There have been a few surprises this season in the NHL.
It happens every year, but this season really surprised us, especially when looking at the current NHL standings for the Christmas break.
Seeing the Washington Capitals have the third-best points percentage in the league (70.6), no one had that in their crystal ball.
Also, who would have thought that the Islanders and the New York Rangers would come face to face in the depths of the Metropolitan division?
I'm the last person who would have predicted this, especially for the Rangers.
Here is the current ranking of the Eastern Conference.
To see so many star players being placed on the market and to see captain Jacob Trouba being traded is quite intriguing.
Clearly, something is wrong with the Rangers and Chris Drury could be the reason, or at least part of the reason.
As for the Islanders, I didn't have very high expectations for them, but I didn't expect them to be last in the Metropolitan.
What is even more shocking is to see that the Montreal Canadiens are only two small points behind these two New York clubs, who should be more competitive.
Even though the Islanders have fewer victories (13) than the Habs (14) and have played one more game than Martin St-Louis' squad.
The CH, which must have been in the famous mix this season, are not having a disastrous season, but the majority were hoping for more.
I can't imagine the anger and frustration that Rangers and Islanders fans must be experiencing right now, who should logically be in the playoff picture.
Imagine if the CH had a club filled like that of the Rangers, but languished in the shallows of the Atlantic…
It would be chaos in Montreal and the fans would probably all (or almost all) want the members and players of the organization to be all fired/traded.
On the other hand, there must definitely be change somewhere for the two New York clubs.
Both managements will have plenty to think about during this Christmas break.
In burst
– The Xhekaj family at Christmas.
– Sophomore woes really seem to be affecting Connor Bedard, even if he isn't having a disastrous season
– Travis Kelce reached the prestigious plateau of 1,000 career receptions.
– In the absence of NHL hockey on December 25, there are always the classic NBA games on Christmas Day. Anthony Edwards made sure to put on a show.
