Around the NHL: Volume 2

Western
Conference

1. The
   Columbus Blue Jackets are in last place in the Central, but can you blame them?
   This division is unreal.  Chicago just
   recently lost for the first time, Detroit is a perennial pain in the skate
   blade, and Nashville and St. Louis feature two of the stingiest defenses since
   Buddy Ryan’s 46.  The Winged Insects
   recently turned it on though, winning 5 in a row. Former Flyer Sergei Bobrovsky
   has a 2.20 GAA. 
2. Calgary
   is in last place, and guess who leads the Flames in points? Jerome Igilna of course,
   and that means the usual trade rumors. 
   He’s an unquestioned leader , so the rumors are warranted, as anyone
   would have to love to have him for a playoff run. His cap hit is high at $7
   million, but I would think teams will offer up some savory morsels of future stars
   for the Flames to build upon.
3. The
   Los Angeles Kings are streaking and guess who has helped them win 8 out of
   their last 10? Former Flyer Jeff Carter has 17 goals, placing him second only
   to Steven Stamkos.  Personally I would
   still rather have Jakub Voracek, but Carter has been great for the reigning Cup
   champs.  He gets goals in a way that must
   frustrate teams the most; a seemingly harmless rush turns into a lit-up
   scoreboard with a quick flick of the wrist.
4.  The Phoenix Coyotes need to step up and play
   better or their dwindling crowds (averaging around 13,000 people a night, 29^th
   in the NHL) will shrink to Antarctica-outpost levels. Oliver Ekman-Larsson
   might be the only reason why I’d watch this yawn-inducing squad.
5. In
   Vancouver, the Sedin twins have a combined 47 points which got me thinking
   about who the best brother tandem in the league is currently.  Right now, I have to go with the Staal
   brothers in Carolina in a slight edge over Henrik and Daniel because they can
   play both ends of the ice, and both have won Cups (albeit on different
   teams).  As far as physical specimens go,
   Philadelphia’s Schenn brothers stand alone. The medical bills those two alone have
   inflicted upon the players of this league are staggering.

Eastern Conference

1. Pittsburgh
   is second in the conference, and Sidney Crosby leads the league in scoring with
   45 points.  As much as it pains me to say
   it, Crosby has to be the best player in the league by a long shot. He’s a good
   team leader (as the Flyers learned when they were up 3 goals on Thursday) and
   can do whatever he wants with the puck. 
   You have to respect the great players, and Crosby’s skills are deeply
   disturbing.  Seriously, why does Chris
   Kunitz tickle that much twine?
2. Can
   someone help John Tavares on the Island? The NYI center has 16 goals and the
   team isn’t too far back, but they’ve given up the second to most goals in the
   conference with 88.  Tavares is a
   beast.  Give that team some players that
   can play both ends of the ice and they will make a quick surge.  Sounds easy, I know.
3. Florida
   is last in the Conference and has won only two of their last 10. I mostly blame
   their record on injuries, as it seems almost everyone on their team has missed
   extended time.  One bright spot is
   Jonathon Huberdeau, who has 12 goals.  He’s
   19 years of age.
4. I
   do believe Steven Stamkos is partially to blame for the surging electricity
   costs on this continent, leading the league in goals on a consistent basis the
   way he does.  The Tampa Bay Lightning, however,
   are a disappointment.
5. The
   Winnipeg Jets are my favorite non-Flyers team to watch.  Dustin Byfuglien is the size of an NFL
   linebacker on skates and exhibits the grace of a swan with optimal plumage. They
   missed the playoffs in their first season back in Winnipeg last season after
   moving from hockey hell that is Atlanta, but with a somewhat more consistent offense they'll make it this season.