Chicago after January 7 seemed to have been replaced. The “Indians” lost to everyone, missed a full bag of pucks and sat dully at the bottom of the table. However, the last few weeks have turned everything upside down. Since January 7, Chicago has only lost 3 games out of 10, and thanks to such a glamorous period, the Blackhawks are no longer the worst team in the conference, as after a few games they are 1-2 points behind some teams and in theory could go up a few positions with successful games. Yes, perhaps some of the credit for such results lies with the calendar, since most victories are victories over not the strongest teams.

Edmonton with their crazy pair of McDavid and Draisaitl continue to push through mid-table but closer to the top. Now the Oilers are sixth in the conference. In the final round, the Oilers unexpectedly lost to Columbus in overtime at home. The surprise was that Edmonton came into the game against the Blue Jackets in amazing form, winning 6 games in a row in regular time and scoring at least 4 goals in each fight. Recessions happen temporarily, so let’s not criticize the Oilers seriously and look for recession where there is none. The Canadian team is already in perfect shape and needs to confirm the status of a particular favorite in the game against Chicago.