More of this Feature • All Star Break Review: Eastern Conference The flatlining, the Hindenburg and the out of control.

Join the Discussion "Trade Drury? I think that was a HUGE error in judgement. On the surface it looks to me like the moves made caused Colorado to become an average, not an elite team." CEB64

Related Resources • NHL 2002-2003: Scores and Standings • NHL Team Websites and Links • NHL 2002-2003: The Latest NHL Stats • NHL 2002-2003: Power Rankings • NHL 2002-2003: Trade Rumors and Hearsay • NHL 2002-2003: The Season Preview

The NHL's best playoff race is taking shape in the Eastern Conference, but the big surprises are out West. Who could foresee elite teams like the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche facing an uphill sprint to secure a playoff spot?

Last season, it was the Dallas Stars who were caught in a downward spiral. Just three years removed from a Stanley Cup, Dallas finished 10th and missed the playoffs. Kirk Muller, an 18-year veteran, says it's a reflection of the shrinking margin of error in today's NHL. The line between champion and also-ran is razor thin.

"If you drop your level just a little bit, it's amazing how you can drop with everyone into that gray zone there," the Dallas center told Faceoff.com. "We went through it last year where we just weren't as sharp in certain areas that really cost us."

Of course, the Stars are now back on top. If regular season ended today, only four of last spring's Western playoff teams - Dallas, Detroit, Vancouver and Chicago - would be back for another try.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks
Status: Bobbing and weaving.
Current Standing: Second in the Pacific Division, 9th in the Conference.

The Mighty Ones sagged after Christmas, with a winless streak that must have seemed inevitable to anyone who knows Ducks history. But they've since recovered, winning seven of ten to climb above .500 at the All Star break for the first time ever. Anaheim made several major deals last summer, but the return to the playoff race is led by a couple of guys who were there all along: Center Steve Ruchin is finally healthy and and goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere has been a revelation. Paul Kariya, a disappointment in the first half, has ten points in his last six games.

Calgary Flames
Status: Playing for next year.
Current Standing: Fifth in the Northwest Division, 15th in the Conference.

Darryl Sutter, assuming the coaching burden in December, said his players didn't have to work harder, they had to work smarter. You can see what he means: Watching the Flames' charge about the ice like Visigoths, it's hard to doubt their commitment. But the results rarely reflect it. Sutter is looking at a long-term project here, trying to sort out how a team can add quality players like Chris Drury, Stephane Yelle and Martin Gelinas and still look so fragile. At least Iginla and Conroy have been better lately.

Chicago Blackhawks
Status: New season. Old story?
Current Standing: Third in the Central Division, 7th in the Conference.

Last season Chicago looked like champs for a few months. But the lions in winter turned to lambs in spring, slaughtered quickly in the first playoff round. The popular theory is that goaltender Jocelyn Thibault played too much, wearing down over the long season. So this year? The 'Hawks had a great first half, with Thibault in net for every victory. But now they've won just three of their last 14 games and the goalie looks sluggish.

Colorado Avalanche
Status: Groping.
Current Standing: Fourth in the Northwest Division, 8th in the Conference.

They're coming around, but... Why aren't they better at home? Where's the power play? Why the dreadful penalty killing? What's with Patrick Roy? The top forwards - Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk - are scoring. But they don't get enough help and now Sakic is injured. The defense doesn't scare anyone either. Roy allowed one goal in three games last week. He better have a few more weeks like that or the Avalanche will be fighting for their playoff lives.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Status: Learning to crawl.
Current Standing: Fourth in the Central Division, 13th in the Conference.

The Jackets started by winning their share. Then they lost a bunch and fired the coach. Now they're winning a few again. So what kind of team are they? A typical recent expansion team. They muddle along, inspiring hope on some nights and despair on others, promising great things to come. The promise is too often sabotaged by shoddy defense. The hockey moms of the world haven't produced enough NHL-calibre defensemen to stock 30 rosters, and Columbus is among the teams getting short-changed at the moment.

Dallas Stars
Status: Steamrolling.
Current Standing: First in the Pacific Division, 1st in the Conference.

How's this for confidence: Dallas trailed 1-0 in 15 of its last 20 games, but lost just four times during that stretch. The Stars also have the longest unbeaten streak this season, at 12 games. They have excellent numbers at both ends of the rink and are practically unbeatable at home. Marty Turco is everything you want in a goaltender. Hatcher, Modano and Lehtinen - especially Lehtinen - appear better than ever. They probably wish the playoffs started tomorrow.

Detroit Red Wings
Status: What fool would bet against them?
Current Standing: Second in the Central Division, 4th in the Conference.

The Red Wings won five of 14 games in January, a sizeable slump which sent them drifting back to the pack in the standings. Curtis Joseph looks a little gawky in net and injuries have forced some improvisation on the blueline, with guys like Patrick Boileau (minor leaguer) and Dmitri Bykov (rookie) playing more. But the usual suspects - Fedorov, Lidstrom, Shanahan, Hull - are on their game. Steve Yzerman will be back in February, setting the Wings up nicely for April, when they start playing for real.

Edmonton Oilers
Status: Enigma.
Current Standing: Second in the Northwest Division, 5th in the Conference.

Lose to Calgary, beat Detroit, lose to Phoenix: the Oilers are always ready to rise or sink to the opposition. Flashes of brilliance are followed by frightful stretches of incompetence, sometimes on the same night. The goalie, Tommy Salo, isn't bailing them out the way he used to. Still, the Oilers keep on getting points. A recent rash of injuries could have meant big trouble, but Edmonton has played some great games with a depleted lineup and sits within striking distance of the division lead. Go figure.

Los Angeles Kings
Status: Gripping a greasy pole.
Current Standing: Fifth in the Pacific Division, 12th in the Conference.

The run of injuries has been truly spectacular. Almost every player has disappeared for at least a few games. One night the Kings had 12 players - two-thirds of the opening day lineup - on the injury list. Felix Potvin was hot and cold in net before wrenching his knee; he's out for six weeks or longer. The defensemen have put in a valiant effort, keeping the shots down and chipping in some desperately needed goals. Andy Murray is among hockey's best coaches. But the terrible luck is catching up to them. The Kings are 5-15 over their last 20 games.

Minnesota Wild
Status: Sticking with the program.
Current Standing: Third in the Northeast Division, 6th in the Conference.

They aren't exactly in freefall, but looking vulnerable. Even Marian Gaborik has had a few quiet nights. The Wild are speedy, but aside from Gaborik they aren't much to watch. It's Jacques Lemaire hockey: Score a couple and keep the shots down. To make the playoffs, the Wild have to win a little more than they lose the rest of the way, something they couldn't do in January. It helps that Gaborik can steal points by himself, and you know the hockey gods are smiling when two veteran goalies are having breakout seasons.

Nashville Predators
Status: Enjoying it while they can.
Current Standing: Fifth in the Central Division, 14th in the Conference.

In December the Predators appeared to give up on the season: They traded their number-one goalie, Mike Dunham, to the Rangers for a prospect and a utility player, a deal typical of a rebuilding team. But with Tomas Vokoun in net they've been much better, losing just nine of 24 games. The best news is that David Legwand, the number-two draft pick in 1998, is finally looking like a player. The Predators will come crashing back to earth before long. But there's hope for the future.

Phoenix Coyotes
Status: Overacheievers fall from orbit.
Current Standing: Third in the Pacific Division, 10th in the Conference.

The Coyotes surprised everyone last year: Sixth place! So management, perhaps believing it had a true contender on its hands, brought in Tony Amonte on a fat free agent contract. But with goaltender and team MVP Sean Burke injured, the rest of the lineup is exposed as very thin gruel. Amonte fits right in, having his worst season in ages. The Coyotes lurched back to life recently, thanks to a third-string goalie named Zac Bierk. They might get their act together for a late playoff charge.

St. Louis Blues
Status: Back to the eighties.
Current Standing: First in the Central Division, 2nd in the Conference.

The Blues are a deep lineup with more goals than everyone except Ottawa. They're durable too, outscoring opponents by a wide margin in third periods. On the down side, St. Louis allows more goals than any other elite team. There is talk that All-World defenseman Chris Pronger, hobbled in the knee and wrist, could be ready by April. But the real worry is in net, where Brent Johnson is having trouble finding his game. For now, they win by racking up the goals.

San Jose Sharks
Status: The incredible shrinking team.
Current Standing: Fourth in the Pacific Division, 11th in the Conference.

So much for blaming the coach. The Sharks were 9-12-2-2 when they fired Darryl Sutter. Under Ron Wilson they have climbed to 10-10-4-2. Troubled by contract holdouts, a couple of injuries and an unsettled defense, the Sharks belly-flopped from day one and remain a shadow of the fast, tough, disciplined team we saw last year. Kyle McLaren, acquired from the Bruins last week, will improve the defense. But the Sharks have more problems than one guy can fix, especially a guy who didn't play a game until last week.

Vancouver Canucks
Status: Stalled, waiting for a boost.
Current Standing: First in the Northwest Division, 3rd in the Conference.

The Vancouver media was in a frenzy before Christmas, as the Canucks rolled (briefly) to the top of the West. But this team has been merely good lately, losing as many as they won in January and blowing the occasional lead. Todd Bertuzzi, Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison might be the best line in the NHL, but the other forwards don't score much. One-line teams often die early in the spring, as the Canucks discovered last year.