Top Surprises and Disappointments

So as we are through with one quarter of the season, let's look at some of the biggest surprises and disappointments of the NHL season so far.

1. The Colorado Avalanche

Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy are certainly becoming a powerhouse team again in the front office of the Avalanche. Their 15-5 record makes them much, much better than projected. They appear to be one of the most dangerous team the NHL has so far. They may be hurt by the loss of Matt Duchene for a while, but the Avs have shown they can win without having to score a lot. And Semyon Varlamov has been a dangerous force in net.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Coach Jon Cooper is a genius. He makes sure his team has a strong defensive play. And they have shown to be more focused on it than in the past. Steven Stamkos is still out with a broken leg, but the Lightning believe they can still stay in the Eastern Conference race without him. The key here is Ben Bishop, their goalie. He has provided the team with the most consistent goaltending and is currently 13-3 with a .921 save percentage.

3. Alex Steen (St. Louis Blues)

This was a surprise, considering that Alex Ovechkin would lead the NHL in this category, but Steen has 17 goals so far on the season. He's been able to shoot more and gets more ice time than he's been getting the past few seasons. So far, he's had a career season.

4. Phoenix Coyotes

A 14-4-3 record can't slow down this team. They are considered the best team in the West and in my opinion, the best in the West. They've been able to stay competitive thanks to their defense. And they're fourth in scoring with 3.29 goals a game. Mike Ribeiro has helped as well, but the Coyotes are getting consistent scoring from everybody as well as defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle.

5. Sean Monahan (Calgary Flames)

This guy has cooled off a bit lately but he has eight goals in his first 22 games. He's a mature and ready center who seems as though he'll be able to provide for Calgary what Jarome Iginla left behind when he was traded. Look for him to be a consistent player for a really long time.

Here are the top five disappointments so far in this season

1. Columbus Blue Jackets

They've been constantly disappointing their fans and everybody in the NHL season after season. They surged late last season but the Wild won the playoff spot to keep them out. Their momentum hasn't carried over into this season. Ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference, they've had a really messy defense. Marian Gaborik is certainly not being a superstar right now, but hopefully they'll get a boost when Nathan Horton returns from offseason shoulder surgery.

2. The Eastern Conference

Apart from the Tampa Bay Lightning, most of the Eastern Conference would not qualify for a playoff spot in the West. Western teams dominate the East with a record of 87-34-16 so far this season.

3. Coyotes fans

Improvements on and off the ice have not translated to fans filling up the arena. They rank last in attendance at fewer than 13,000 a game. Their attendance grows, however, when some snowbirds who spend Christmas in Phoenix, arrive in late November.

4. Stephen Weiss (Detroit Red Wings)

I'm sure GM Ken Holland is regretting this season to sign Stephen Weiss. He was signed to provide a charge in offensive output that lost a fright factor the past few seasons and never made it to the Stanley Cup. But the Red Wings are not fearful because of him. Weiss had a season-ending wrist surgery last season and hasn't been a factor in what the Wings want. He currently has two goals and three points in 17 games that he has played and is currently on IR with an injury. I'm not sure what the Red Wings should do right now, but he hasn't been acting like a No. 2 center for this team and it'll be surprising if he continues to do so.

5. Edmonton Oilers

Like the Blue Jackets, year-after-year they continue to disappoint. Everybody in the hockey kingdom is waiting for the Oilers to rise up and be great because of their young talent, but they're not getting it so far this season. Ilya Bryzgalov has been signed to help out their goaltending, their biggest need, but other than that, there's not being able to provide their young talent with consistency. Their support players are certainly not helping right now with the young stars they currently have.

There's your biggest surprises and disappointments. And remember, it's only the first quarter of the season. We have many more months to go. Will some teams, like the Oilers and Blue Jackets, rise and be great this season? Will Alex Steen continue his hot torrid pace? We'll see how the season goes.