With apologies to the NHL’s ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division, the most compelling playoff race in the league right now is being waged in the Atlantic Division.
Yes, Washington, Philadelphia, two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh, and New Jersey are only separated by five points. And the division is loaded with megastars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin.
But again, the men from the Metro are one step behind what’s happening in the Eastern Conference’s other division.
Tampa Bay, Toronto and Boston occupy the first three slots in the Atlantic and they have all but locked up a spot in the playoffs.
There are a few factors that make this division so intriguing.
No. 1, it too has elite-level talent like NHL scoring leader Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning, super sophomore Auston Matthews from the Maple Leafs, and all-world centre Patrice Bergeron from the Bruins.
But those three players, considered the creme de la creme in the division, are all hurt.
Mind you, Kucherov could return to the ice on Wednesday night after missing parts of the last two games with injuries.
Matthews is expected to be out of action for anywhere from two to four weeks with a separated shoulder.
And Bergeron has just learned that he will miss at least the next two weeks with a broken foot.
It has suddenly become a war of attrition in the Atlantic Division and the team that can persevere and rally the troops without their top dog will claim the coveted No. 1 position.