Regular Season Re-Cap

[Commish Bub(NYR)]

A quick little look at month-by-month records, with some commentary...

ANAHEIM DUCKS
Oct -- 9-2-1
Nov -- 6-7-0
Dec -- 10-5-0
Jan -- 4-11-0
Feb -- 1-5-0
Mar -- 6-6-2
Apr -- 4-2-0

It was sunniest...when the season was young. A seven-game winning streak in October was capped off by a Halloween night win against the rising Coyotes.
It looked bleakest...during the run-up to the Olympic break. Five wins in the first games in 2010 just about ended the Ducks playoff hopes. Not even a six-game win streak in late March got the team into the post-season.

ATLANTA THRASHERS
Oct -- 1-9-0
Nov -- 8-4-2
Dec -- 7-8-0
Jan -- 4-9-2
Feb -- 0-5-1
Mar -- 6-10-1
Apr -- 2-2-1

It was sunniest...well, never. The Thrashers were never really in the hunt this season, but did have a five-game streak in December and won six of seven in November/early December.
It looked bleakest...right from the gate, winning just once in the first eleven games.

BOSTON BRUINS
Oct -- 7-5-0
Nov -- 9-4-1
Dec -- 9-4-0
Jan -- 8-4-2
Feb -- 6-1-0
Mar -- 12-3-1
Apr -- 4-2-0

It was sunniest...in March. Already one of the top teams in the league, the Bruins went on a tear in middlemarch, winning 13 of 14 (and getting a Bettman point in that one loss).
It looked bleakest...well, never. The Bruins had a few multi-game losing streaks, but were strong all year long, and got stronger further into the season.

BUFFALO SABRES
Oct -- 5-3-3
Nov -- 5-5-2
Dec -- 8-3-4
Jan -- 9-4-1
Feb -- 2-4-1
Mar -- 6-10-0
Apr -- 2-3-1

It was sunniest...at the end of January. The Sabres were 12 games over .500, and looking strong for a playoff spot.
It looked bleakest...down the stretch. Winning just 5 of their last 14 games, including two crucial losses to Ottawa, doomed the Sabres.

CALGARY FLAMES
Oct -- 8-2-2
Nov -- 6-4-4
Dec -- 8-6-0
Jan -- 6-9-0
Feb -- 2-2-1
Mar -- 5-10-0
Apr -- 2-3-0

It was sunniest...New Year's Eve. A win over the Oilers put the Flames ten games over .500 and well-positioned in the West.
It looked bleakest...after January 2. The Flames won just 14 times the rest of the season, including a dreadful six-game losing streak in March.

CAROLINA HURRICANES
Oct -- 7-4-1
Nov -- 10-5-0
Dec -- 5-8-0
Jan -- 11-3-0
Feb -- 4-1-2
Mar -- 11-5-0
Apr -- 4-1-0

It was sunniest...post-Christmas. The Canes were a strong team season-long, but really put things together in mid-January, starting a seven-game win streak on the 8th. It was all good after that, passing the Flyers for fourth in the East.
It looked bleakest...just before the dawn. The Canes stumbled through December, and started off the new year with two shutout losses.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Oct -- 7-4-2
Nov -- 8-4-0
Dec -- 7-7-1
Jan -- 11-3-1
Feb -- 3-2-1
Mar -- 6-8-1
Apr -- 5-1-0

It was sunniest...after the Holiday break. The Hawks followed a 3-2 Boxing Day loss to Nashville by winning 15 of their next 17. After two so-so months, they then ended the season winning 5 of 6.
It looked bleakest...probably in mid-December. Chicago was a streaky team until their late month turnaround, as evidenced by their 14-4-2 start, followed by a 5-11-1 stint.

COLORADO AVALANCHE
Oct -- 1-12-1
Nov -- 8-3-3
Dec -- 1-10-3
Jan -- 1-10-1
Feb -- 3-4-0
Mar -- 4-11-0
Apr -- 3-3-0

It was sunniest...in November, even though you can argue the 'lanche were already out of the playoff running after a horrendous October.
It looked bleakest...by Halloween, and a one-win month of October. December and January weren't any better. Colorado "led" the league with the most 10-game-plus losing streaks, with three.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Oct -- 7-4-1
Nov -- 9-4-1
Dec -- 9-6-1
Jan -- 5-7-3
Feb -- 4-2-0
Mar -- 11-1-2
Apr -- 2-3-0

It was sunniest...twice, once early, and once late. After their December 21st win over Colorado, the Jackets were 23-10-2, near the top of the entire league. Columbus righted the ship somewhat with a 10-game winning streak from March 9th.
It looked bleakest...during the soft middle bit mentioned above, when the Jackets went 12-13-5. Not exactly awful, but not the mark of a Cup-winning team either. They stumbled down the stretch as well, losing three of their last four.

DALLAS STARS
Oct -- 7-7-0
Nov -- 1-11-1
Dec -- 7-4-2
Jan -- 5-8-2
Feb -- 2-2-1
Mar -- 11-5-0
Apr -- 4-0-1

It was sunniest...after it was too late. Winners of 15 of their last 21, the Stars look well set up for the 2011-12 season.
It looked bleakest...during a 12-game losing streak in November. A late season turnaround gave faint hopes for the post-season, but the Stars' season effectively ended during that terrible run.

DETROIT RED WINGS
Oct -- 9-3-0
Nov -- 4-6-4
Dec -- 7-7-0
Jan -- 3-12-0
Feb -- 3-2-1
Mar -- 4-7-4
Apr -- 1-4-1

It was sunniest...in mid-November, when the Wings sat at 17-12-6.
It looked bleakest...soon after. Multiple losing streak followed, and the Wings were one of the worst teams in the league during 2010, winning just 11 times after December.

EDMONTON OILERS
Oct -- 7-4-3
Nov -- 9-3-1
Dec -- 7-5-2
Jan -- 8-3-1
Feb -- 2-5-1
Mar -- 5-9-1
Apr -- 4-1-1

It was sunniest...early, and then late. The Oilers were in a comfortable spot through the start of February. On the verge of a total fail, they rallied to win six of their last eight to make the playoffs.
It looked bleakest...in mid-March, when they slid out of the playoff picture for a time. At one point, the Oil had won just 2 of 16 games, and showed little signs of life.

FLORIDA PANTHERS
Oct -- 1-10-1
Nov -- 8-4-2
Dec -- 5-10-0
Jan -- 8-4-2
Feb -- 3-3-0
Mar -- 3-10-2
Apr -- 2-4-0

It was sunniest...only for a brief period in January, when new management took over the team.
It looked bleakest...with the first step. Another single-game winner in October, the Panthers looked completely inept at times, managing more than three goals just twice that month.

LOS ANGELES KINGS
Oct -- 6-7-1
Nov -- 5-6-2
Dec -- 10-2-2
Jan -- 14-0-0
Feb -- 5-0-1
Mar -- 12-3-0
Apr -- 2-3-1

It was sunniest...during a blistering start to 2010, when the Kings lost in regulation just once between January 2 and March 27.
It looked bleakest...early on, when the Kings looked uncertain and were shopping players around the league, into December.

MINNESOTA WILD
Oct -- 5-9-0
Nov -- 4-7-0
Dec -- 8-6-2
Jan -- 5-9-0
Feb -- 3-1-1
Mar -- 14-2-0
Apr -- 3-2-0

It was sunniest...after the Olympic break, when the Wild went on a nine-game winning binge. They only lost four more times in the regular season after that.
It looked bleakest...probably just before Thanksgiving, when the Wild had lost 8 of 10. They played inconsistent hockey until the Reawakening in March, not really showing any signs of what was to come.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
Oct -- 8-5-1
Nov -- 4-6-2
Dec -- 9-7-1
Jan -- 6-6-1
Feb -- 3-4-0
Mar -- 10-3-1
Apr -- 1-2-2

It was sunniest...after the Vancouver games, when the Canadiens got points in all but five games down the stretch.
It looked bleakest...throughout November, when the Habs followed a good October with more bad than good. The run up to the Olympic break wasn't any good either, with wins in just 3 of 12 games.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Oct -- 4-7-2
Nov -- 5-9-0
Dec -- 7-7-1
Jan -- 7-7-0
Feb -- 1-5-0
Mar -- 3-10-1
Apr -- 4-2-0

It was sunniest...only after they were already far down the standings. Modest winning streaks in late December and January alleviated a long, tough season on the Island.
It looked bleakest...after November, when the Isles went from hovering near .500 to the bottom third of the standings. Some decent hockey followed, but they never could keep up with the top end of the conference.

NEW YORK RANGERS
Oct -- 9-5-0
Nov -- 2-5-6
Dec -- 11-2-0
Jan -- 11-4-1
Feb -- 4-2-0
Mar -- 10-4-0
Apr -- 6-0-0

It was sunniest...during an eight-game win streak in December, and another one of 10 games to close out the season. The final stretch put the Rangers past the Flyers for the division crown.
It looked bleakest...during a rough stretch in November. The two wins in 13 games was only lightened by the fact that six of the losses were in OT, resulting in six gift points.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Oct -- 6-7-0
Nov -- 7-5-1
Dec -- 3-11-1
Jan -- 13-0-0
Feb -- 4-1-1
Mar -- 8-8-1
Apr -- 3-1-0

It was sunniest...in January, right after a bad December. One of only two EHEC teams to enjoy an unbeaten month (both in January, btw), the Preds went nearly five weeks without a loss.
It looked bleakest...when the streaky Preds suffered through an awful December. A mediocre March might have dropped them a few places, but it doesn't seem to have hurt yet...

NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Oct -- 6-6-0
Nov -- 2-10-0
Dec -- 6-8-1
Jan -- 8-6-1
Feb -- 2-4-1
Mar -- 4-11-0
Apr -- 1-4-1

It was sunniest...after a 4-0 start to the season.
It looked bleakest...right after that. It took the Devils nearly two months to get the next four. There were signs of life in January, but not much afterwards, and almost no pulse at all down the stretch: the Devils earned just three points in their final thirteen games.

OTTAWA SENATORS
Oct -- 7-4-1
Nov -- 6-5-1
Dec -- 5-9-3
Jan -- 5-8-2
Feb -- 5-2-0
Mar -- 10-4-0
Apr -- 3-1-1

It was sunniest...a strong pre-season segued into a 5-0 start to the regular season. The Sens treaded water after that, however, and didn't start trending upwards again until just before the Olympic break. A solid March and April got them into the playoffs, just ahead of the Sabres.
It looked bleakest...after a January 18th loss to the Bruins. Eight losses in nine games made it seem as if the season were over. Until the Sens went 22-8-2 to close out the year.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Oct -- 7-3-1
Nov -- 8-5-0
Dec -- 10-4-1
Jan -- 11-1-2
Feb -- 3-3-1
Mar -- 8-8-0
Apr -- 2-4-0

It was sunniest...most of the season, until a week before the Olympic break. Leading the division, competing for the conference lead, all was sunny in Philadelphia.
It looked bleakest...starting February 6th. A 10-15-1 finish to the season saw the Flyers slide to sixth in the east, costing them the division and home ice in the playoffs.

PHOENIX COYOTES
Oct -- 7-6-0
Nov -- 9-5-0
Dec -- 9-3-3
Jan -- 10-2-2
Feb -- 6-1-0
Mar -- 5-7-3
Apr -- 2-1-1

It was sunniest...in early November, coming off a six-game losing streak, the Coyotes won six in a row and 11 of the next 13. They went from a 7-9 also-ran to one of the surprises of the league.
It looked bleakest...during that early losing streak. Although headaches abounded during the home stretch, when the team went 4-8-3 to close the season.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Oct -- 9-5-0
Nov -- 7-7-0
Dec -- 8-4-1
Jan -- 4-9-2
Feb -- 4-0-2
Mar -- 5-8-2
Apr -- 2-2-1

It was sunniest...at the end of December, when the Pens were in the playoff driver's seat, and seemingly starting to click.
It looked bleakest...the rest of the season, particularly from mid-March to early April, when the Pens won just one of twelve games, ending their post-season hopes.

SAN JOSE SHARKS
Oct -- 7-6-1
Nov -- 6-7-1
Dec -- 4-7-2
Jan -- 6-7-1
Feb -- 6-1-0
Mar -- 8-6-1
Apr -- 2-2-1

It was sunniest...during a period from January 21st to March 2nd, when the Sharks went 11-1.
It looked bleakest...during an awful two-month stretch from mid-November to mid-January. While other teams made their moves, the Sharks slid down the standings while going 7-20-4.

ST LOUIS BLUES
Oct -- 5-5-2
Nov -- 11-2-0
Dec -- 4-11-0
Jan -- 1-12-2
Feb -- 5-2-0
Mar -- 7-6-1
Apr -- 1-5-0

It was sunniest...during a glorious October/November period, when the Blues had runs of six and eight wins in a row.
It looked bleakest...during a record-setting losing streak starting December 18th. The Blues went 0-20-2 until an OT win against CBS on January 30th.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Oct -- 8-2-1
Nov -- 9-4-1
Dec -- 9-5-1
Jan -- 10-4-0
Feb -- 5-1-1
Mar -- 10-4-2
Apr -- 2-3-0

It was sunniest...pretty much all season long. The remade Lightning were a top gun in the league from opening night, setting an early tone with a seven-game streak to close out October.
It looked bleakest...well, not bleak exactly, but going 2-3 in April cost them the top spot in the East.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Oct -- 5-6-1
Nov -- 3-9-1
Dec -- 6-8-2
Jan -- 3-12-0
Feb -- 2-2-1
Mar -- 4-12-0
Apr -- 2-3-0

It was sunniest...in October, when the team was holding its head above water, at one point 5-4-1 early on.
It looked bleakest...the next 72 games. An 0-10-1 binge after a hopeful start put the kibosh on the hopes of Leafs fans everywhere. Again.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Oct -- 7-6-1
Nov -- 8-4-0
Dec -- 11-4-0
Jan -- 8-5-0
Feb -- 2-5-0
Mar -- 9-4-2
Apr -- 2-4-0

It was sunniest...during a three week period in December when the 'Nucks went 13-2.
It looked bleakest...four losses in April and Luongo's injury spelled trouble late for the Canucks.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Oct -- 8-5-0
Nov -- 11-1-2
Dec -- 9-4-0
Jan -- 9-5-1
Feb -- 2-2-3
Mar -- 10-2-2
Apr -- 5-1-0

It was sunniest...twice. First during a late-October to late-November run when the Caps went 14-1-1. And again went a late-season spurt saw them catch and pass the conference-leading Lightning and hold off the charging Bruins.
It looked bleakest...during a mediocre run leading up to the Olympic break. An injury to Ovechkin in January was the major cause, but the break was a blessing in disguise when AO got a nice two-week TO to recover.

[Jets GM]

Nice write up.

[CapsGM]

Yeah, interesting! How long did that take?

[Parker]

Great work, Bub.

[TorontoGM]

If this was a 10 game season, we'd be set.

[Bruins]

Very nice.

[Tuo-SabresGM]

Excellent job, Bub. Its too bad we faltered at the end, the playoff experience would've been fantastic for my guys. I still blame my lone trade.

[Penguin]

Nice Pat.

I don't regret any trades I made for the future, but it cost me a place in the playoffs this year! (Staal, Fleury, Orpik, Tangradi)

[Commish Bub(NYR)]

Thanks, guys. I tried not to be too snarky, since some teams were rolling the dice on next year and the following.

It only took a couple of hours, since using the EHM Schedule Browser Tool makes it go so much quicker. It shows you season results at a glance, and you also get player stats only for the games they actually played for you. Lets you see how well your trades have actually worked out... It's also how I saw quickly that we went 6-0 vs PHI in the regular season, and also just noticed that TB hadn't beaten CAR either, until the playoffs.

[SypherSens]

Losing Spezza hurt like a bitch.

[Virtual Jarmo]

The curse of Kaberle did me in.

[Penguin]

In my opinion you had a sick team, just not made for the playoffs!

[CapsGM]

The curse of Kaberle did me in.

[Jungle Cats]

and we'll make sure to keep it nice and dark for the fatted pensioners hurling their immense bulk past our arena's turnstiles. less ugly realizations that way.

[Fedz]

Once again another fantastic write up.

[SharksGM]

The curse of Rob Blake did me in. Probably not just me, actually.