Updated Feb. 4
In the wake of the New York Giants' stunning Super Bowl victory, it's worth remembering that surprising things can happen to teams that manage to squeeze into the playoffs.
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| With Alexander Ovechkin the Caps have a shot in the division. (Getty Images) |
That would be the division winner, which automatically claims the third seed. And it would be a gift of sorts because the teams sharing the lead now -– the Carolina Hurricanes and Atlanta Thrashers -– are barely in eight place overall in the East.
"It's just a very competitive division," said Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis. "You look every night, the teams are beating each other."
Well, the Lightning, not so much. They're dead last in the Eastern Conference and nine points off the division lead. They have been miserable on the road and just a little better at home. Then again, no one has looked dominant within the Southeast -– the teams are all at or just above .500 in division games -– and all five have allowed at least a dozen more goals than they have scored.
But there are also some of the league's brightest young stars in the East, with Alex Ovechkin in Washington, Eric Staal in Carolina, Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta and Vincent Lecavalier in Tampa Bay. Florida's best player is a little older, but Olli Jokinen is among the league's top centers.
One of their teams is going to finish first, get home-ice advantage to start the playoffs and give them a chance to shine.
"You never know what's going to happen if you get to the playoffs," said Staal. "Right now we have a really tough road to go through, but if you get there you could be in pretty shape."
Here are this week's rankings:
| Power Rankings | ||||||||||
| Current | Team | Previous | ||||||||
 | 1 | Red Wings · Trends | - | |||||||
| The defending Cup champs have an embarrassment of riches on the roster, several NHL-ready youngsters pushing for spots and Zetterberg and Franzen in contract years. Seems unfair doesn't it? | ||||||||||
 | 2 | Sharks · Trends | - | |||||||
| There's a new voice behind the bench, and Todd McLellan will impact this team more than people realize, while newcomers Blake and Boyle mean a better back end to complement San Jose's impressive group up front. | ||||||||||
 | 3 | Canadiens · Trends | - | |||||||
| The East's regular-season champs are deeper and more balanced this season, and sophomore franchise goalie Carey Price now has some valuable playoff lessons, including some hardship, under his belt. | ||||||||||
 | 4 | Stars · Trends | - | |||||||
| This is a good team that got better as last season went along while it transitioned smoothly from the veteran core to younger players who still have room to grow. | ||||||||||
 | 5 | Flyers · Trends | - | |||||||
| Goalie Martin Biron earned his stripes in the playoffs, putting an end to questions that have surrounded this team for years. And having Simon Gagne back means 35 to 40 extra goals. | ||||||||||
 | 6 | Penguins · Trends | - | |||||||
| With a foundation of Crosby, Malkin and Fleury, the Pens should be able to deal with all the free-agent departures. But going without injured defensemen Gonchar and Whitney for months will be felt. | ||||||||||
 | 7 | Ducks · Trends | - | |||||||
| Despite all the distractions, the Ducks were a 100-point team last year that still has a blue line led by Niedermayer and Pronger. Having Teemu Selanne around from the outset will help an offense that needs it. | ||||||||||
 | 8 | Capitals · Trends | - | |||||||
| The offensively talented Caps went through an important learning stage last season led by Ovechkin, and seem ready to take another step this time as long as the goaltending is there. | ||||||||||
 | 9 | Senators · Trends | - | |||||||
| With Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson leading the way, the Senators still have the potential to be dangerous, but there are real question marks along the blue line and in goal. | ||||||||||
 | 10 | Rangers · Trends | - | |||||||
| The curtain came down on the Jaromir Jagr era, which may or may not be a good thing for a team that obviously still has some talent but faces some potential chemistry issues. | ||||||||||
 | 11 | Devils · Trends | - | |||||||
| New Jersey turned back the clock by repatriating vets Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik, which fits a team with a style stuck in the past. But with Martin Brodeur in goal, they can't be counted out. | ||||||||||
 | 12 | Blackhawks · Trends | - | |||||||
| This could be a team on the verge of something big -- or not. But there is some serious young talent here, high-profile newcomers and plenty of expectations to live up to. | ||||||||||
 | 13 | Oilers · Trends | - | |||||||
| Think of the Oilers as Blackhawks North. Edmonton came on strong late last season as its young stars got more comfortable and it made several nice upgrades since then. | ||||||||||
 | 14 | Flames · Trends | - | |||||||
| The Flames often seem to be living off the reputations earned in their 2004 playoff run. Jarome Iginla is still a superstar and Dion Phaneuf an elite defender, but goalie Miikka Kiprusoff has become a question mark. | ||||||||||
 | 15 | Bruins · Trends | - | |||||||
| The Bruins flew under the radar despite a surprise playoff appearance because they were pretty boring to watch. But good defense brings results and Boston will produce more with Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup. | ||||||||||
 | 16 | Wild · Trends | - | |||||||
| Strong goaltending and defense continue to be the strategy here, but as the Wild learned after a first-round playoff loss, that takes you only so far. More important is the status of Marian Gaborik until he's re-signed or traded. | ||||||||||
 | 17 | Sabres · Trends | - | |||||||
| Instead of focusing on those who have left lately, it might be worth looking at those still around. Miller, Roy, Pominville, Tallinder and, of course, coach Lindy Ruff, who seems to get more out of his teams than he should. | ||||||||||
 | 18 | Lightning · Trends | - | |||||||
| After a massive overhaul, the Lightning could turn things around the way Philadelphia did last season. Even if they don't, this team will be one of the NHL's most compelling to watch. | ||||||||||
 | 19 | Panthers · Trends | - | |||||||
| Florida has revamped its blue line impressively, which might be enough to spark an offense that seems a bit thin on the surface. One thing for sure is the Panthers will be more entertaining under rookie coach Peter DeBoer. | ||||||||||
 | 20 | Predators · Trends | - | |||||||
| Some good young defensemen here and goalie Dan Ellis is coming off a solid rookie season, but there's not much else. And several non-playoff teams in the West are much better now. | ||||||||||
 | 21 | Hurricanes · Trends | - | |||||||
| The blue line is more mobile, which is important, but Cam Ward is still questionable in goal, and the offense, outside of Eric Staal might not be as productive as the 'Canes hope. | ||||||||||
 | 22 | Blue Jackets · Trends | - | |||||||
| Rick Nash will have a better supporting cast around him, enough for the Jackets to get serious about a playoff spot, perhaps. | ||||||||||
 | 23 | Coyotes · Trends | - | |||||||
| Wayne Gretzky became a much better coach midseason when goalie Ilya Bryzgalov arrived. He's still working with a lot of kids though, but there's enough talent to make Phoenix the NHL's biggest potential surprise. | ||||||||||
 | 24 | Avalanche · Trends | - | |||||||
| The bright side for Colorado is that no team is head and shoulders above the others in the Northwest. But the Avs are counting a lot on older players like Sakic, Foote and Smyth in an era where youth is all the rage. | ||||||||||
 | 25 | Blues · Trends | - | |||||||
| The offense can't really be any worse than last season, which should take some pressure of several youngsters ready to break in. But losing Erik Johnson for the year is a blow for a team that still has a long way to go. | ||||||||||
 | 26 | Canucks · Trends | - | |||||||
| Vancouver has a pretty good group of defensemen and the league's best goalie in Roberto Luongo, but you don't win if you can't score. And the Canucks can't score. | ||||||||||
 | 27 | Kings · Trends | - | |||||||
| The brain trust admits there will be some painful nights this season with this young group dominated by recent high draft picks. But if they develop as expected, no one will remember in a couple of years. | ||||||||||
 | 28 | Islanders · Trends | - | |||||||
| Doug Weight and Bill Guerin might re-create some of the old Team USA magic and Rick DiPietro is a quality goalie when he's healthy, but this will be another long season on Long Island. | ||||||||||
 | 29 | Thrashers · Trends | - | |||||||
| With last week's addition of Mathieu Schneider to a defensive corps that has Tobias Enstrom and newcomer Ron Hainsey, the blue line might not be as bad as some think. But there's nothing up front aside from Ilya Kovalchuk. | ||||||||||
 | 30 | Maple Leafs · Trends | - | |||||||
| With the team in the self-proclaimed center of the hockey universe finally getting serious about rebuilding, the rallying cry for the new season is "wait until next year." Or the year after. Or the one after that. | ||||||||||