With the All-Star break upon us, it's time to hand out the report cards. Like any proud parent, you'll likely want to vent at the teacher. For that purpose, we have provided a handy place to lob your bricks, bullets and maybe even the occasional polished apple.
Western Conference
| Detroit Red Wings |
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An enviable mix of youth and experience guided by the league's most underappreciated coach, Mike Babcock, the Red Wings have been the NHL's best squad by far. Astonishingly, they've been having a ton of trouble filling Joe Louis Arena. |
A+ |
MVP: Nicklas Lidstrom.
Arguably the most impactful non-goaltender in the game, the ageless Lidstrom dictates the flow better than anyone in the game.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Dan Cleary. Former first-round "bust" is on pace for a career-best 30 goals while providing his usually reliable defensive presence.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Attendance. No reason to nitpick the on-ice product. The Wings have been brilliant, but local fans are missing out.
HARDWARE HOPEFULS: Lidstrom (Norris, Hart), Babcock (Jack Adams), Chris Osgood (Vezina), Henrik Zetterberg (Art Ross), Chris Chelios (AARP Man of the Year)
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| Thanks to the addition of Brian Rafalski, and the contributions of maturing youngsters like Valtteri Filppula and Jiri Hudler, these Wings look more formidable than the club that fell to Anaheim in the conference finals last season. With no obvious flaws, they're the current favorites to win it all. |
| St. Louis Blues |
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The most improved team in the West, thanks to an influx of young long-term talent and the savvy coaching of Andy Murray. |
B |
MVP: GM Larry Pleau.
Trading for Brad Boyes and Andy MacDonald, signing free agent Paul Kariya and giving rookie David Perron a spot on the roster highlighted his remarkable rebuilding effort.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Brad Boyes. Trade deadline steal is on pace for 40 goals, twice as many as any other Blue.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: The power play. Easy to imagine the Blues would be in a more secure position were they not dead last in the league with the extra man (a miserable 12.4 percent success rate).
HARDWARE HOPEFULS: Murray (Jack Adams), Erik Johnson (Calder)
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| They're in tough, thanks to a brutal schedule that sees them play nine straight on the road in March. Odds are they'll be on the outside looking in come mid-April. |
| Vancouver Canucks |
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Spurred by the hardly inconsiderable losses of Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund, the Canucks refocused on defense and went 9-2-2 in November to keep themselves in contention in the Northwest Division. |
B |
MVP: Roberto Luongo.
He's returned to form since Nov. 1, going 17-7-3 and running up a franchise record shutout streak of 210:34. He was voted to start the All-Star Game for the Western Conference.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Alexander Edler. Stepped up when injuries decimated the backline and provided a smart, steady presence reminiscent of Ohlund. His plus-18 mark leads the Canucks and all NHL rookies.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Blueline scoring. As a group, they're averaging just over a point per game, less than half of what they provided last season.
HARDWARE HOPEFULS: Luongo (Vezina, Hart), Ryan Kesler (Selke)
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| With Luongo in net, the Canucks are an opponent no team relishes. But to go deeper than last season, GM Dave Nonis must acquire secondary scoring up front and insurance on the blueline. |
| Dallas Stars |
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The decision to replace GM Doug Armstrong with the two-headed front office monster of Les Jackson and Brett Hull charged a stagnant atmosphere and led to a more aggressive, youth-oriented approach that has the team lurking just below elite squads like Detroit and Ottawa. |
B |
MVP: Mike Ribeiro.
He's matured (gone are the soccer-style dives) and more confident than he ever was in Montreal. His chemistry with Brenden Morrow gives the Stars one of the most dangerous front line duos in the West.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Matt Niskanen. Rookie made the team as a depth defender, but graduated to top pairing thanks to elite hockey sense and a high panic point.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Goaltending. Both Marty Turco and Mike Smith have excelled in spells, but neither has displayed the consistency needed to wrest the No. 1 job for himself.
HARDWARE HOPEFULS: Sergei Zubov (Norris)
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| The two elements that curtailed their run last season -- scoring and the power play -- are markedly improved, but they'll need another top-six forward and more reliable goaltending if they hope to advance past the opening round for the first time since 2001. |
| San Jose Sharks |
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They've been a major disappointment at home (10-11-4), but the NHL's best road record (16-4-3) suggests the Sharks are capable, with minor fine-tuning, of becoming a second-half juggernaut. |
B |
MVP: Joe Thornton.
Not to undersell Evgeni Nabokov's brilliance, but Jumbo Joe has carried the offense virtually on his own. Always more potent in the second half, he should challenge for the scoring title.
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS: Evgeni Nabokov. He finally took a night off last week, but his otherwise uninterrupted workload has him among the league leaders in wins (26) and shutouts (5). He looks very capable of supporting a deep run into spring.
NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: The offense. With just 122 goals to date -- second-fewest in the conference -- the Sharks have been largely toothless and far too easy to defend. Players like Patrick Marleau and Jonathan Cheechoo must be markedly better in the second half.
HARDWARE HOPEFULS: Thornton (Hart, Ross), Nabokov (Vezina)
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| The way they're playing at home, the Sharks have to be hoping for a 5-8 seed so they can start on the road. The framework for a Cup is in place, but GM Doug Wilson needs to tinker with his top-six forwards and add a mobile, offensive-minded blueliner to give San Jose a realistic shot of advancing beyond the early rounds.
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