A Look at the Conference Leaders for the 2009-2010 NHL Season

The 2009-2010 NHL season is well underway and now is a great time to take a look at the season standings.  Just like any other team sport, it takes resilience, teamwork, good coaching, and raw talent to be a winner in the NHL. Although it might still be early, we can get a good idea of which teams have a shot at the Stanley Cup this season.  Let’s take a look at the Eastern and Western Conference leaders this season and which teams are tailing their records. The Eastern Conference Just recently, the team currently leading the Eastern Conference is the Washington Capitals.  With a record of 13 wins, four losses, and four overtime losses, the Capitals have a total of 30 points so far in the season.  In their last five games, the Capitals have faced the Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders, the Minnesota Wild, the New Jersey Devils, and the New York Rangers.  The Capitals beat four of the five teams, with the New Jersey Devils being the only one of the five to beat Washington.  The next two games for the Capitals will be against the Montreal Canadiens (10-11-0) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (3-11-5).  We’ll just have to see if the Capitals can carry on their winning streak from their last win against the Rangers. Following on the tail of the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference are the New Jersey Devils in second and the Buffalo Sabres in third.  The New Jersey Devils lead the Atlantic Division after playing 19 games, with a record of 14-5-0 for a total of 28 points.  The Buffalo Sabres lead the Northeast Division with a record of 12-5-1 for a total of 25 points after 18 games played. The Western Conference In the Western Conference, the team with the highest score is the San Jose Sharks.  The Sharks’ current record stands at 14 wins, five losses, and four overtime losses, for a total of 32 points.  In their last five games, the Sharks have faced the Dallas Stars, the St. Louis Blues, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Nashville Predators twice.  In these last five games, the Capitals have only been able to win one against the Predators and one against the Blues.  The team is currently on a two-game losing-streak, however, after losing to Chicago and Nashville in the last two games.  Let’s see if the Sharks can turn things around in their next two games, where they will be facing the Philadelphia Flyers (11-5-1) and the Anaheim Ducks (6-10-3). Close behind the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference are the Colorado Avalanche in second and the Chicago Blues in third.  The Avalanche leads the Northwest Division with a record of 13-6-3 for 29 points after 22 games.  The Chicago Blues lead the Central Division after 19 games played, with a record of 12-5-2 for 26 points.