"Dec. 27 at the Golden Knights. Months remain before the Stanley Cup playoff picture crystallizes into its final form. It's a decent bet, however, that the Avs and Knights will both be skating into late April and beyond, and this contest is as good of a Western Conference finals preview as we may get before the actual thing -- or at least until their next game on the schedule on April 11."
"Dec. 13 vs. the Panthers. The Stars have won a great many of their games this season; they are second in the NHL standings behind the juggernaut Avs. But one of the games they didn't win was against the defending Stanley Cup champs. Can they get a W here, in the last time they'll see them this season until a possible Cup Final?"
The Colorado Avalanche remain dominant in the NHL and occupy the top spot in the ESPN NHL Power Rankings despite a recent loss. The Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers moved up in the rankings, while the Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils and Utah Mammoth slipped. December's schedule features many consequential games, and the most intriguing matchup for each club has been identified for the rankings. A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors submits a 1-32 poll based on games through Wednesday, with previous rankings referenced from Nov. 28 and points percentages through Thursday.
Read at ESPN.com
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