The National Hockey League is closing out the second month of the regular season with clubs reaching the first quarter and taking stock of what they are and who they are not. Teams outside of the eight playoff spots when US Thanksgiving occurs have about a 75% chance of missing the postseason, so this could mean that some clubs will make some changes before it is too late.
Here is a look at where things stand in the NHL Atlantic Division:
Biggest Success Or Surprise
Florida Panthers (8-4-0 in November – 2nd Place)
Not that anyone should be surprised that a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final is having success, but after struggling in October without their two top defensemen, the Panthers went 8-4-0 in November, led by Sam Reinhart (13 goals, 12 assists in 20 games) and both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour have returned after recovering from off-season surgeries.
The Dennis Green “They Are Who We Thought They Were” Award
Boston Bruins (6-3-2 in November – 1st Place)
Why did anyone with any hockey knowledge think that Boston would just fade away? After going 8-0-1 in October, the Bruins went a rather mundane 6-3-2, but after the first quarter of the season, they are tied with the Rangers for the league’s top spot with 31 points. Boston has been able to maintain this level of success by moving up Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle into their top two center spots, but GM Don Sweeney will likely try to add someone up the middle before the trade deadline.
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Biggest Disappointment
Buffalo Sabres (4-5-1)
The Sabres were expected to challenge for one of the top three spots in the NHL Atlantic Division but made a big bet on locking up their young core players long-term instead of going outside the organization and adding veterans to get them over the hump. So far, that appears to have been a miscalculation by GM Kevyn Adams. The most glaring area is in goal, where 21-year-old rookie Devon Levi has struggled.
November MVP
Nikita Kucherov (TB) (24 points – 9 goals, 15 assists in 11 games)
How will Tampa Bay get through the first couple months of the season with starter Andrei Vasilevskiy??? Simple strategy…. rely on the former Hart Trophy winner to carry you on his shoulders. Kucherov exploded in November, averaging over two points per game and keeping the Lightning within a reasonable distance of a playoff spot. With Vasilevskiy returning, Tampa will battle Toronto, Florida, and Detroit for second and third place in the division.