This deep into an NHL regular season, it’s dangerous to simply judge competition by their records through 70-plus games. The calendar also requires consideration for context.
As early as this coming week, the Washington Capitals could see their hopes — and thus their effort level — wane as their playoff odds have vanished. The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing out the string with little room for movement from the third spot in the Atlantic Division. Then there’s the almost unicorn-like unique beast that is the Vancouver Canucks, a team that’s 8-2-0 in their last 10 games for baffling reasons beyond “Vancouver only seems capable of self-sabotage at this point.