31. Chicago: 0-7-2 (2 points)
Struggling to both score (28th GF) and keep the puck out of the net (31st GA). Marc-Andre Fleury has been awful (4.63 GAA .872 SV, all player stats from hockey-reference). Seth Jones (only seven months younger than Morgan Rielly) @ $9.5M for the next eight years with a full NMC for the entire length of the contract makes Rielly’s even keel deal look like a steal. Feel?
Random Note: Chicago is the worst.
30. Montreal: 2-8-0 (4 points)
Bottom-five in every major statistical category except for GF, where they sit 26th, this Canadiens season has been Price-less.
Random Note: I guess playoff Price + trap hockey + playoff officiating really does = undeserved Cup berths. Jacques Lemaire to Toronto???
29. Ottawa: 3-4 (6 points)
Not to go out on a Lalime here but if Murray reverts to the form of last season, that hard-working, young talent won’t be able to overcome the goaltending woes, even with their (Sidorkie)-wits about them.
Random Note: Sorry for bringing up those maligned Ottawa netminders. What an awful m-Emery for Sens fans
28. Los Angeles: 3-5-1 (7 points)
Pretty good top-six (Kopitar, Brown, Iafallo, Arvidsson, Danault, Kempe) + young talent in Vilardi, Byfield and Grundstrom on the cusp but they are in need of a Quick change.
Random Note: Appreciation for Anze Kopitar (1,137GP, 1,011P, 352G, 52.9FO%, 56.5CF%, 2 Cups, PPG in each entire Cup playoff run). He’s a Kopi-STAR!