The NHL season is moving into December and with the division races tightening up in the standings, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins are the leaders in the four groups around the league, with the defending Stanley Cup champions holding the best record with 55 points to top both the east and the west.
The Bruins are tops in the Atlantic division over the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens after making it to the Stanley Cup last season, while the Penguins are tops in the Metro division over the Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers and the Hurricanes and the Rangers are back nearly 20 points in the standings.
The Blackhawks are best in the league with 55 points on the season and they are leading the Blues by five points in the standings. The Ducks are number one in the Pacific over the Kings and the Sharks and it should be a good battle heading into 2014.
Check here for the NHL standings from ESPN.
From Reuters.com, more on the NHL as Pavel Kubina hangs up his skates:
Czech defenseman Pavel Kubina, a Stanley Cup champion, All-Star and three-time Olympian has announced his retirement from the National Hockey League after 13 seasons, the players association said on Friday.
"Making my way to the NHL and playing in the best league in the world for 13 seasons has been a dream come true," said Kubina in a statement released by the NHLPA.
"I will be forever grateful for the experiences and friendships that I have gained over the course of my career, including capturing the Stanley Cup in Tampa in 2004."
Taken by Tampa Bay in the seventh round of the 1996 draft, Kubina played 970 NHL games with the Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Atlanta Thrashers, scoring 110 goals and making 276 assists.
The big defenseman also played in three Olympics for the Czech Republic winning a bronze at the 2006 Turin Winter Games. He was also a member of three gold medal-winning teams at the world championships. (Reuters)
