which is so sad it makes Teemu cry.

The most surprising team in the West now sits atop the Conference despite being a low scoring team. Thankfully, solid goaltending covers that up so it’s not an issue as evident in their 4 straight wins.

Sidney is back and he made a huge impact with 2 goals, 2 assists on his return.  It’s a great time for Sid to come back as the Pens have held strong in his absence and they will only get stronger with him back in the lineup.

The Blackhawks have powered their way to 2nd place in the Western Conference thanks to being the second-highest scoring team overall, next to Philly. Unfortunately, they are allowing too many goals as well. Two loses in a row where they have been outscored 4-14. Ouch.

The Sharks have now won 5 of their last 6 thanks to stingy goaltending and a hot Patrick Marleau. Tough schedule ahead will test them.

Huge turnaround for the Rangers is complete after a slow start. Now the Rangers have won 7 of their last 8 and hold the lowest amount of goals against in the NHL.

The Flyers are permanent second placers this season so far as they can’t seem to get into that 1st place spot but with the highest scoring team in the league it shouldn’t be a problem longer. They were on a hot streak and hadn’t lost in regulation in nine games, and had won three straight game before losing 2 to Winnipeg and Carolina.

Geez…take a week off and all goes to pot in D.C. The Caps have hit a wall and their offense is working as hard as the Senate right now which is to say not much. Ovi is not a factor and the Caps lost 4 in a row and 6 of 7 before snatching a close win over Phoenix on Monday.

Hot play by the Panthers and cool play by the Caps have put Florida on top of the division for the first time this year. Kris Versteeg is a monster with 11 goals and Jose Theodore is a stud in net.  Who saw that coming?

The Preds are 6-1-3 in regulation in their last ten and haven’t lost since Nov. 8th.  Of course they did lose in OT to Columbus so there’s that to deal with.

Tyler Myers still hasn’t produced and is out with an injury.  The Sabres lose one, win one, lose one… Not a good trend.

Wow. The Stars, like the Caps have hit a wall and lost 5 in a row before pulling out a win Monday. The offense has frozen in Dallas. In those losses, they scored 4 goals and had 2 games with 0.

Woof! The Coyotes have lost 2 of their last 3 after a solid road trip. Despite that the Coyotes still are holding on, not great but not bad.

The Leafs have slumped with one win in regulation in their last five games. Injuries and a slow offense have let the Leafs net get hammered by opposing teams.

The Sens are still up and down. They either win a lot or lose a lot but just can’t seem to shake that bad habit.

The Canucks just can’t seem to shake off the mediocrity. Ryan Kesler continues to struggle and the Canucks can’t seem to find any consistency at all despite having one of the best power plays in the league.

The Bolts have struggled of late, losing 3 of 4, as their offense has struggled to find the back of the net.

New coach Ken Hitchcock has stopped the bleeding in St. Louis.  The defense has showed up and only allowed 5 goals in 6 games with 2 shutouts.

The Kings started out hot, cooled and now have leveled off. If goaltending can find its leg the Kings could rebound big as they have won 3 of their last 4.

The Wings still haven’t recovered from their early slump and have struggled to find any kind of consistency in any form so far.

Edmonton Oilers (10-8-2)

Another team to hit the wall and come back to Earth, the Oilers have lost 5 of 6 with the losses a combined score of 10-21. The team has some young talent but is relying on goaltending. Unfortunately that’s where they are hurting the most right now.

Ilya Kovalchuk has struggled scoring goals and staying healthy.  He’s back now after a groin injury and has scored 2 goals in his 3 games back. Good sign for the Devils who need the offense desperately.

The Canadiens just can’t find their winning ways. Erik Cole should be so much better and Scott Gomez is a huge bust. Sidney Crosby scored 2 goals the other night in his return. That’s 2 more than Gomez has scored all year.

The Jets are riding high after a slow start and are finally near .500. Now they have 3 wins a row with victories over studs Philly and Washington. Very impressive.

Will Jarome Iginla end his career in Calgary or will they ship him to a winning team before he retires soon? With his horrible +/- rating right now a rival GM could probably steal him away.

Tough year for the Canes. Cam Ward and Eric Staal have not produced which helps keep this team in the cellar.

The wheels have completely come off in Denver as the Avs have lost 8 of their last 10. They have struggled to find consistency in goal as well as finding the back of their opposing teams goals.

Two wins in a row! Miracles can happen.

Still in a funk, the Ducks are lost. Bad offense. You can’t score if you don’t shoot the puck!

The Islanders continue to prove they are one of the worst organizations in modern sports and look to stay that way for awhile. Not much positive going on here.

Two West Coast road games netted two losses but the Caps came back home and won against Anaheim.  Their lead on the power rankings is slim right now after a hot start.

Still no Crosby and the Pens had their 5-game win streak busted by Toronto on Saturday.  Good news, they’re off most of the week and don’t play again until Thursday night. Malkin is back but sitting out practices with knee issues which could be a concern later on.

Probably the most underrated team right now, the Stars are red hot thanks to the surprising play of youngsters like Jamie Benn.

Is it the year of the Blackhawks? Chicago is undefeated in regulation at home (4-0-2) but they are sputtering on the power play, ranked 27th.

Young and hot, the Oilers are starting to find some offense to match their stellar goal tending.  Their 18 goals allowed this season are a league best.  Could be danger down the final stretch of the season if this team can keep improving.

Powered by Phil Kessel, who leads the NHL in goals and points, the Leafs are holding tight as the team with one of the biggest turnarounds from last year.

Only 1 win in their last 4 games as the Kings tumble down the list.  Offense is lagging despite the good goal tending.  Still competitive but too many losses lately are a concern.

Still letting in too many goals, the high flying Flyers keep afloat thanks to some high scoring offense. Ilya Bryzgalov is holding this team together but his 3.16 GAA is still too high if they want to overcome the Caps and Pens.

Winners of 4 straight, the Sharks finally lost to the Rangers.  Still, the Sharks are one of the hotter teams in the league and will have to prove themselves with tough home games against the hot Pens and Predators.

The best turnaround of the year have helped the horrible Sens be, … well, good.  Now in 2nd place in the Northeast Division, the Sens finally lost to Boston after a 6-game win streak. Yes….6.

Losers of 3 of their last 4, the Sabres are losing close games to late goals.  Time to buckled down to be taken serious but good for Sabres fans to know they’re still close to being competitive.

Mikko Koivu was still searching for his first goal as the Wild were treading water.  Two back-to-back wins against Detroit are a good sign at improvement as Koivu finally found the back of the net.

Pekka Rinne has played all but a few minutes of this season but the Preds just can’t seem to find their groove.  2 wins with an offensive spurt came to an end with an OT loss to Chicago Monday. But the recent showing of offense is just what they need to get motivated.

The surprising Panthers have played a lot of road game and done well.  They came home and then lost in OT.  Oh well, they’re still doing a lot better than expected.

The stumbling Ducks are now just mediocre after a good start. The Ducks are now in last place in the Pacific Division and have only won one game in their last five matches as the offensive production is AWOL. Oh yeah, and a loss to Columbus is just unacceptable.

Still close but not good enough to get over that mediocre .500 hump, the Canes just can’t seem to piece together a win streak. Eric Staal continues to disappoint with a horrible offensive season.

Two wins, two losses. Two wins,…. see a pattern.  In their last 6 games, their losses average 1 goal scored. When they win, they average 5.  Can’t blame Luongo on that.

Woof! The Coyotes have won 3 of their last 4 with that one loss coming in OT.  Mike Smith has been decent in goal which has helped considering no one expected the goal tending to be anywhere near decent this year.

The Bolts have dropped 2 of their last 3 and will need another hot streak by Dwayne Roloson to kick start a win streak as the offense just can’t seem to catch fire.

The Wings are dropping after 5 straight losses.  Ouch!

Martin Brodeur is close to returning but the Devils have cooled and could use him. Lack of a power play and a lackluster offense are starting to wear on goalie Johan Hedberg as the Devils have only won one in their last five games.

The Canadiens can at least say that their rivals in Boston are still worse than them but the Habs rough start is reason for concern.  Assistant coach Perry Pearn was fired as a scapegoat and they won 3 in a row.  Hmmm….might be onto something there.

The Blues have the worst power play and it’s hurting them. After a three game win streak, they promptly dropped 2 to shake off any excitement.

Two wins were stalled by a blowout loss to Vancouver Tuesday as the Flames continue to look for a buyer for Rene Bourque. Mikka has been good in goal considering the bad team he is on.

It’s slow going but the Rangers finally got their first home win.  That’s something but it’s an improvement on the offense we’re waiting on to see if this team can do anything this year.

The Jets lack goal tending but have slowly improved.  After a crazy 9-8 win over Philly they lost 1-0 to Tampa. Go figure.

The Bruins still suck but shook a 3-game losing streak with a win over the hot Sens. Wait….what? The Sens are doing good and the Stanley Cup winners are sucking?  Well, at least the Canadiens are doing worse. Right? They’re not?! D@#n!!

The countdown to the move to Quebec continues as the Isles have scored the fewest goals in the NHL and have not won since October 15th.  The exemplify suck at the moment.

Another win won’t keep this franchise in Columbus much longer.  Expect some house cleaning soon before the inevitable talks of relocation drown out the angry fans.

Tomas Vokoun has the Caps as the last undefeated team.  Solid play from Backstrom and Ovi help but upcoming West Coast road trip will be first real test to see if they are for real. Late Edit: Caps finally lose, to Edmonton and the Oilers #30 ranked offense.  Ouch.

No Crosby but Malkin is back and the Pens are looking solid.  4 wins in a row and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is the reason why.

Sensational goal tending has moved the Kings up huge on the list. Jonathan Quick is making a huge name for himself in an attempt to make the Kings playoff threats this year.

The young Avs continue to blow away the rest of the league. Oddly enough, they win 5 on the road and go home to lose. Then win on the road again.

Kari Lehtonen is keeping the team afloat but they’ve lost 2 of their last three.

Powered by Waffles, the Leafs are atop the NE Division. Early season prediction by us had the Leafs having a solid year thanks to our mental powers wishing it upon the team.  We are more powerful than we thought!

You lose to the Blue Jackets, you drop in the rankings.  No question. Bigger issue, two loses in a row and outscored 2-11.  Bad week for the Wings

Pronger is out with an eye injury for a few weeks and the Flyers dropped closer to mediocrity. Lost 4 of their last 5 including a 9-8 shootout with Winnipeg.  May need to start goalie Ilya Bryzgalov for every game.

Losers of 2 in a row, the Sabres look to rebound with a game against the Blue Jackets.

The hot start cooled quick.  Lost 3 now including an OT loss to Chicago.

Winners of 3 straight, the Sharks have started to wake up after a slow start.  Offense is an issued here but if they can keep up their game from the last few matches they’ll be alright.

Three loses in a row with 2 in OT.  They’re close, but not good enough yet.  The 3-3-3 record is perfect for them right now, right in the middle.

West coast road trip is starting to take its toll with a few loses but the Devils are playing well, mostly considering how bad they were last year at this time.

The young Oilers lack an offensive punch yet but have slipped into #2 in their division thanks to stellar goaltending by Nikolai Khabibulin. Last two wins were against Vancouver and Washington, very impressive despite the worst offense in the NHL

Hovering in the middle without much going on here, the Wild have dropped a few games this week and could be in for a huge drop in the rankings next week.

Lost 3 of their last 4, the Preds look to have little bite right now. Offense needs to wake up and Mike Fisher is back this week which is just what they need.

This is not the dominant team from last year.  Like the Bruins, the Canucks are struggling to find their way and traded for David Booth to give them a boost.

Three in a row for the win column helps the Bolts rise up a bit. Offense has woken up, outscoring their opponents 11-4 in those games.

Three wins in a row including a shutout of Vancouver on Wednesday as the offense is spreading the fun around.

After a hot start, the Panthers and their new lineup fell with 2-straight 0-3 shutout loses. A win against the lowly Islanders and Canadiens lifted them back up but the team is treading water right now with one of the lower scoring offenses in the Conference.

The crappy Sens aren’t that crappy as they have won 4 frickin’ games in a row.  Wow…and what? How did this happen?

Still nursing a wicked Stanley Cup hangover, the Bruins are now officially the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Still too early to hit the panic button but the Bruins just look horrid and have little offense.

Woof! What a dog of a season so far. The Coyotes have lost 3 of their last 4 and need to find a goalie to carry them like last season.

Quick start put them out ahead fast but the Isles have quickly dropped to where we expect them : the cellar.  Tied for worst in goals scored this season with Edmonton and losers of 4 straight.  They will drop more next week.

The slow start is heating up a tad but the Rangers have no offense and good goaltending.  That’s going to get them nowhere.

Tough start for the Flames and even though they might not be good enough to go anywhere this season, a 2-1-1 record in their last 4 is hope for some improvement.

The Canadiens just look worse and worse with each game with 3 loses in their last 4.  However, they did beat Philly in their last game nicely and that’s something good to finally talk about with this club.

The Jets lost 3 of their last 4 as goaltending comes into question.  However, a late game this week gave them a crazy 9-8 win over in a rare exhibition of offense.  More to come of that? Doubt it but maybe it will wake them up a bit to notch a few more wins.

No changes here. The Blue Jackets still suck but they did finally get their first win. Enjoy it. It’ll be lonely in the win column for awhile.