NHL teams are charging, gliding and limping around the season’s quarter pole, which provides the perfect excuse to hand out some grades based on 25 percent of the curriculum being in the books. We’ve listed clubs by Tuesday’s division standings and grades are assigned based on how close we feel a team is to realizing its full potential. We’ll tackle the Eastern Conference first, followed by the West on Thursday.
Atlantic Division
Tampa Bay: A+ We’re giving the plus based solely on Tampa winning two of its first three without Steven Stamkos. Ben Bishop has been a rock in goal, but it’s going to be tough, tough sledding without the NHL’s top sniper.
Boston Bruins: A- Still the best team top to bottom in the lacklustre East. After being a healthy scratch last year, Milan Lucic is scoring at a 35-goal pace and the B’s have to be excited about the contributions from newcomers like rookie D-man Torey Krug and 22-year-old right winger Reilly Smith.
Toronto Maple Leafs: B November hasn’t been nearly as kind to Toronto as October was, but the team still has to like where it is. When the dust settles on injuries and suspensions, this will be a club with above-average scoring and goaltending—what happens in between will determine its fate.
Detroit Red Wings: C+ The move to the East hasn’t gone exactly as planned. Jimmy Howard has yet to find the form that made him one of the best goalies in the league last year and Detroit is middle-of-the pack both in terms of goals for and against.
Montreal Canadiens: C That Carey Price is playing extremely well and still has a losing record tells you all you need to know about Montreal’s plight. The Canadiens’ popgun offence creates almost no push and the club has fallen back into a defensive shell that allows opposing teams to unload far too many shots.
Ottawa Senators: C- What a strange season in Ottawa. Bobby Ryan is fitting in beautifully as a point-per-game player, but the once-stingy Sens can’t keep the puck out of their net except when starter Craig Anderson is on the bench and youngster Robin Lehner is in the crease. Ontario’s favourite goaltending storyline heads north!
Florida Panthers: D- Former coach Kevin Dineen has already taken the fall for Florida’s miserable start. At this point, the Cats would probably be happy to dump some more veteran salary and see some progress from building blocks Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Nick Bjugstad.
Buffalo Sabres: F At least the moves to bring in Pat LaFontaine to oversee hockey operations and Ted Nolan to coach altered the mood a little. Still, two non-shootout wins in 22 games? One player (Cody Hodgson) who’s produced a double-digit point total playing the entire season in a Sabres uniform? Oh boy.
Metropolitan Division
Pittsburgh Penguins: B- Discussed at the Sportsnet office yesterday: Is it silly to ask what’s wrong with the Pens? Perhaps. Still, it’s tough to wrap your brain around Pittsburgh being behind 10 teams in the league standings and Evgeni Malkin having just three goals all year.
Washington Capitals: B- We said it before, we’ll say it now and we’ll reiterate on the eve of the playoffs: Biggest wild card in the league. When Alex Ovechkin is scoring and Braden Holtby is saving, look out. That’s the case right now, but a four-game losing steak is always an ill-advised drop-pass away.
New York Rangers: C+ We hate to involve more math, but the Blueshirts’ year really needs to be divided into eighths. The Rangers started the season with three victories on a nine-game roadie. Since then, they’re 7-4-0 with captain Ryan Callahan back from injury and Rick Nash likely to return this week after battling a concussion. Things are trending up.
Carolina Hurricanes: C The only teams that average fewer goals than the Canes are Philadelphia and Buffalo. Jeff Skinner is injured and Eric Staal is on pace to lead Carolina with a 47-point season, followed by Nathan Gerbe’s scorching 39-point clip. Cam Ward’s return after missing 10 games with a lower-body ailment will help, but is no panacea for this troubled club.
New Jersey Devils: C+ Had the Devils been able to go 2-2 in shootouts instead of 0-4, they’d be third in the division, holding down a playoff spot. That’s at least something for a team that entered this season with severely tempered expectations, but has been able to survive because it’s still stingy on D.
New York Islanders: C- Making the playoffs is a huge priority for this team as it tries to piggyback off last year’s gritty showing against the Penguins in round one. That’s why GM Garth Snow overpaid for Thomas Vanek, who, along with goalie Evgeni Nabokov, is currently sidelined. Things have not gone well and could slip away fast as Kevin Poulin becomes the starter.
Columbus Blue Jackets: C- When the Jackets don’t get Vezina-calibre goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, it’s easy to remember this is a rebuilding team—one that’s still got a lot of work to do.
Philadelphia Flyers: D+ Two mitigating factors allow the Flyers a passing grade. First off, goalie Steve Mason has found his game, posting a .931 save percentage. Secondly, while Philly’s offence ranks 29th in the league, we believe things can only improve for a talented and gritty top-six forward crew.