We’re going to have to rethink this whole Sidney Crosby thing. The Pittsburgh Penguins are 6-2-2 since Crosby went on the shelf with a sprained ankle. The Pens are still on top of the Atlantic Division and in the thick of the Stanley Cup hunt at what could prove to be a bargain price on the NHL futures market.

The Dallas Stars, however, are the hottest team in the league at 9-2 and are already established as one of the second tier of Cup favorites. They have the fourth-best goal differential at plus-0.41, and they’re doing it through yet another pedestrian post-lockout season by Marty Turco (.910 save percentage).

On the flip side, the New York Islanders are plummeting down the Cup odds list after seven straight losses, six in regulation. The Isles were outscored 27-11 and dropped 7.29 units during that span, and that blockbuster Matt Keith-Darryl Bootland trade with Anaheim doesn’t seem destined to change things.