Preusser's NHL Rundown: Halftime Report
(photo via nhl.com)
We knew going into this season that it would be an interesting one. I expected to see Tampa Bay, Washington and Vegas to come back strong. Seeing the standings, I think the biggest surprises to me halfway through the 2021 campaign are Toronto, Minnesota, Florida and Chicago. What’s cool about this season is every game is a divisional game which means there are constantly big points on the line. Let’s break it down by divisions at the halfway mark.
Discover Central
The two NHL teams in Florida have been trading first and second place. I know Joel Quenneville is a fantastic coach, but to bring this team to the caliber they are right now amazes me. The Florida Panthers are a team to watch out for now and going forward. Tampa Bay being a powerhouse team doesn’t surprise me since they had a lot of their Stanley Cup winning roster return this season. Chicago is holding that number four spot, but they need to start picking up points again if they want to keep it. I know Dallas has struggled with injuries this season, but going from Stanley Cup final to sixth in the division surprised me. I thought they would be a shoe in for a top four spot.
MassMutual East
Washington and the Islanders are neck and neck right now. I think that the top four in this division have the potential to change a decent amount when it’s all said and done because Philadelphia, currently in fifth, could move up. I also think that Pittsburgh, currently in third, can be inconsistent but maybe they’ve found their groove now. The Rangers just had a nine-goal night, so who knows, maybe they could sneak up in the standings as well. Buffalo is just sad. I feel bad for them. Only having six wins is tough on confidence and overall morale.
Honda West
Vegas is number one, which doesn’t surprise me. Minnesota is number two, which does surprise me. The past couple years the Wild have been a middle of the standings kind of team, so to see them break out this year, is surprising to me but I mean good for them. Colorado is right behind them at number three, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they found themselves switching places with Minnesota and catching up to Vegas a little bit. The big surprise to me in this division is Los Angeles. The Kings beat the Blues on Wednesday night 4-1, and they are only three points behind St. Louis right now. I think the current top four is a safe bet to continue this season, but it would be interesting if the Kings snuck into a playoff position.
Scotia North
I like this division because the Canadian rivalries are so entertaining to me. Toronto, I think, is going to end up winning this division. Winnipeg and Edmonton are both doing well and Montreal isn’t far behind either. None of these teams are too far apart in points, but this is one of those divisions where I think the top four (Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Montreal) is who we are going to see in the playoffs. It would be cool to see a Canadian team make it far and win the Stanley Cup. I think Toronto has the ability to, but luck tends to shy away from them come playoff time.