Most hockey teams are 28 games into the season or more….so it begs the question…just which division is the toughest to win right now at least? Now the obvious battle would be between the Atlantic and Central divisions. Both divisions have all five teams over .500. In their last ten..the Central has all five teams at or above .500. Before we crown a winner here…..let’s peak into the numbers just a bit more.
So what does the Atlantic have going for it? Simply…two of the hottest teams in hockey right now. The Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten back off the mat amid speculation that their coach would be fired and heads would roll. Message received I am guessing. Going 7-2-1 in their last ten (winning 6 of 7), Sidney Crosby and the Pens are back in the thick of the Atlantic….only four points out of first. In their last three games in particular, the Pens have given up only 5 goals…playing steady defense and getting very nice performances from Dany Sabourin (2.34 GAA and .914 save percentage). Balanced has surfaced some even. In the last game, Crosby didn’t get one point…but players like Kris Letang and Ryan Malone stepped up and provided clutch goals. That type of balance surfaced last season…and bodes well for the Pens and the division.
The other really hot team that is well the hottest team in hockey is the New Jersey Devils. Winners of nine straight, they have vaulted themselves into first place in the Atlantic. Martin Brodeur is back to being the Marty of old. The GAA is down to 2.30 and the save percentage is up to .910 not to mention those 14 wins (tied for 2nd in the league). Between him and Zach Parise (has two 4 point games in the streak)….the Devils are riding high and finding new ways to win. More importantly, they are making The Rock a tough place to come into and play. That also bodes well for the Atlantic.
With Philadelphia and the two New York teams also in the division, it is always dangerous…and those eight matchups a year have rebuilt rivalries that were once dormant and turned them into outright wars reminiscent of the 80’s and 90’s. The fans of these teams are more into it and may miss this scheduling format just because of it. I have the feeling that this divisional race will come down to the wire just as it almost does every year. Does that make it the toughest division? Well, the Central may have something to say about that.
The Central is lead as it is almost every year it seems…by the Detroit Red Wings. At 20-6-2, they are the best team in hockey. Their regular season is like a machine. Henrik Zetterberg leads the way with 21 goals (including hat trick last night). He is quite possibly the best player in the NHL right now that not many get to see. If you are out on the East or West Coast, you may not see enough of the Red Wings but in hockey circles, this team just produces year after year. The question will always be…what have you done in the postseason. However, with solid goaltending from Chris Osgood (13-1-1..1.79 GAA .924 sv pctg) and the venerable defensive corps including Nick Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski, the Wings are the class of the league but there is some bite in the division this year.
Very quietly the St. Louis Blues are making a push to more than just respectability. John Davidson has assembled a very solid team more than capable of doing well in the West. That 16-9-1 record is no fluke and Manny Legace is definitely back. That 2.22 GAA and ,918 save percentage is a far cry from last year and though he is on the IR with a knee injury….Hannu Toivonen has performed admirably posting an impressive 2.13 GAA and a .922 save percentage. With Kariya, Boyes, and Tkachuk leading the way, the Blues should start a new playoff streak starting this season.
With Chicago (Khabibulin and the kiddie corps), Columbus (Hitchcock and Leclaire), and even Nashville (Dan Ellis and Jason Arnott). Any Central team is a difficult game on any night. What may be more scary is that these teams could get even better. Just plainly put, though the Atlantic has rivalries and some hot teams…the Central right now as a whole is playing better at this point in the season. So the toughest division right now is the Central by a nose but the Atlantic is a very close second. Beware the Central, like the old days of the 80’s and early 90’s…it is back with a vengeance.
