Which Teams Are Peaking at the Right Time?

The NHL season has about 25 to 30 games left for each team. While some early favorites have faded and other teams have essentially locked themselves in, there are a few teams around the bubble that appear interested in finding a way into the playoffs. Here are those teams.

Ottawa Senators (25-23-6, 56 points): The sheer number of recognizable names the Senators shed in the Dion Phaneuf trade might seem a bit alarming, but they wouldn't make a trade for a veteran defenseman if they didn't think they had some magic left over from last season's improbable, Hamburglar-fueled run over about the same stretch of games. As many other outlets have said, Phaneuf won't be the guy for the Senators. He just has to be a solid second pairing defenseman as Erik Karlsson eats minutes. With youngsters like Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone leading the offense, and a steady Craig Anderson in goal, the Senators could make up the current five point deficit. There's just one team standing in their way.

Pittsburgh Penguins (27-18-7, 61 points): Before firing Mike Johnston for Mike Sullivan, the Penguins looked dead in the water, wasting what's left of the good years for their plethora of superstars. Currently in the final wild card spot, the Penguins are still in a precarious position. The difference is that Sidney Crosby is doing everything in his power to turn the team around. The recent overtime comeback win is a prime example of that. Coupled with All-Star defenseman Kris Letang playing some of his best and healthiest hockey in years, and the Penguins could very well beat opponents into submission and come into the playoffs very hot. We've all seen what this core can do with the right new coach before.

Anaheim Ducks (26-19-7, 59 points): The cold streak is over for the Anaheim Ducks. They may not play the cleanest brand of hockey, but their return to form is here. This is a team that can spread the wealth with the superstars of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, while also getting surprisingly strong efforts out of Rickard Rakell. An 8-2-0 record in their last ten indicates that this Ducks team is going to be compensating for their sluggish start for however long they have games on the schedule, which may be much farther into the spring than most of us thought after their first month of under-performing.

Are there any other teams I should be keeping an eye on in the later parts of the season? Let me know in the comments.