1. Anaheim Ducks: Sitting on top of the whole NHL with a 40-12-5 record leaves little room for argument as to why they are the top ranked team so far. Corey Perry has posted 29 goals and 30 assists in 58 games for the Ducks. They may be able to make a HUGE Stanley Cup run this season.
2. St Louis Blues: The Blues have been extremely solid this season posting a 37-12-5 record at the halfway point of the season. They have won four of five games and look to achieve first place of the Central Division.
3. Chicago Blackhawks: The reigning Stanley Cup champions have remained aggressive this year. They are currently behind Anaheim in the standings but with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane anything can happen.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby is arguably the best player in the NHL and currently he is healthy, which usually leads to early success for Pitt. The Pens are 38-15-2 and have been dominant within the Eastern Conference.
5. Boston Bruins: Since playing Dallas Jan. 16, the B’s have coasted along with only a few hiccups. Chad Johnson has been a huge upgrade at backup goalie, and if Tuuka Rask can step it up, then the two stand as a dangerous duo between the pipes. Sitting at only a couple points behind Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston will look to revenge their Cup loss last year and get back on top.
6. Colorado Avalanche: With eight wins in their last 10 games, the Avs have gotten back to their hot streak form we saw during the early stages of the season. If they can keep it up during the season, then they could end up on top of the Central Division over the likes of Chicago and St. Louis.
7. San Jose Sharks: Strong performance on Saturday led to a shootout win over the Blackhawks, but Sharks have dropped slightly as of late. Will this be the season Joe Thornton and his team make it far in the playoffs?
8. Toronto Maple Leafs: After an atrocious early January the Leafs have 8 regular season wins and one overtime win in their last 10 games. Phil Kessel has 61 points (30 G, 21 A) in 57 games and is hungry for victory after losing a heart-breaking Boston-Toronto playoff series last season.