Nearly two months into the current NHL season and the playoff races in both Conferences couldn't be more different.
Entering this week, only 11 points separated the first overall Detroit Red Wings (37 points) from the 13th overall Minnesota Wild (26 points) in the Western Conference.
It was even tighter between third and 12th overall, where only a three-point divide between the 3rd overall Vancouver Canucks and the 12th overall San Jose Sharks, with the Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Nashville Predators, Colorado Avalanche andAnaheim Ducks in between jockeying for position.
The race was so close the Kings, in the span of one week, bounced from 10th overall to 4th to 6th place. Even Edmonton and Calgary, the bottom two teams in the Conference, were only five points out of the eighth and final playoff berth. With more than 50 games remaining in the season, there's still plenty of time for those clubs to gain ground in the tightly packed West.
But in the Eastern Conference, it's another story.
Entering Dec. 5, 16 points separated the first overall Pittsburgh Penguins (38 points) from the 13th overall Toronto Maple Leafs (22 points).
For teams currently holding onto playoffs spots the race was close, with only a seven-point divide between the Penguins and the eighth overall Atlanta Thrashers, with the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Boston Bruins jostling in between.
But there's a distinct divide between those clubs and the rest of the Conference.
A five-point gap separated the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres (tied for ninth) from the eighth overall Thrashers. The Ottawa Senators were seven points back, the Florida Panthers and Maple Leafs nine back, with the New Jersey Devils (13 points back) and the NY Islanders (16 points) bringing up the rear.
The top eight teams in the East appear to be moving further ahead of the pack and if that trend continues throughout December, it could determine most of the Conference playoffs by the New Year.
Of course, there's still plenty of time for some of those teams currently sitting outside the playoff standings to get back into contention. A couple of current playoff contenders could also falter in the second half and fall out of the race.
For the Hurricanes, Sabres, Senators, Panthers and Maple Leafs, however, this month could very well make the difference between contention and also-ran, and they've got some significant problem areas to address if they're to stay in the playoff hunt.
The Hurricanes are among the worst defensive teams in the league, especially on the penalty kill, and they've got a losing record on the road so far.
Lack of offensive production has hurt the Panthers. Entering this week, they had scored the fourth-fewest goals in the Conference and had the league's worst power play at a woeful 8 percent.
The Sabres were fifth overall in shots-for per game but had scored the sixth fewest goals, plus they have a losing record at home.
Scoring remains a problem for both the Maple Leafs and Senators, whose general managers are believed desperately seeking deals to bolster their offensive lines.
As for the Devils and Islanders, they've fallen back so far now the odds of either club climbing back into contention are fading. Both could be out of it by New Year's Day, and they could have company if the others current non-contenders slip any further in the standings.
