After Two Cups In Five Years, Southeast Still The Weakest

Tampa Bay did it in 2004 and Carolina followed in 2006, but even after winning those Stanley Cups, the Southeast Division is still viewed as the weakest in the East. Over the last five full seasons (04-05 was the lockout) only seven appearances were made in the playoffs by teams from the Southeast Division, four from the Lightning, two from the Caps, one from Atlanta and Carolina and none for the lowly Florida Panthers, which the Caps play tonight. We all know the Caps have had some miserable seasons the past few years, but they have turned the corner and are touted by The Hockey News as the most exciting team in the NHL, with two of the best players in the league in Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin. Last year Carolina and the Caps did their best to draw as much attention to the division as possible when they were involved in a fight to the finish, with the Caps edging out the Canes for the final playoff spot in the final day of the season. This year, the Caps and Carolina are at it once again with only three points separating them in the standings. The East is below the West and the Southeast is least in the East, but the Caps are holding their own and the rivalry they have with the Canes is certainly giving rise to new interest in a forgotten division.