NHL Quarter Mark Shockers: Which Teams Are Surpassing Expectations—and Which Are Crashing Hard?
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Anaheim Ducks: A+
You could quibble about the scoring chances the Ducks give up, but they’re playing an exciting brand of hockey and succeeding at it. Leading the division at this point was not expected. It helps to have an ace such as Lukáš Dostál covering up mistakes, but he’s out for a bit with an injury. They’re never out of the game and have high-performing veterans augmenting a starry young core leading the way. — Eric Stephens
Boston Bruins: B+
The Bruins were the NHL’s fifth-worst team last year. They didn’t add much in the offseason. Charlie McAvoy, Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson have missed time with injuries. But they are in the playoff fight while building culture, improving defense and converting on the power play. — Fluto Shinzawa
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