Just a few weeks ago, at the Olympic break, all eyes on hockey were tuned to two battles for position: the playoff races.
In the West, Calgary, Detroit, Anaheim, St. Louis, and Minnesota were all right on the brink of the bubble for the last playoff spot, while in the East, Boston, Montreal, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta were all clambering for the eighth seed.
Now, just a mere 20 days later, not only have those battles been cut down to just two two-team fights for eighth place, but we've developed another fight for position that just keeps on opening eyes due to its unlikely trio of participants.
The Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and Phoenix Coyotes reach basically all corners of the NHL's Western Conference geographical area, and they're just like that to each other.
The Sharks entered the season trying to finally reach the season where they could have success in the playoffs; their previous success in the first 82 games just kept falling apart in the postseason.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Jones