By Matt Valentine

I haven’t written much about the NHL this season so I figured I’d take a spin around the league and see what’s been happening on the ice so far.

In the Eastern Conference the Rangers remain a real threat, and legit Stanley Cup contender leading the east with 34 points and trailing the San Jose Sharks by just 3 points for the early Presidents Trophy race. The Penguins remain a top competitor and Evgeni Malkin recently made a piece of NHL history notching a natural hat trick (3 goals with no goals in between) in the Penguins win over the Islanders.

The Devils have fared better then most people thought they would especially without the services of goaltender Martin Brodeur having won 5 straight games behind the strength of backup goalie Scott Clemmensen.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the east so far has been the play of the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are currently first in the Northeast division with a 14-4-4 record. They have played outstanding hockey at home posting a 7-1-1 record and are red hot in their last 10 games with an 8-1-1 record.The Bruins goalie Tim Thomas has been dominant so far this year with a league leading 1.88 goals against average.

The Washington Capitals are another team playing their best hockey at home and after a slow start are starting to heat up. They’re leading the Southwest division with a 12-7-3 record, and have yet to lose a game in regulation at home. Ovechkin has been on fire lately with 8 goals in his last 8 games and is sure to threaten for the leagues scoring title once again.

In the Western Conference things are shaping up as most expected. The San Jose Sharks are currently the class of the conference and the league with an 18-3-1 record, but as we all know they have a history of choking in the playoffs so calling them a Cup contender should be withheld for the moment.

The Red Wings remain a strong bet to repeat and continue to play at an extremely high level. Their 14-3-4 record is good enough for second best in the conference and has given the a comfortable lead over the up and coming Chicago Blackhawks who continue to improve every game.

As usual the Canucks and Flames are both teams to keep a close eye on and currently stand 1 and 2 in the Northwest division.

Ok that’s our spin around the NHL for now be back later with more.