Put away those “Southleast” Division memes
From 1998-2013, the National Hockey League had six divisions. By the 2000-01 season, each division had five teams that made up the 30-team league at the time.
In 1998, the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals made up the Southeast Division. The following season, the expansion Atlanta Thrashers joined the fray.
Ten years ago this May, the Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba to resurrect the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets would continue to play in the Southeast Division despite being in central Canada until the league’s realignment in 2013-14, established the modern four division format.
Of course, for 2020-21, the Atlantic, Central, Metropolitan and Pacific divisions are different. Instead, the divisions are the MassMutual NHL East, Discover NHL Central, Honda NHL West and Scotia NHL North division monikers and realignment due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
For years, the Southeast Division featured teams that were down on their luck, playing in “non-traditional” markets, built on expansion rosters, relocation or simply being the Capitals, who, prior to the introduction of the division for the 1998-99 season, had just been swept by the Detroit Red Wings in four games in the 1998 Stanley Cup Final.
These days, much of the Southeast is at the top of the standings in the Discover NHL Central Division.
The defending champs
The Tampa Bay Lightning are once again one of the league’s top teams in both the standings and according to the “eye test”. The Bolts are 16-4-2 (34 points) in 22 games this season and have an astounding, league-leading, plus-32 goal differential.
Oh, and they’re doing this without their best player, Nikita Kucherov, for the entire regular season.
Tampa won the Cup in 2020, and is looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships since the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins did so. Those Penguins teams had something in common with the Red Wings of 1996-97 and 1997-98. Of course, back then, Detroit won back-to-back Cup rings as well.
And the Lightning have something in common with the 1990s Red Wings— the 1995-96 Detroit roster and the 2018-19 Tampa roster each won an NHL record 62 games in an 82-game regular season.
Though they don’t have nearly as much success as the Red Wings teams from the mid-90s through the late 2000s and haven’t won as many Cups as the 2010s Chicago Blackhawks, it’s Tampa’s world and we’re living in it.
Bolts captain, Steven Stamkos has returned to form as Tampa’s leading goal scorer with 11 goals (21 points) 20 games played. He’s trails defender, Victor Hedman, for the most points on the roster as Hedman has 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 22 games.
Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat, Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirelli continue to dominate and spread the scoring on a lineup that looks poised for another deep run.
Raising Canes
The Carolina Hurricanes are off to their best start to a season through 23 games played in franchise history. Carolina is 16-6-1 (33 points) so far in 2020-21, which is better than their 15-7-1 record through 23 games in 2005-06. That same season, the Hurricanes went on to win their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
The Canes made the 2019 Eastern Conference Final and were swept by the Boston Bruins in four games, while the roster had the youngest average age in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Two years later— and with a little more experience under their belt— Carolina is looking to go further and get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, and third time overall.
Vincent Trocheck leads the Hurricanes in scoring with 12 goals and nine assists (21 points) in 22 games played. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal are second in command with 20 points each in 23 and 21 games played, respectively.
Andrei Svechnikov (19 points in 23 games) and Martin Necas (17 points in 20 games) continue to lead the youth movement as Dougie Hamilton leads all defenders in Carolina with 1-15—16 totals in 23 games.
Unlike the Lightning, who have Andrei Vasilevskiy (14-3-1, 1.66 goals against average, .942 save percentage, three shutouts in 18 games played) leading the way in the crease, the Hurricanes are relying on James Reimer (10-3-0, 2.90 GAA, .902 SV% in 13 games played) as their starter while Petr Mrazek (2-1-0, 0.99 GAA, .955 SV%, 2 SO in four games) is out with an injury.
Meanwhile, Alex Nedeljkovic (4-2-1, 2.26 GAA, .927 SV%, 1 SO in seven games) is starting to emerge as their “goaltender of the future”.
Party like it’s 1996
The Florida Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996, which also happens to be the first and only time the franchise has ever been in the Stanley Cup Final. Though they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in four games that year, South Florida was hyped for success in years to come.
Except it didn’t happen.
The team floundered even with stars like Pavel Bure, Olli Jokinen and Roberto Luongo— who had two stints with the organization— over the years since then.
After 22 games this season, the Panthers are 14-4-4 (32 points) and currently third in the Discover NHL Central Division. They were 16-5-1 through 22 games in 1995-96, and finished third in the Atlantic Division that season.
It’s been a long time coming for Florida as Jonathan Huberdeau leads the team in scoring with 9-17—26 totals in 22 games played.
Meanwhile, Aleksander Barkov is second in scoring with 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) and is somehow the subject of trade rumors. It’s unfathomable because Florida isn’t actually trying to move their captain.
Other teams are calling the club inquiring on Barkov’s going rate, yet Panthers General Manager, Bill Zito, is not looking to sell assets and components of the roster he’s overhauled since taking over for the since departed Dale Tallon.
Patric Hornqvist, one of Zito’s key offseason acquisitions, is third on the team in scoring with 9-10—19 totals in 22 games. Carter Verhaeghe’s having a breakout year with 16 points in 22 games since joining Florida as a free agent.
While Keith Yandle still might be on the move, the Panthers are looking to add and cash in on their best roster since 1995-96. Forget 2012, 2015 and the 2020 Qualifier, these Panthers are looking for more than a First Round appearance.
###
Use Promo code “couchguy20” or “LLP” at Manscaped.com and grab some of the best tools in men’s below the belt grooming. Using the code will get you 20% off of your order AND free shipping. Help out the site and help out yourself by buying some products from Manscaped TODAY.
— Nick Lanciani (@lanci53)