by Pavel Puckov
January 31st, 2004
We are at the half way point. Anyone can read the stats and spew out some verbiage on how this team or that is doing. I do better. Each team receives a rank and 3 words that sum up my impressions of them at the mid-point. And believe me, not all of the teams deserve the full 3 words.
But it's like me. Clear, consice, correct.
NOTE: Ratings cover games leading up to January 31st, 2004
| Rnk | Prv | Team | Record | The Skinny |
| 1 | - |  |
30-8-4-2 | Deep, wide, tall. |
| 2 | - |  |
25-13-3-3 | Risky, old, overpriced. |
| 3 | - |  |
26-10-6-0 | Sweet. Intensely good. |
| 4 | - |  |
24-11-6-2 | Skilled. Lacking leadership. |
| 5 | - |  |
26-11-5-3 | Precise, focused, balanced. |
| 6 | - |  |
22-15-5-2 | Stealth. Battaglia +24? |
| 7 | - |  |
26-11-5-0 | Declining without Brodeur. |
| 8 | - |  |
20-16-5-2 | Confused. Bad trades. |
| 9 | - |  |
25-15-2-1 | Invisible. Falling. Potential. |
| 10 | - |  |
20-16-5-2 | Thornton, Brodeur, defenseless. |
| 11 | - |  |
18-14-9-1 | Emerging. Improving. Heatley. |
| 12 | - |  |
17-18-7-2 | What's going on? |
| 13 | - |  |
19-16-7-0 | Good. Young. Oilers-envy. |
| 14 | - |  |
18-17-6-2 | Opportunistic. One line. |
| 15 | - |  |
21-14-7-0 | Streak over. Reality. |
| 16 | - |  |
19-18-4-1 | Better. Older. Absent. |
| 17 | - |  |
15-20-6-2 | Bubble. Plotting. Bouwmeester. |
| 18 | - |  |
15-20-6-2 | Active, deceptive, fast. |
| 19 | - |  |
17-22-3-2 | Should be better. |
| 20 | - |  |
20-20-1-1 | Belfour, 22 others. |
| 21 | - |  |
14-23-6-1 | Scrappy, strong, close. |
| 22 | - |  |
13-24-4-0 | Ready, willing, able. |
| 23 | - |  |
16-23-3-1 | Desperately hoping. Jiggy. |
| 24 | - |  |
13-21-7-1 | Bergeron bright spot. |
| 25 | - |  |
15-23-3-1 | Fire sale. Iginla. |
| 26 | - |  |
14-24-4-1 | Datsyuk can't rescue. |
| 27 | - |  |
10-25-6-0 | Mighty have fallen. |
| 28 | - |  |
13-25-3-0 | Three seasons out. |
| 29 | - |  |
13-24-4-3 | Six, maybe seven. |
| 30 | - |  |
7-30-4-1 | Goalies. Future. Ovechkin. |