1. Pittsburgh Penguins - 83 points, 4th place in the Eastern Conference
The Pittsburgh Penguins won their sixth in a row tonight and are 8-2-0 in their last ten. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been a rock in the net. The win tonight gave him four straight seasons with 35 or more wins. He is one of only four goaltenders in NHL history to accomplish the feat. The winning streak has pushed the Penguins past the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
2. St. Louis Blues - 89 points, 2nd place in the Western Conference
The St. Louis Blues are marching to the tune of 5-1-0 in the last six. The streak has the Blues tied with the Red Wings for the Central Division lead. Center T.J. Oshie, who leads the team in points, has seven points in his last five games. The Blues begin a three game homestand tomorrow, before heading on a big seven game road trip. That road trip could have a lot to say about who will win the Central Division.
3. Chicago Blackhawks - 79 points, 6th place in the Western Conference
The Chicago Blackhawks are 7-3 in their last ten, including a nice 2-1 win at the Detroit Red Wings. The streak has pushed them ahead of the pack trying to get the last couple playoff spots in the Western Conference. Backup goaltender Ray Emery is a main reason why. He was named the NHL's third star of the week, due to his efforts last week. Emery was 3-0-0 with a 1.12 goals against average and a .959 save percentage. The Blackhawks travel to St. Louis tomorrow and host the New York Rangers on Friday night.
Marching Backward
1. Boston Bruins - 79 points, 2nd place in the Eastern Conference
The Boston Bruins are mired in mediocrity right now. They've slipped to 2-3-1 in their past six. The top spot in the Eastern Conference seems to be out of the question right now, as they are far more concerned with the Ottawa Senators who are now only three points back for the Northeast Division lead. Goaltender Tim Thomas has struggled lately, letting 13 goals in past five games. However, Thomas is unlikely to see a break with backup Tuukka Rask out the next four-to-six weeks. The Bruins did sign veteran netminder Marty Turco, but his conditioning is in question.
2. San Jose Sharks - 73 points, 8th place in the Western Conference
The San Jose Sharks have gone from being in comfortable control of the Pacific Division to barely hanging on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The reason why? The Sharks have just four wins in their past fifteen games. They now sit third in the Pacific Division are in danger of falling out of the playoffs altogether. If the Sharks are going to win the division or at least make the playoffs, they better start turning things around soon, before it it too late.
3. Washington Capitals - 69 points, 9th place in the Eastern Conference
The Washington Capitals seemed to be heading in the right direction when they won three games in a row, but they've now been shutout both of their last two games. Everyone thought this team was going to make a charge into the playoffs, but this team looks less and less like it everyday. The Capitals might go from playoff flop to missing them all together. This has been a disappointing season to say the least.
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