All Star Game weekend will end tonight, practices will begin on Monday, and the 2015-16 NHL regular season will start playing games on Tuesday. While everyone has played 47-51 games, this is the start of the unofficial second half of the season. The next big date is February 29, which is the NHL Trade Deadline. For many teams, this is the time to take a hard look at themselves and plan accordingly. The games in this month will change those moments of self-reflection.
At the break, it appears there are two near-certainties in the Metropolitan Division.