Things atop the NHL standings are ridiculously congested right now. The Tampa Bay Lightning are at the top with 37 points, but three are right behind with 36, and there are nine teams within three points of the NHL lead. So, 30 percent of the league could find themselves atop the NHL standings following a successful back-to-back. It's a big shift from last year. On Dec. 1, 2013, the Blackhawks had 44 points - three more than second-place San Jose and five more than the Blues, who were alone in third. The schedule was more congested last year because of the impending Olympic break, but even factoring for that we are seeing far more parity this year than then and more than we would normally expect.

Some of the teams atop the standings this year are very expected - Pittsburgh, Montreal, Tampa Bay and Anaheim were all expected to be among the elite. Other teams in the big group, though, are just plain bizarre - Nashville, the Islanders and especially Calgary have been the best version of themselves so far. So, which of these teams are going to keep it up, and which are going to regress? For bettors, getting those distinctions right could lead to profitability. Here's a look (all odds are from Bovada):

Tampa Bay Lightning (12/1 to win the Stanley Cup): Not hard to figure this one out. They have the best offense in the league led by the best pure goal scorer on the planet. They are deep and talented. Very good goaltending and solid coaching don't hurt, either. I was very high on this team entering the season and like them even more now. There is big value in this price.

Montreal Canadiens (14/1): P.K. Subban got a massive new contract before this season. That can go either way for a team, but for the Habs it has been a huge boost. He has really stepped up his game and his leadership, and it shows for this team in the standings. My gut reaction is that they are overachieving slightly, but it would not at all be a shock to see them host a first-round playoff series. This is team solidly in the high second tier of the league - and it doesn't hurt that they have the best goalie on the planet between the pipes.

Pittsburgh Penguins (15/2): When a team has the best player in the world and another who is in the top five playing for them it's not hard to be good. The roster is the most confidence-inspiring it has been for a couple of years, though depth remains a concern. The coaching change has been a positive, though, and it's hard not to imagine this team in the mix right until the end.

New York Islanders (16/1): This team has finally emerged - just in time for the long-suffering fans in Uniondale to say goodbye to them as they move to Brooklyn next year. Bad luck. John Tavares is a major superstar now, and he is lifting the offense around him. A brilliant offseason has paid off with dramatic improvement both on defense and in the net. A weak division has boosted them slightly, and they could suffer a bit as the other teams strengthen slightly, but this is unquestionably a playoff team - and one I would not want to play.

Vancouver Canucks (16/1): There has not been a worse, more mystifying decision in the last three years in the league than hiring John Tortorella in Vancouver last year. It was destined to fail, and it did - spectacularly. Luckily, they were smart enough to cut their losses after just one year. Willie Desjardins was an inspired choice to replace Torts, and he has paid off handsomely so far. The roster had underachieved since their Stanley Cup Finals loss, and Desjardins has them back on track. They are probably a tick or two ahead of where they should be, but this is a clear playoff team at this point.

Anaheim Ducks (9/1): Here's an elite, balanced team playing like an elite, balanced team. Nothing to be surprised about here. Anaheim looked like the class of the West heading into the season - alongside the Blackhawks. Chicago hasn't quite done their part yet, though they are fine and there is no need to panic (and they are still Stanley Cup co-favorites at 15/1), but Anaheim is right on track. This is a major Stanley Cup contender.

Nashville Predators (22/1): I almost feel bad for Barry Trotz -- and not just because he is now stuck in the graveyard for coaches that the Capitals have become. He had done far from a bad job in Nashville, but as the only coach the team had ever had it was just time for a change. Peter Laviolette is a fresh voice for the players, and the core is really responding to him. The biggest concern here in that they are dramatically better at home than on the road. That will catch up to them at some point, and they will come to earth a bit - especially as what Laviolette has to say becomes more familiar and less invigorating. They are very much in the playoff mix, though.

St. Louis Blues (10/1): They were supposed to be a top team, and they are. The biggest area for concern here remains in net. Injuries have hit hard, and signing Martin Brodeur to a contract this week will either go down as brilliant or desperate. If they get the goaltending, there is no end to how far they can go. That's a big if, though.

Calgary Flames (33/1): This is the team I watch most, and, in many ways, understand least. The obvious reaction to a team that was expected to be among the worst teams in the league sitting among the best is that they are overachieving badly and will hit the ground with a thud at some point. They have outstanding coaching, solid goaltending and ridiculously tight discipline, though. Their defense has been brilliant, and their young players are excellent. They rely very heavily on first- and second-year players, though, and that can be a challenge when the long season starts to wear on them. I expect their pace of success to slow as the season goes along, but they are not going to crater like I earlier expected them to.

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