Take a look at the standings, what is more surprising?

[Master P]

2017 was the best roster Washington ever had.

1993 was the best roster Pittsburgh ever had.

I'm curious. What do those two teams have to do with Tampa Bay? That 2017 caps team spent 10 years without making it past the second round.

 

[Thenameless]

Tampa is on pace for 132 pts. isnt that the best season ever?

I'm not sure about season point totals, but Tampa has already lost 7 games at about the halfway point of the season. The 76-77 Habs lost 8 games total in that season.

 

[Paper]

43 games played for Vegas is actually more surprising.

Nothing really surprises me. There is so much parity in this league.

Parity, noun:
1. the state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay.

If you're arguing there's 'so much parity' then you should be surprised that any team is leading the league like Tampa is doing.

 

[Duffalufagus]

Vegas. Really thought they would regress and they as good a bet as any to win the Pacific. Again. In their second year of existence.

 

[Just Linda]

This is wrong unless you just worded it incorrectly.

The top 4 teams in the Metro are separated by 3 points....that what you meant?

2018-19 NHL Standings | ESPN

Or did you mean 3-9 in the Eastern conference is separated by 3 points?

2018-19 NHL Standings | ESPN

1st in Metro, 9th in Atlantic

 

[JoVel]

The gap between 1st and 2nd is as big as the gap between 2nd and 18th. Nice.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

That there is only one team that is entrenched in the lead!

The #2-5 have 6 teams that are within 2-4 points of them. You might as well list all of them as the rankings will change on a weekly cause.

I really don’t think the present snapshot as meaningful.

 

[Leonardo87]

The gap between 1st and 2nd is as big as the gap between 2nd and 18th. Nice.

That is still bigger than the gap between Michael Strahan’s front teeth.

 

[HanSolo]

Vegas is surprising because they have done it with Pacioretty starting slow and no Stastny/Haula/Schmidt for long stretches.

Pacioretty has also been injured for long stretches. Colin Miller as well but with the season he's having that's almost addition by subtraction.

Anyway I'm not really surprised by any of it. Tampa has continued to be a great team. Vegas was still playing well despite their record (they had a nearly historically bad shooting percentage relative to shot differential (at one point they were second in the league in shot differential). What surprises me honestly and I wouldn't call it some huge surprise is Calgary being as good as they've been.

 

[ColePens]

Parity, noun:
1. the state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay.

If you're arguing there's 'so much parity' then you should be surprised that any team is leading the league like Tampa is doing.

The "surprise" of a team running away in the regular season is not there. And it doesn't change parity because Tampa isn't just dominating teams left/right. In fact in a 4 game span, they had 17 goals against and the won all 4! There was a lot of parity on the ice and the games were quite close. They were very enjoyable.

Hats off to Tampa, but we are all hockey fans. We all know Tampa cares about 1 thing and 1 thing only - the Stanley Cup. They won't give a flying f*** if they have 130 points in the regular season or not. Tampa players will find the season a failure unless they win the Stanley Cup.

And I don't think anyone is handing it over to them just yet. They are going to have one hell of a 2nd round and then a heck of a 3rd/4th if they want to bring it home.

 

[HanSolo]

In Pts % Vegas is currently 13th. Top 10 in pts % are
1. TBL .805
2. TOR .675
3. WPG .667
4. WSH .654
5. CGY .643
6. CBJ .628
7. PIT .625
8. NYI .615
9. BUF .610
10. BOS .610

8 of top 10 teams are from east. 4 Atlantic, 4 Metro, 1 Central, 1 Pacific

True but in the last 20 games their winning percentage has been much higher. Basically since Stastny and Schmidt returned, they're back to being a credible threat. And their second half is littered with home games whereas much of their first half was spent on the road.

 

[Sky04]

Can’t wait till Tampa gets knocked out in the 1st.

Love the team, but just don’t have a good feeling about the roster this year. See 2017 Caps all over it.

Kucherov is probably going to decimate Malkin’s point totals from 2009 now that I say that.

Tampa hasn't lost in the 1st round since 2014 but sure.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

In Pts % Vegas is currently 13th. Top 10 in pts % are
1. TBL .805
2. TOR .675
3. WPG .667
4. WSH .654
5. CGY .643
6. CBJ .628
7. PIT .625
8. NYI .615
9. BUF .610
10. BOS .610

8 of top 10 teams are from east. 4 Atlantic, 4 Metro, 1 Central, 1 Pacific

This shows the answer clearly I think.

TB is a force and I expected them to be at the top but that gap is very large.

 

[MattMartin]

1st in Metro, 9th in Atlantic

Think I got you, but you keep kinda wording incorrectly. It looks like you're saying 9 teams in the Atlantic division in the post above.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but are you saying the Leader of the Metro only has 51 points where as the 3rd (Boston 50 points), 4th (Sabres 50 points), and 5th (Montreal 49 points) in the Atlantic could all be in the running for the lead in the Metro?

 

[Duke749]

List makes every Atlanta resident cry a little

Not if you’re an Atlanta fan turned Jets fan!!!

 

[Advanced stats]

Tampa easily.

The highest amount of points in a single NHL season is 132 by Montreal in '77.

The Tampa Bay lightning are on pace for...132 points.

Sheer domination like we've never seen in 40 years

 

[maacoshark]

Tampa is on pace for 132 pts. isnt that the best season ever?

The record is 132 by the Canadians which is more impressive. That was before the league came up with the loser point rule. It was also a slightly shorter season. I believe it was 80 games at that time.

 

[Just Linda]

Think I got you, but you keep kinda wording incorrectly. It looks like you're saying 9 teams in the Atlantic division in the post above.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but are you saying the Leader of the Metro only has 51 points where as the 3rd (Boston 50 points), 4th (Sabres 50 points), and 5th (Montreal 49 points) in the Atlantic could all be in the running for the lead in the Metro?

No, I clarified your first post, it worked it context of answering you initial response.

Washington (first in Metro) is only 3 points ahead of NYI (9th place in East, not in playoff spot).

 

[Jetcetera]

I still think Vegas will be either be a wildcard team or miss the playoffs

 

[MattMartin]

No, I clarified your first post, it worked it context of answering you initial response.

Washington (first in Metro) is only 3 points ahead of NYI (9th place in East, not in playoff spot).

Yeah, 3 points separate the top 4 in the Metro. Washington and Pittsburgh started off real slow or else it would be a bigger gap.

 

[MattMartin]

I still think Vegas will be either be a wildcard team or miss the playoffs

Sizzling hot taek, burned my eyes just reading it.

 

[Jetcetera]

Sizzling hot taek, burned my eyes just reading it.

on second thought the Pacific is not a very good division so I wouldn't be surprised if they got into the top 3 either.

 

[Intact]

Why would Vegas having the 12th best points percentage surprise anyone???

 

[The Lucky Pucks]

Tampa is on pace for 132 pts. isnt that the best season ever?

Wings had 131 in 95-96 so to answer your question yes

That year wings had 6 players with at least 20 goals and 4 players with at least 70pts

 

[Duffalufagus]

The record is 132 by the Canadians which is more impressive. That was before the league came up with the loser point rule. It was also a slightly shorter season. I believe it was 80 games at that time.

You must be joking.