Two major coaching moves in the central division highlight the week. Ken Hitchock has gone from the disaster known as the Flyers to the disaster known as the Blue Jackets. Meanwhile, in the east, the aforementioned Flyers are threatening to climb out of the cellar, but for right now, it’s going to be a long winter in Philly. Oh, and that smell, it’s coming from Sunrise, Florida. The Bertuzzi-less Panthers look horrible. Where did your team end up?
Rank (Pv) |
Team |
Record |
Comments |
| 1 (1) |  |
19-3-2 | The first team to score 100+ goals this season. They are on a roll. |
| 2 (3) |  |
17-2-6 | Ilya Bryzgalov has an upper-body injury. His replacement? Michael Wall, how could you go wrong when your goalie’s last name is Wall? |
| 3 (2) |  |
17-7-0 | Teams are scared to take penalties against the Sharks. When you’re scoring on nearly a quarter of all your power plays, you get the picture. |
| 4 (7) |  |
15-5-2 | The Preds are finally sperating themselves from the Wings. Winning seven of your last ten also helps. |
| 5 (4) |  |
16-6-0 | Mike Modano to Eric Lindros…learn it, love it, live it. |
| 6 (14) |  |
13-8-1 | Dwayne Roloson suddenly looks good for a Veznia. |
| 7 (8) |  |
14-7-4 | Quietly, the Thrashers are having a special season. Also quietly, Marian Hossa will win the MVP. |
| 8 (5) |  |
13-9-1 | The Wild have become mild. Three wins in their last ten games won’t get the job done in the ultra-competitive northeast. |
| 9 (10) |  |
13-6-3 | Sheldon Souray is another player flying under the radar. Nine goals for the kid this season. |
| 10 (13) |  |
13-8-4 | Mats Sundin is back in the lineup, and Darcy Tucker is on pace for a fifty-goal season. Down is up and up is down. |
| 11 (17) |  |
13-9-2 | Henrik Lundqvist is putting together a Veznia campaign, Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan are making plays for the Hart. What more can you say about the Blueshirts? |
| 12 (15) |  |
12-7-3 | Alexei Yashin’s out, and I would never thought I would say this, it’s going to hurt the Islanders. Wait, let me repeat that. Alexi Yashin will be out and it will hurt the Islanders. |
| 13 (15) |  |
11-10-2 | They can put the puck in the net, but Theodore can’t keep it out. Fully expect Peter Budaj to become the team’s starter by the end of the month. Once that happens, the Avs could win another division. |
| 14 (9) |  |
13-10-1 | They’re also in the seven-win club this week. The Southeast is wide open. |
| 15 (6) |  |
12-6-4 | The Wings are ice cold, could their age be showing? |
| 16 (12) |  |
13-9-3 | The Whaler-Canes should be better then this, but their goal differntial is what’s killing them. They’ve scored eighty-three, but they’ve allowed eighty. |
| 17 (21) |  |
11-12-1 | If I went by the standings made from the formula I go by, they would be ninth. However, they have won six of their last ten, and seemed to have righted the ship. |
| 18 (16) |  |
10-8-4 | Crosby to Malkin, and that’s pretty much it. |
| 19 (19) |  |
12-9-1 | 6-4 in their last ten. This team could be showing their skills, or lack thereof. |
| 20 (20) |  |
11-12-1 | They’re only four points out of first in the northwest, but they still have yet to give Luongo any help on either side of the puck. Maybe a deal with the Coyotes could bring back Jovo. |
| 21 (24) |  |
8-13-4 | They might be rebuilding, but they are screwing that up too. Marc Crawford has to be the worst coach in the history of hockey. Oh, and that cup he won with Colorado, anyone could have won with the talent they had in 1996. |
| 22 (25) |  |
8-13-4 | Betruzzi being out has really hurt this club. They have nothing left. |
| 23 (11) |  |
6-14-2 | The Flames are just up and down at this point. One week, they look like they’re going to be players in the northwest, then the next they’re the worst team in hockey. Wake me when the figure out whom they want to be. |
| 24 (23) |  |
7-12-2 | Yawney pays for a club that’s right where they should be with his job. |
| 25 (28) |  |
7-12-3 | They’re improving, but it’s not going to be enough. Give this team some time. |
| 26 (27) |  |
8-9-6 | Ovechkin can’t be a…oh, you know the rest of the story by now. |
| 27 (27) |  |
6-14-2 | This is a club in need of direction. Right now, that direction is any which way but north. Maybe Hitch can solve some problems, but it’s time to ditch Fedo, ditch Footey and just start over…again. |
| 28 (28) |  |
10-9-2 | Goaltending problems, scoring problems. You get the point. They’re bad. Simply bad. |
| 29 (29) |  |
8-15-0 | When does spring training start for the Diamondbacks? |
| 30 (30) |  |
7-14-3 | They’re showing signs of life. They could be out of the cellar next week. There’s hope in Philly, just not that much. |
