Where we stand at the NHL All-Star break

The National Hockey League is quietly plugging along through its 2014-15 season. The campaign is a tad more than halfway complete, and we have hit the unofficial midway point with All-Star weekend at our feet.

The sport isn’t generating a ton of national attention at the moment, but things are heating up. Don’t believe me? Ask the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, who got ample SportsCenter time after having a penalty and brawl-filled contest earlier this week.

With a brief respite before the frantic second-half charge, let’s take a look at four things we know from the first half of the season:

1. The Eastern Conference’s playoff field is set

There will be no races for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference this year. The top four teams from the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions will be in the playoffs, with the only question being the seeding within them. The Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers, both sitting fifth in their respective divisions, are seven and 12 points out of a spot. There is virtually no chance either will make enough of a run to reach the postseason, especially Philadelphia, which is under .500.

2. The Chicago Blackhawks are the best team

Chicago is a mediocre third in the Central Division, three points behind the Nashville Predators and tied with the St. Louis Blues. Both of those teams have vast amounts of talent, not unlike the Blackhawks. So why is Chicago better than them, and the Anaheim Ducks? Defense. The Blackhawks rank first in goals allowed with 108, and have an NHL-best goal differential of +40. Chicago will shut down Anaheim if the teams square off in the playoffs, and has the experience to knock off squads like Nashville and St. Louis.

3. The Buffalo Sabres are a disgrace to the league

Buffalo was once a proud franchise. Not too long ago, the Sabres were a great team with the likes of Ryan Miller, Chris Drury, Jason Pominville, Drew Stafford and Daniel Briere gracing the ice in blue and gold. Now? The Sabres are on pace for the league’s lowest point total, the second straight year they will have that distinction. Buffalo is not trying to put a decent team on the ice, with the best player being Tyler Ennis, with 28 points. The offense, defense, penalty kill and power play all rank dead-last, along with the goal differential of -78.  Here’s to hoping their tanking effort goes wasted with an unlucky lottery.

4. The New York Islanders are awesome

New York has been in the shadows for a long time, but that is rapidly changing. While the Penguins are still expected by most to win the Metro, the Islanders are showing that the race is for real. New York is led by a hoard of talented players, including John Tavares, Brock Nelson, Kyle Okposo, Jaroslav Halak, Johnny Boychuk and more. The Islanders play an exciting brand of free-wheeling hockey in front of a raucous Nassau Coliseum crowd. Don’t be surprised if New York ends up in the Stanley Cup Finals.