We're three-fourths of the way through the NHL season, and things are ramping up for the stretch run. With a week to go before the trade deadline, let's take a look at the five best teams in the league.
Going by the standings alone, the Phoenix Coyotes are not the fifth-best team in the NHL. However, as winners of seven games in a row, they've taken over first place in the Pacific Division, and would be the third seed in the Western Conference if the playoffs started today.The Coyotes are an extremely balanced team, featuring nine players with 25 points or more. A mix of grizzled veterans like Ray Whitney, Shane Doan, and the injured Ed Jovanovski have played well with the talented youngsters on the team such as leading scorer Keith Yandle. While the team may be in financial difficulty, the team is showing that they're only concerned with how they perform on the ice.REUTERSThe Penguins spot in this list is tenuous. Stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are injured. Malkin isn't coming back after suffering a knee injury, and it's unclear whether or not Captain Crosby will return while recovering from a concussion. The team remains talented with players like Pascal Dupuis, Jordan Staal, the pesky Matt Cooke, Brooks Oprik, Kris Letang, and others, but will they be able to rally around their injured stars? After a 3-2 OT-shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in which the team was unable to score during the shootout, they showed they were resilient enough to twice battle back from a deficit, but they were unable to get over the hump and take control of the game. Was that just one game or an example of things to come? If the Penguins answer that question sooner rather than later, we'll know whether or not they belong on this list.REUTERSREUTERSAfter losing in last year's Stanley Cup Finals, the Flyers are looking like a good bet to return this season. They boast one of the league's top offenses with four players over 50 points, and one of the best defenses in the league anchored by Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle, as well as twin-forces in the net Sergei Bobrovsky and Brian Boucher.REUTERSStatistically speaking, the Canucks are far-and-away the best team in the NHL this season. They rank first in goals scored, goals against, power play percentage, and fourth in the penalty kill. Their twin stars Daniel and Henrik Sedin are playing some of the best hockey of their career (77 and 72 points, respectively) and Ryan Kesler has made the jump to first-rate player as well. They're defense is scary good, and even if you can outwork their blueliners, you're not likely to get anything passed Roberto Luongo—perhaps the best goalie in the world—or Ryan Schneider—a great goalie in his own right who would be starting for most of the other teams in the league. For years, the Canucks have been one of the most talented teams in the league, and this year they're putting it all together. Will they suffer another disappointment, or can they be the first Canadian team since the 1992-93 Canadiens put their names on Lord Stanley's Cup? REUTERS
