NHL Roundtable: Biggest surprise, top second half storyline and more

NHL Roundtable: SI.com writers on 2014-15's biggest surprise, the most compelling second half storyline, if the Panthers are for real, and the plight of the Wild.

Every Wednesday, a trio of SI.com staffers will sit down for a discussion of the hockey world's hot button issues. This week, Brian Cazeneuve, Sarah Kwak and Al Muir discuss first-half surprises, second-half storylines, the potential of the Florida Panthers, and the difficult decisions ahead for the Minnesota Wild.

First up:

• Now that we've hit the midway mark of the season, what in your opinion was the biggest surprise of the first half?

. He's given the Preds some freedom to open up or shut things down. There is no guarantee that the club can keep this up through a long playoff run against some tough Western opponents, but its been an impressive half-season in Nashville.

POWER RANKINGS: Predators reclaim top spot

Flyers

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Steven Stamkos

PLUS/MINUS: Tampa Bay's Johnson emerges as dark horse MVP

• Looking ahead, what do you predict will be the most compelling storyline of the second half?

I’d like to see whether the teams that have emerged this season can maintain strong showings during the second half. We just mentioned the Predators, but what about the Islanders, who have been good all season, and the Capitals, who have gotten hot during the last month? Players such as Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson have played over their heads  for New York, and Jaroslav Halak manages to win games even on off nights. I like the way the Caps players have seemingly bought into what Coach Trotz has them trying to do. It took a while, but around the beginning of December things began to click, even for Alex Ovechkin, whose commitment to his own end of the ice is notably better than it was last season.

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Bruins

SI.com's 2014-15 NHL midseason award winners

Ovechkin and the Caps is definitely one worth watching. I haven't exactly been a fan of his game during the past couple seasons, so I have to give Ovi full marks for adapting his it and putting winning ahead of scoring. The race to the bottom of the standings should be perversely interesting as well. I think my money is still on Edmonton—you can't underestimate their ability for self-sabotage. But the most compelling story will evolve in Toronto, where it's clear that a couple of core players need to quickly prove that they can be part of the solution. If not, the Leafs could make some real noise by moving perennial 30-goal man Phil Kessel and/or top-pairing defenseman Dion Phaneuf. A trade of either or both would signify a massive shift in philosophy for the team, and that's one tree falling that everyone would hear.

• They're young, they're disciplined and they're not going away. Is it time to believe in the Florida Panthers?

Jonathan Huberdeau

I’m not completely sold on the Panthers just yet. They looked pretty bad against the Jets on Tuesday night, and Gerard Gallant was very blunt in saying his team just didn’t compete. Granted the Panthers are in the middle of a long road trip through Western Canada that had been pretty successful before Tuesday, but both the Canucks and the Flames have been up and down and you should only get half a win on some nights when you beat the Oilers. The Panthers have a five-game home stand coming up that isn’t that tough. Their schedule is harder in February, when the also-rans tend to slip out of the playoff picture. I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens in Florida, especially now that the Bruins are starting to play better and the Red Wings always seem to eke out a playoff spot.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for the underdog, but I think they've got a chance to make the cut this year.  They've gone 13-6-3 over their past 22 games, a pace that should keep them in the mix. They've got an All-Star goaltender in Roberto Luongo who has proved that he can cover up the occasional youthful mistake. Gallant has them adhering to a tight, smart system. And they play 24 of their final 41 at home. The wild card is Tallon. He has the cap space and the assets to make a significant add before the deadline. If there's a player or two available who could juice up their popgun offense, expect him to be in on the action.

• The Wild have come to a fork in the road. Is there any hope for their season without a significant change?

A lot of people have coach Mike Yeo on the hot seat for the club’s recent struggles. But I’m not sure the axe should fall on his head yet. First, he hasn’t been the one playing goal. And has any team in the league had more goaltending issues during the past two seasons than the Wild? Also, look at the teams they have been playing during their recent skid: Pittsburgh, Nashville, a pair against Chicago. These are some of the elite teams in the league. The team has also been dealing with the loss of Zach Parise’s father, J.P.  and Zach missed a couple of games and hasn’t recorded a point since his return. He has exactly one, an assist, since the first of the year, and he hasn’t had a plus night since Dec. 29. He can and should play much better in the coming weeks.

Wild lay down in blowout, putting Yeo on hot seat

See, I disagree, I think Mike Yeo's seat is pretty hot. It perhaps shouldn't be because of the reasons Brian laid out, but I think it is, and I think Yeo knows it. His on-ice rant—well in the view of cameras and front office types—hasn't produced wins. And by bringing things to a boil in public, his players have had no choice but to address their shortcomings head-on, admit their embarrassment and take all of the losing to the chin. Does that inspire his team or build resentment among his corps? I would imagine he'd have a good enough sense of his players to know what buttons to push and how, but I also have a hard time believing that pro athletes appreciate a public flogging. Do the Wild need a change? Yes. They need better goaltending. But more than that, they need inspiration. What Yeo said on the ice was probably right. They need to shed the loser's mentality, to quit believing their best isn't good enough to win. They need hope to last a full 60 minutes. In the last month, Minnesota's goal differential in third periods has been -9, fourth worst in the league. Their schedule this week is looking relatively kind—Sabres, Coyotes and Blue Jackets. How Minnesota's players respond during this stretch could be illustrative.

Streaky Blue Jackets now in serious playoff bubble trouble