Latest Updates: 5/04/12
5/04 updates
- file updates through Day 151 of the schedule.
3/18/12
Due to
personal reasons, the league will need a new simmer and website host
for next season (AHL10).
Those league GMs interested in
volunteering to take on these duties contact
Commissioner
Brad Utterstrom.
Peter Puckhead's Picks
Hi there! I'm Peter Puckhead, welcome to the AHL9 Season!
It's been 18 schedule days since the last report. Today we'll see who the leading teams are now.
Through Day 151 of the Schedule
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
We have a change in the leadership of the Atlantic! The Broadway
Blueshirts of GM Mikael Monsen have overtaken the Penguins of GM Don
Brooks by a mere one point. 80 points pts in 68gp to the Pens 79. The
Rangers have a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 while the Pens have
struggled with a 2-5-3 record. This change has the Rangers as the third
seed in the East for the playoffs, while the Penguins are now the #4
seed.The Islanders of GM Danny Fong have 73 points in 69gp and have a 3-5-2 record in their last 10. The Isles are currently the #8 and last seed in the East, one point up on the Sabres with a game in hand.
The Devils of GM Ryan Matte are 4th in the division with 65pts in 69gp. They have posted a 3-6-1 record in their last 10. The playoffs are not out of the question as they are 8pts out of the #8 seed. However, it will take some very shoddy play by the Isles, Sabres and 'Canes ahead of them along with one heckuva winning streak by them.
It'll be a dogfight for the Atlantic crown over the last 14 games of the season between the Rangers & Penguins.
Northeast
The Ottawa Senators of GM Artigas Bonifacio continue to dominate the
Northeast and the Eastern Conference. Their lead in the division has
dropped a bit and now stands at 20 points, with their Conference lead
at 14 points. I don't see anyone challenging the Senators' over their
last 12 games of the season even though they have slipped a bit of late
in posting a 5-3-2 record in their last 10. They now have 99pts in 70gp
and are poised to take the President's Cup.The Maple Leafs of GM Ed Knapp have mounted a charge of late and have overtaken the Bruins for the #2 spot in the division and are now the #5 seed in the East. They have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 and now have 79pts in 69gp.
The Boston Bruins of GM Nick Houda have posted a 5-5-0 record in their last 10 and now have 75pts in 68gp in dropping to 3rd in the division. Thye are currently the #7 seed in the East, 4pts back of the Pens, 'Leafs and Jets and one point up on the Isles.
The Sabres of GM Cam McCurdy are on a playoff push in posting an 8-2-0 record in their last 10. They now have 72pts in 70gp and are one point out of the last playoff spot in the East which is currently occupied by the Islanders.
Southeast
The Panthers of GM Victor Au still lead the Southeast and have expanded
it to 6 points over the Jets. They have a 4-3-3 record their last 10
and are the #2 seed in the East.The defending AHL Apba Cup Champs (Jets) are still 2nd in the division and now have 79pts in 69gp. They have slipped lately in their last 10 in posting a 3-4-3 record. The Jets are currently the 6th seed in the East.
The Hurricanes of GM Matt Bahm have posted a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 and now have 68pts in 69gp. They are 5pts out of the last playoff spot in the East.
Western Conference
Central
The Predators of GM Brad Lloyd continue to lead the division and
now have 82pts in 69gp. They have posted a quality 7-3-0 mark in their
last 10 as they hone their skills for the playoffs. They are the #3
seed in the West and hold a comfortable 6 point lead over the Blues for
the division lead.The Blues of GM Shawn Cane still hold down second place in the division and are the #6 seed in the West. They have posted a 4-6-0 record in their last 10.
The Blackhawks of Commish Brad Utterstrom continue to struggle and now have 71pts in 70gp. They have posted a 5-4-1 record in their last 10 and hold the #8 seed in the West; 5pts up on the Red Wings and Avalance.
The Red Wings of GM Jerry Howell follow the 'hawks with 66pts in 69gp. If they can put a winning streak together over their last 13 games they could overtake the struggling 'Hawks.
Northwest
The Wild of GM Dave Bole now have 92pts in 69gp. They are 20pts
up on the Canucks in the division and continue to be #1 in the West. In
their last 10 they have posted a 6-3-1 record while they cruise toward
the playoffs.The Canucks of GM Dan Jeanson continue to hold down second place in the division and now have 72pts in 69gp. They have gone 5-3-2 in their last 10 and are currently the #7 seed in the West, one point up on the Blackhawks.
The Avalanche of GM Pat Wilson are third in the division and have gone 4-4-2 in their last 10. With 66pts in 71gp they are 10th in the West, 5pts out of the last playoff spot.
Pacific
The Sharks of GM Derek Chaiken still lead the Pac and now have
90pts in 68gp. Their last 10 have seen them go 5-4-1 in leaving the
door open for the hard charging Coyotes. The Sharks are still the #2
seed in the West but who knows for how long.The Coyotes of GM Mike Jordan have mounted a charge in posting a 9-1-0 record in their last 10. They have 92pts in 70gp and are the 4th seed in the West. Those 2 games in hand the Sharks have on the Coyotes could prove to be the key as to who wins the division.
The Dallas Stars of GM Howard Wong hold down 3rd in the Pac. With 80pts in 69gp they are currently the 5th seed in the West. Their last 10 has seen them post a 5-5-0 record.
Through Day 133 of the Schedule.
Eastern Conference
Atlantic
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to lead the Atlantic. They currently
have 72 pts in 60 gp while the New York Rangers are 4 points back with
68. The Blueshirts, however, have 2 critical games in hand on the
Pens.points back of hte Rangers are their rivals from Long Island, The New York Islanders. Just like the Pens, the Isles have played 60 games to date. It has shaped up to be quite a battle for the Atlantic Division crown among these 3 clubs.
The Pens are currently the 3rd seed in the East, the Rangers are the 4th and the Islanders are the 8th seed; five points up on the Carolina Hurricanes who are 9th in the Eastern Conference standings with 60 points.
Northeast
The Ottawa Senators continue to lead the Northeast, the Eastern
Conference and the League! They have 89 points in 62 gp. Their lead in
the Eastern Conference is 15 points over the 2nd place Florida
Panthers. Following them in the Northeast Division are the Boston
Bruins with 65 points in 58 gp. They have 3 games in hand on the
Toronto Maple Leafs who have 68 points in 61 gp.The Bruins are the 6th seed in the East while the 'Leafs are the 7th.
Southeast
The Florida Panthers continue to lead the Southeast but it's down to a
mere point over the Winnipeg Jets. They do have 4 games in hand on the
Jets. Currently they have 74 points in 59 gp and are in 2nd place in
the Conference standings, 2 points up on the Penguins. The Winnipeg
Jets have 73 points in 63 gp and are currently the 5th seed in the East.Western Conference
Central
Things have really been shook up in the Central in the last 32 days
with the Nashville Predators now #1 in the Central Division and the #3
seed in the Western Conference. The Preds have 72 points in 61 gp while
the St. Louis Blues are 4 points back with 68 points in the same
61 gp. The Chicago Blackhawks are 6 points back of the Blues with 62
points in 63 gp. The Detroit Red Wings are within striking distance of
the 'Hawks with 59 points in 63 gp.In the Conference the Blues are the 6th seed with the Blackhawks at #8. The aforementioned Red Wings are 9th in the Conference standings with 59 points. A decent winning streak and they could bump the Blackhawks from the last playoff spot in the West.
Northwest
The Minnesota Wild continue to have a stranglehold on the Northwest and
now have 81 points in 60gp. Behind them in the division are the
Vancouver Canucks with 62 points in 61 gp while the Colorado Avalanche
have 56 points in 61 gp.In the Western Conference standings the Wild are still #1, but the San Jose Sharks are a mere 2 points back of them and have a game in hand. It looks like the Wild will be in a dogfight for the Western crown with the Predators (72 pts), the Phoenix Coyotes (76 pts) and the Dallas Stars (72 pts) also in the picture.
Vancouver is the 7th seed in the West at the current time. The Avs are in the playoff hunt being 6 points back of the 8th seed 'Hawks. They are currently 10th in the Conference.
Pacific
The San Jose Sharks continue to lead the Pacific and now have 79 points
in 59 games and as previously mentioned are the #2 seed in the West.
Coming up fast on them in the Pac are the Phoenix Coyotes with 76
points in 61 gp. Those 2 games in hand the Sharks have will be
important. The Dallas Stars are 4 points back of the 'yotes with 72
points in 61 gp.The Coyotes are the 4th seed in the West while the Stars are the 5th.
As you can see, except for the Ottawa Senators, where teams finish in the playoff seedings will be determined over the last 20 games or so of the regular season. For the Sens to lose the #1 seed in the East it would have to take a total collapse and with the way they've been playing, (7-1-2 last ten), I don't see that happening.
With the trade deadline after the games on Day 139 of the season, any final moves teams make over the last week or so could mean a rise in the standings for them and the all important home ice advantage entering the playoffs.
Day 101
Western Conference
Central Division
1. St. Louis Blues - The Blues of GM Shawn Cane have caught and passed the Blackhawks with 53 points in 45 games. They have a game in hand on the 'Hawks and lead them by the slimmest of margins at the present time. By a mere .002 of a point in winning percentage! They currently hold down the #3 seed in the West along with #1 in the Central. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10. What's interesting to note is that they have scored 139 goals which matches the offensive output of the two teams behind them in the division, the 'Hawks and Preds. Talk about a competitive Division!
In the scoring department they are led Patrick Elias who is tied for 12th in the league in scoring with 52 points (16g and 36 assists). Next is Marian Gaborik who is 15th in the league scoring race with 49 points (22g and 27 assists).
Elias leads the club in assists while Gaborik leads the club in goals scored.
Along the blueline they are led by Jonathan Blum who has 7g - 13a - 20pts along with a +17. His +17 leads the club. Dion Phaneuf also has 20pts with 5 goals and 15 assists. His +/- is a -1 to date.
Beween the pipes they are led by Miikka Kiprusoff who has played all 45 games to date for the Blues. He has a 24-16-5 record along with a 2.74 gaa and a .904 SvPct.
2.Chicago Blackhawks
- The 'Hawks of our esteemed Commissioner have been slipping a bit of
late in posting a 5-5-0 record of their own in their last 10. As
mentioned above, they are behind the Blues by a mere .002 of a point in
winning percentage. Currently 2nd in the Central and 6th in the West
after 46 games played.Marian Hossa leas the 'Hawks in scoring with 50 points on 26 goals and 24 assists. This places him tied for 14th in the league scoring race with Jon Toews of the Carolina Hurricanes. His 26 goals leads the 'Hawks while Ryan Getzlaf leads the club in assists with 30. Portsider Brenden Morrow is second on the club in scoring with 41 points (20g - 21a). He also leads the club in game winning goals and is tied for 2nd in the league with 7. Malone is one point behind on the club with 40 points (13g - 27a).
The defense corps is led in scoring and tied for 5th in the league among blueliners by Shea Weber with 12g - 25a - 37pts. His 12 goals is 3rd in the entire league among defencemen. His +/- is +21 which is only bested on the club by dman Robyn Regehr who has posted a +24 to date.
Leading the club between the pipes is veteran 'tender Tomas Vokoun. 34gp, 22-12-0, 6 Sho, 2.23 gaa and a .926 SvPct. His gaa & SvPct are 5th in the league while his 22 wins has him in a 3 way tie for 5th best in the league. 5 appears to be his lucky number. His 6 ShO ties him for 2nd in the league with Quick of the Preds.
3. Nashville Predators - The Preds of GM Brad Lloyd have 50 points, 4 points back of the 'Hawks. In their last 10 they've posted a 3-5-2 record. If they had been a tad better in those 10 they'd be right there with the Blues & 'Hawks. They are currently occupying the 7th playoff spot in the West.
Matt Duchene leads the Preds in scoring with 47 points (16g, 31a). Behind him is Marty St. Louis (11g, 29a, 40pts), Bobby Ryan (22g, 17a, 39pts) and Clarke MacArthur (17g, 22a, 39pts). Duchene's 31 assists leads the club while Ryan's 22 goals is the high water mark in that category.
Tobias Enstrom leads the Preds defense corps in scoring (8g, 24a, 32pts) which has him tied for 6th in the league among the Dmen scoring leaders. Devin Setoguchi's 9ppg leads the club and has him tied for 4th in the league in ppg.
Between the pipes the Preds are led by Jonathan Quick who in 39 games has a gaa of 2.45, a record of 20-14-5 with 6 ShO (tied for 2nd in the league) along with a SvPct of .917.
Look out for these Preds. A couple of nice win streaks during the 2nd half could have them knocking on the Division door.
Northwest Division
1.Minnesota Wild - The
Northwest Division race appears to be locked up by the Wild of GM Dave
Bole already.
While they have only played 46 games to date, it's difficult to see
them
not taking the Northwest since they already have an 18 point lead over
the
Vancouver Canucks. It would have to take a total collapse by the Wild
during
the 2nd half of the season to relinquish the Northwest crown and I
don't see that happening. Their 66 points places them #1 in the West by
6 points over the San Jose Sharks and #1 in the league by one point
over the Ottawa Senators in the East. They have two games in hand on
the Sens while the Sharks have 3 games in hand on them.Scoring wise they are led by phenom Steven Stamkos whose 64 points places him 3rd in the league scoring race. His 39 helpers places him 5th in the league and 1st on the club in assists. His 7 game winners ties him for 2nd in the league and is 1st, of course, on the club. His 25 goals also leads the club. 2nd on the club in scoring is Mike Knuble with 41 points while Tyler Kennedy is 3rd with 39 points. Kennedy's 9 ppg leads the club and ties him for 4th in the league with Setoguchi of the Preds.
Alex Goligoski is still among the Dman scoring leaders with 37 points (7g and 30 assists). This places him tied for 4th in the league with Weber of the 'hawks and, of course, leads the club's blueliners.
The goaltending duties are handled by Devan Dubnyk and Martin Biron. To date Dubnyk has been the primary with 28gp, a 16-8-4 record with 4 Sho while posting a 2.71 gaa and .909 SvPct. Biron has 18gp with a 14-2-2 record, 3 ShO along with a 2.03 gaa (#2 in the league) and a .928 SvPct (#4 in the league).
2. The AHL7 Champion Vancouver Canucks of GM Dan Jeanson are 2nd in the Northwest, 18 points back, and currently hold down the 8th playoff spot in the West. They are looking over their shoulder at the recently charging Red Wings who are 4 points back of them. The Canucks are 3-5-2 in their last 10. They'll have to pick up the pace if they hope to solidify their playoff position.
In the scoring department they are led by the ageless wonder Teemu Selanne with 55 points. This places him 10th in the league in scoring as of this writing. Of the 55 points. 27 are goals (tied for 5th in the league) and 28 are assists.
Behind Teemu in scoring on the club are Mike Richards (14g, 24a, 38pts) and Portsider Scott Hartnell (15g, 19a, 34pts). Among the defense corps Zdeno Chara is the leading scorer with 23 points (8g, 15a). In the plus/minus department, Mike Richards leads the club at +18.
Tim Thomas, the AHL7 Apba Cup winning goalie and Utterstrom Trophy winner, has been having an up and down season so far. This is difficult to figure considering his numbers. Perhaps the 'D' in front of him and his numbers will kick in over the 2nd half of the season. Stats wise he has a 17-14-7 record to date with 3 ShO. His gaa is 2.58 while his SvPct is .917. It should be an interesting 2nd half of the season for the Canucks.
Pacific Division
1. San Jose Sharks aka Red Wings - The Sharks of GM Derek Chaiken have been sizzling lately and have posted a 9-1-0 record in their last 10. Their 60 points has them 1st in the Pacific and 2nd in the Western Conference. With 154 goals scored they are challenging the Wild for the best offense in the West. Currently they are 15 goals and 6 points back of the Wild but have 3 games in hand. Pavel Datsyuk is currently #2 in the league in scoring as of Day 101 of the schedule with 66 points (20g, 46a). His 46 helpers is #1 on the Sharks and #2 in the league. His +35 leads the Sharks and is also #2 in the league. His 3 shorties ties him for #2 in the league with 5 other players. One might say as goes Pavel so go the Sharks but not so fast there. The second leading scorer on the club is, surprisingly, rearguard Brian Rafalski! He has posted 47 pts on 9g and 38a. He's tied for 1st in the league among scoring defensemen with Letang of Florida while his 38 assists is #1 in the league among Dmen.
3rd on the club in scoring is Danny Cleary with 44pts (24g, 20a), 4th is Zetterberg's 43pts (25g, 18a) and 5th is Nic Lidstrom with 39pts (11g, 28a). Zetterberg's 25 goals are #1 on the club while Nic Lidstrom 39pts are 3rd in the league among defensemen with his 11 goals also 3rd in the league among Dmen (tied with 2 others).
Henrik Lundqvist leads the club in goal and has played all 43 games. His gaa of 2.30 is 6th in the league while his 28 wins ties him for first in the league with Niemi of Ottawa. His Svpct is .919.
2. Dallas Stars - 2nd in the Pacific and 4th in the West are the Stars of GM Howard Wong with 57 points and an 8-2-0 record in their last 10. With 142 goals for and 107 against they aren't far behind the Sharks in those categories either.
Leading the Stars in scoring is right wing Patric Hornqvist with 40pts (23g, 17a). His 23 goals leads the club. Behind him is his centerman Nic Backstrom with 36pts (16g, 20a). Surprisingly his 20 helpers does not lead the club. This honor goes to two blueliners who are 3rd & 4th on the club in scoring. Brian Campbell (4g, 24a, 28pts) and Keith Yandle (4g, 24a, 28pts). Nope, that's not a typo. They both have the same number of goals and assists and play together on the 1st line D pairing!
Between the pipes is all world goalie Pekka Rinne who has played all of the Stars 45 games. He has posted a 27-15-3 record with 4 ShO. His gaa is 2.32 (7th in the league) while his SvPct is .926 (6th in the league). His 27 wins is #3 in the league.
Keep an eye on these Stars. Should the Sharks falter the Stars just might overtake them!
3. Phoenix Coyotes - The Desert Dogs of GM Mike Jordan are 2 points back of the Stars, 3rd in the Pacific and 5th in the West. Leading the 'yotes on the scoresheet is portsider Nikolai Kulemin with 23g, 20a, 43pts. The 23g and 43pts are #1 on the club. Following him are Erik Cole (18g,13a, 31pts), Chris Kunitz (11g, 19a, 30pts) and Olli Jokinen (7g, 21a, 28pts). Jokinen's 21 helpers leads the club. Erik Cole leads the club in ppg with 7 and game winners with 5.
The leading scoring blueliner on the club is Radek Martinek with 17 points, all assists.
Roberto Luongo holds down the fort in goal with 42 games played to date. His 2.05 gaa is 3rd in the league behind Hiller (PIT) and Biron (MIN). His .932 SvPct is 2nd behind MacDonald (PHI) while his 23 wins ranks 4th in the league.
Roberto has done one heckuva job for the Dogs.
Rest of the West - Detroit Red Wings of GM Jerry Howell are the #9 seed (44pts and charging of late with a 7-3-0 record in their last 10), GM Pat Wilson's Avs (40pts) #10, GM Jeff Dunlop's Ducks (35pts) #11, GM Chris Wolter's Oilers (33pts) #12, GM Vlad Zhivov's Flames (32pts) #13, GM Paul Jubinville's Kings (30pts) #14 and GM Brett Springinotic's Blue Jackets (21pts) #15 round out the teams currently out of a playoff spot. With the Red Wings recent surge they are still in striking distance while the Avs have an outside chance. As for the rest, they'll probably be looking to next season.
Day 93
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
- The Pens of Asst Commish Don Brooks continue to lead the Atlantic and
are 2nd in the East with
50 points in 40 games played. In their last 10 they are 5-5-0.
They currently have a 5 point lead in the Atlantic. The story of this
club continues to be team defense (81 goals allowed which is #1 in the
league) and goalie Jonas Hiller. Usually it's as Hiller goes so go the
Pens. Hiller currently boasts the best gaa in the entire league at 1.97
along with a .923 SvPct., 20 wins and 6 shutouts. He's tied with Vokoun
of Chicago for #1 in shutouts.On the scoring side of the ledger the Pens are led by winger Martin Erat with 35 points (13g-22a). His 22 helpers leads the team. He has also posted a +21 and 6 ppg.
Center Brad Richards follows Erat in team scoring with 34 points (15g-19a). The 15 goals is the high water mark on the club as well as his +22 and 142 sog. He also is tied for the league lead in game winning goals with 8.
2. New York Rangers - The Rangers of GM Mikael Monsen are 2nd in the Atlantic with 45 points in 39 games and have a game in hand on the Pens. They are 3-6-1 in their last 10. They are also currently 5th in the Eastern Conference.
Leading the Blueshirts in scoring is forward Jeff Carter with 39 points (19g - 20a). The 19 goals leads the club as does his 7 game winners which ties him for 2nd in the league, He has posted a +12 to date which is 2nd on the club to Rene Bourque who has a +13.
Marty Havlat is #2 on the club's scoresheet with 33 points (9g - 24a). The 24 helpers leads the club and he has posted a +9 to date.
Blueliner James Wisniewski leads the club's blueliners in scoring with 9g - 10a - 19pts. His 9 goals has him 8th in the league among the defensemen goal scoring leaders.
Between the pipes is Carey Price who's been the workhorse in starting and completing all 39 games played. He has posted numbers of 2.69 gaa, 20-14-4 record and a .920 SvPct. He has averaged 33.55 saves per game.
3.New York Islanders - GM Danny Fong - With the Isles 2 points back of the Rangers they have a legitimate shot to overtake the Blueshirts. The battle of New York. They have posted a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 and have been stingy in allowing goals having surrendered 97 to date. Also, they are currently 6th in the Eastern Conference standings.
They boast a player who made the league's top 25 list in scoring in Eric Staal. Neither the Pens nor the Rangers can claim this at press time. Staal has 22g - 22a - 44 pts which places him 22nd on the top 25 list. He has posted a +8 and notched 6 ppg. The 22g leads the club by a wide margin as does the 44 points.
2nd on the club in scoring is Jarome Iginla with 34 points (13g - 21a).
The leading scoring blueliner is Tomas Kaberle with 25 points (2g - 23a). The 23 helpers leads the club .
Between the pipes they are led by Cam Ward, who in 37 games has posted a 2.39 gaa, 19-13-5 record along with a .914 SvPct.
Northeast Division
1.Ottawa Senators - GM Artigas Bonifacio - First in the Eastern Conference & Northeast with 57 points in 43 gp. The Sens have been a dominant force not only in the East but in the entire league since the start of the season. They currently have a 7 point lead in the East along with a 9 point lead in the Northeast. In the division the 'leafs have 2 games in hand while in the Conference standings the Pens have 3 games in hand.
The Sens boast three players among the league's top 25 scoring leaders. Those being Patrick Sharp (25g-36a-61pts) at #2 overall, Drew Stafford tied for 5th (34g-20a-54pts) and Alex Tanguay (11g-39a-50pts) tied for 8th.
Their blueline has the #2 scoring defenseman in the league in Brent Burns with 40 points. He has 15 goals (#1 among Dmen) and 25 assists. His +21 ties him for #1 on the club with Alex Tanguay.
Drew Stafford has catapulted to #2 in the league in goal scoring and is now a mere one goal behind Alex Semin of Florida for the league lead. Sharp comes in tied for 6th in the league in goal scoring and 5th in the league in assists. Alex Tanguay finds himself 3rd in the league in assists.
As is that weren't enough, Sharp leads the league in power play tallies with 13 while Stafford is tied for 2nd in even strength goals. Game winning goals sees Stafford tied for first in the league with 8. Blueliner Lilja is tied for the league lead in blocked shots with 55. So, the Sens are represented in just about every important statistical category.
This brings us to the last category but certtainly not the least, that being goaltending. Antti Niemi. He leads the league in wins with 25, probably the most important stat for a goalie, and has posted a 2.44 gaa and .923 SvPct.
2.Toronto Maple Leafs - GM Ed Knapp - The 'leafs come in at 2nd in the Northeast and 4th in the East with 48 points in 41 gp. While they have gone 5-4-1 in their last 10, they have a competitive offense that has scored 130 goals while their D has only allowed 103 goals. Ryan Clowe leads the club in scoring with 52 points (17g-35a).This places him 6th in the league in scoring. His 35 helpers leads the club and also ties him for 6th in the league. His +25 ties him for 5th in the league with teammate Kessel and several others. Phil Kessel comes in at #2 on the club in scoring with 44 points and leads the club in goal scoring with 25. Kessel is tied for 22nd in the league in scoring while those 25 goals ties him for 6th in the league with Ottawa's Sharp.
Rearguard Doughty is tied for 2nd in the league among defensemen with 12 goals.
Between the pipes is Ilya Bryzgalov who in all 41 games to date has posted a 20-14-6 record along with a 2.46 gaa and .914 SvPct.
Southeast Division
1.Florida Panthers - GM Victor Au - #1 in the Southeast and #3 in the East is the offensive juggernaut known as the Florida Panthers. They currently have scored 181 goals (#1 in the league by a wide margin) in 42 games (4.31 gpg avg) while allowing 134. When a team scores that many goals per game giving up 3.2 per game isn't a big deal. They have posted an 8-2-0 record in their last 10.
The league leading scoring categories, as you'd expect, have quite a few Panthers. At #1 in the league is Henrik Sedin with 63 points (12g-51a). The 51 helpers leads the league by 11. Tied for 4th are Alex Semin (35g-23a-58pts) and Claude Giroux (23g-35a-58pts). Semin's 35 goals leads the league, his 10 ppg are 3rd in the league, while his 25 even strength goals also leads the league. He has also posted 6 game winners (tied for 3rd) and a +24 (6th in the league).
Giroux's 35 helpers ties him for 6th in the league. The next player in the top 25 (tied for 7th) in scoring is Kesler with 51 points. He has 29 goals (3rd in the league) and 22 assists.
This brings us to the defense corps. Kris Letang is the #1 scoring dman in the league with 43 points. He has 10 goals and 33 assists. His +29 is second in the league. Speaking of +/- the Panthers have the top 3 in the league with fellow rearguard Lydman #1 at +37 and Henrik Sedin at #3 with +27.
Manning the goal crease for the Panthers during the first half of the season has been Scott Clemmensen. He has posted a 18-14-3 record with a 3.38 gaa and .892 SvPct. His backup, Cory Schneider, has appeared in 7 games with a 1.71 gaa, .941 SvPct and a 6-1-0 record. I expect the Panthers goals against to drop during the second half of the season as Schneider is poised to play quite a few games going forward.
2.Winnipeg Jets - GM Poelker - this brings us to this writer's favorite club in the AHL. The defending Cup Champion Winnipeg Jets (aka Atlanta Thrashers). This season has been a bit of a mystery. The goal scoring ability has evaporated and the team defense is waaay better than expected with basically the same personnel as last season's Cup Champion club.
While defense corps leader Duncan Keith was recently traded to Ottawa, it hasn't appeared to hurt the club as they have posted a 6-3-1 record in their last 10. The Jets are currently 2nd in the Southeast and 7th in the Eastern Conference with 45 points in 41 games. There is virtually no one on the Jets among the league's various leading scorer categories which is in stark contrast to last season.
Three players are tied with 33 points to lead the club in scoring. Those are Patrick Marleau (16g-17a-33pts), Kevin Shattenkirk (8g-25a-33pts) and Mike Ribeiro (4g-29a-33pts). Of course, most of blueliner Shattenkirk's numbers came while with the Ottawa franchise prior to the Duncan Keith trade.
Marleau's 16 markers leads the club while Ribeiro's 29 helpers leads the club in that category.
The bulk of the goaltending falls again to Craig Anderson who has posted a 15-15-3 record with a 2.11 gaa and .930 SvPct. He certainly has held up his end this season. If only the club in front of him could put a few more biscuits in the basket.
Best of the Rest - Boston Bruins of GM Nick Houda (39 pts) are currently the #8 seed, New Jersey Devils of GM Ryan Matte (39 pts) #9, Tampa Bay Lightning of GM Darrel Watson (38 pts) #10, Buffalo Sabres of GM Cam McCurdy (37 pts) #11, Washington Caps of GM Taber Anderson (36 pts) #12 and the Carolina Hurricanes of GM Matt Bahm (35 pts) #13 are all still in the hunt for the playoffs.
I think the only clubs who are out of it are the Philly Flyers of GM Mark Smith (27 pts) and the Habs of GM Eric Lavoie (26 pts). Although new Philly GM Mark Smith has his Flyers playing winning hockey lately in posting a 6-4-0 record in their last 10 so who knows.