How the West is Being Won

This is finally the week where we can start saying that certain teams in the west are going to miss the playoffs. You couldn't have done it last week because the race between all 15 teams was too close.

Colorado, LA and Phoenix are now out of the playoff race and into the Tavares/Hedman race. The three teams have combined to lose their last 10 games. LA is the closest being only 6 points out of a playoff berth.

The Dallas stars could soon be added to this list. i think it was pretty obvious at the beginning of the year that dallas was not ready to play this season. they were a cinderella story last season making it to the semi finals. but there is something about their team that is just not clicking. right now they have lost 5 straight games (all regulation losses) and they looked terrible last night against pittsburgh. they let the crosbyless pens go up 4 goals on them in dallas. all dallas fans that paid for tickets should be very dissapointed in their team. currently dallas is only 2 points out of a playoff spot, but with morrow injured their season is not looking good.

St Louis is only three points out and they have won their past 3 games. they have been looking very hot lately. With Johnson out at the start of the season i thought it would be over for the Blues. Now its looking like if they make the playoffs we might afterall get to see Erik (first overall in 2006) play a game this season.

As far as the flames go they have the division on lockdown. Even if canucks win 15 of 20, flames will only need to win 11 of the next 20 to hold onto the division. The Flames have a lot of breathing room thanks to their play after christmas while the canucks were struggling.

San jose, Boston, Detroit should prove to be a good presidents trophy competition. My money is on boston but only if they keep kobasew and don't trade him at the deadline; otherwise i'll go with detroit. PS) i really think that kobasew is going to be traded at the deadline this year. Boston does not want to give up a roster player. Well Kobasew missed a significant amount of games this season due to injury: He's barely roster. canucks can trade ohlund, 2 first round draft picks and a conditional third round to boston for the rights to chuck kobasew.

-hark