4
by Kanuck
There has been a TON of movement in the standings this month. I mean, Pittsburgh looks poised to win their division; at the start of the month I think they were 14 points back of New Jersey, now the gap is a mere two points. Granted, that's as much to do with New Jersey's sudden ineptitude as it is with anything Pittsburgh's got going, but it's still a major move.
The division to watch is the Southeast. Just eight points separate Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Carolina, yet Atlanta leads the division while Carolina is currently out of the playoffs. ATL-TB meet once, ATL-CAR meet once, and TB-CAR meet two more times, so there's plenty of room for big moves.
Not to mention NAS-DET fighting for first seed vs. fourth in the west, as it stands currently. At least the three division leaders are closely matched; still, I'd really like to see the NHL implement the NBA's system, where the three division leaders are only guaranteed three of the top four seeds. That way, if the two best teams in a conference are in the same division, they can earn the one-two seeds, maximizing the possibility of a showdown between division rivals in the conference final.
It's unfortunate the board of governors can't seem to get anything done in the NHL without several seasons' worth of bickering. I can't believe, all these seasons later, we still have two-point games and three-point games. It's preposterous.
TC wrote:as soon as baseball stops being homosexual, i will.