Since the first day of the 2009-2010 NHL season back in October, three teams (the Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks) have pulled away from the rest of the league and established themselves soundly as the "Big Three."
In the Eastern Conference, four other teams, in addition to the Capitals, established themselves as the top five teams in that conference. In the Western half of the NHL, seven teams have been fighting since last autumn in their race for the last two available playoff spots.
And now all of that is falling apart.
The "Big Three" is now looking like it may split up as we approach the conclusion of the regular season, as Washington has begun to pull themselves away with remarkable comebacks and simply a consistent, productive style of hockey.
In the East, the recent surge by the Philadelphia Flyers and slump by the Ottawa Senators (as well as below-average performance lately from the Devils and Sabres) has mostly eliminated the gap between t ...
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Article written by Mark Jones