An NHL season is an incredibly long affair, an 82-game marathon during which virtually every team will see high points and low points.
“Consistency” is a watchword for many, but it’s an illusion for virtually every team, since virtually every team will enjoy both slumps and streaks. The trick is to get enough points during the hot stretches to insulate against the cold ones; it’s easy for commentators to ignore a run of mediocrity if a team is safely ensconced in a playoff spot.
We’ve seen that this season.
A number of teams have been basically .500 (or worse) for long stretches of the year but have gotten away with it thanks to having put points in the bank early in the campaign. Some of those clubs are still safe in a playoff position while others are scrabbling for their postseason lives; the common point throughout is that an early sprint has allowed them to stay in the race even as their pace has fallen off.
Colorado Avalanche
Start:12-1-0, 151-point pace
Since: 18-11-5, 99-point pace
The Colorado Avalanche announced to the world th ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
6 NHL Teams Still Living off Hot Starts
January 17th, 2014 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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