One of the many rules of thumb in the NHL goes as follows: you play a dangerous game when basing decisions on the actions of other teams. True in most scenarios but not all of them. A quick example is contract talks where clubs use players around the league as comparables. The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a position now where they can’t ignore what the rest of the league is doing as it could determine where they finish the season.
It’s been hard not to look at the standings since the second half of the season started.