With the Olympics ready to roll, now would be a good time to take a look back at the NHL season thus far. It would also be a good time to change your toothbrush. Dentists recommend changing toothbrushes every three months. Remember, only you can stop tooth decay.

BEST TEAMS
Here's a rundown of the top eight teams in the league. They're ranked by how we see 'em, and not necessarily by point totals.

1. Dallas Stars (36-13-8, 80 pts, 1st in Central, 1st in West, 1st overall): The Stars are clearly the best team in the league. Their league-leading 80 points are made all the more remarkable when its considered that Mike Modano, Joey Nieuwendyk, and Greg Adams have all missed extended periods of time with injuries. But Dallas never skipped a beat.

Even though he did miss 13 games with a knee injury, Modano is still the man in the Lone Star State. He's earning some serious MVP hype for his team-leading 52 points in 44 games. He also leads the club in plus/minus (+24) and the entire league in short-handed goals (5). When Modano isn't lighting the lamp, chances are that Nieuwendyk is. Lemme tell ya, Joey leads the club with 24 goals, eight power-play goals, and seven game- winners. Those are big numbers. Pat Verbeek appears to have found his feisty game once again, notching 18 goals and leading the club with 119 penalty minutes after recording just 17 goals all of last season. Jere Lehtinen has continued to play his usual solid two-way game. That's no surprise. What is a surprise is the contribution of Jamie Langenbrunner. The 22- year-old has blown up early, already shattering his career highs with 17 goals and 42 points.

The Stars are also getting some serious offensive production form the blue line. Dallas used to always be known as a club that had massive, plodding defensemen that were hard to play against in the trenches. But the additions of Sergei Zubov, Darryl Sydor, and Shawn Chambers have given the club a different dimension. Now the Stars have speed and mobility to go with the brute force of guys like Derian Hatcher, Richard Matvichuk, and Craig Ludwig. Zubov is leading all NHL defenseman in scoring with eight goals and 46 points. Sydor has 36 points of his own and has already established a new career-high in goals with 11, including his first ever hat trick.

Last season, Dallas' main weakness was in net. Well, not anymore. Ed Belfour arrived via free agency this summer and has provided the Stars a premier puckstopper. It's not as if the Stars give up a lot of scoring chances, but when they do Belfour is usually there to answer the call. He's second to Martin Brodeur in wins (26) and goals-against average (1.93), and is tied with Dominik Hasek for the league lead in shutouts (7).

All the truly great clubs are strong on special teams. The Stars are no different. They have the league's best power play (20.8%) and the fourth-best penalty kill (88.4%). That's a tough combination to beat.

2. New Jersey Devils (34-16-6, 74 pts, 1st in Atlantic, 1st in East, 2nd overall): El Diablo is just rock solid from top to bottom. Bobby Holik (56-23-24-47) is having another stellar year to pace the offense, while Doug Gilmour (56- 12-36-48) is proving he can still distribute the puck with the best of them. Throw in the emergence of youngster Patrik Elias (50-15-10-25), a return to form for Petr Sykora (33-12-10-22), and the surprising contributions of Randy McKay (56-17-22-39), and the Devils' offense is no longer a liability. The pitchfork- carrying, horned-head mothers have scored 158 goals, making them the fourth-highest scoring team in the East. And that number should continue to rise if newcomer Jason Arnott ever realizes his full potential.

While the scoring is nice, New Jersey is still known for its defense. The Devils have allowed a mere 110 goals against in their first 56 games. That's easily the top mark in the league. The core defensemen have been dominant. Scott Niedermayer is playing the best hockey of his career, ranking among the top scoring defensemen with eight goals and 40 points. He's finally starting to use his offensive gifts to their fullest, forcing the attack from the back line on a more consistent basis. And Scott Stevens is always money. It is kind of surprising, however, that the Devils have been able to continue their defensive dominance even though they lost Dave Ellett over the summer and Ken Daneyko has spent much of the season in an alcohol rehab clinic. The reason the team has been able to adjust is that its getting contributions form unexpected sources, including rookies Sheldon Souray and Brad Bombardir. And when lifelong Devil John MacLean demanded a trade, GM Lou Lamoriello turned the distraction into a positive by acquiring Doug Bodger from San Jose. The veteran Bodger has fit in rather nicely while providing even more stability. Now with Daneyko expected to return following the Olympics, the Devils appear as strong as ever along the blue line.

When the opposition does find a way to elude the Devil defensemen, they still have to beat Martin Brodeur. Good luck. Brodeur is having another spectacular campaign. He leads the league in goals-against average (1.76), save percentage (.925), and wins (32).

3. Colorado Avalanche (29-13-16, 74 pts, 1st in Pacific, 3rd in West, 4th overall): The Avalanche are ranked third just for their obvious indifference to the game. These guys just don't care. They just coast through most games and then crank it up on the rare occasions when they feel challenged. Otherwise, they seem quite content to just float through games and X the dates off the calendar until the playoffs. How else can you explain their league-high 16 ties?

The Avalanche have absolutely nothing to play for. They've won a Cup, they've won the President's Trophy, they've won league-wide respect, and they could quit right now and still win the Pacific Division. It'll be interesting to see if they can turn it on once the playoffs roll around. Because if they do, they could easily claim a second Cup.

Peter Forsberg has been near the top of league scoring all season and is currently third with 20 goals and 66 points. But he still doesn't shoot the puck enough and there are too many nights when he doesn't assert himself in the offensive zone. But that goes back to that whole not-caring thing. Forsberg's linemates, Valeri Kamensky (53-17-26-43) and Claude Lemieux (57-19-22-41), have also displayed a casual approach on more than one occasion. And do you want proof that clutching, grabbing, and neutral zone traps are totally out of control? Joe Sakic has just 24 goals and 57 points in 58 games. When Sakic is averaging less than a point a game, the league's got problems.

While the Avalanche are still awaiting the return of Keith Jones from a knee injury in order to sure up their second line, the club is getting a tremendous effort from a third unit constructed with the likes of Stephane Yelle, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix, and Shean Donovan. The defense is extremely deep with eight quality guys in Adam Foote, Sandis Ozolinsh, Uwe Krupp, Sylvain Lefebvre, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Aaron Miller, and Eric Messier. And Patrick Roy has been incredible most of the season, often making up for his teammate's lackluster efforts. Now if the club can just find the will to show up every night, the Avalanche could be primed for a massive playoff run.

4. Detroit Red Wings (31-15-12, 74 pts, 2nd in Central, 2nd in West, 3rd overall): Detroit has had a marvelous first half, but the club is finally starting to show the strain of losing Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Fedorov. The Wings have been rather ordinary in 1998, going 6-5-4 since January 1. That number could get even worse if the league holds true to its promise and enforces the obstruction and interference rules following the Olympics. Detroit's Left Wing Lock is all about interference.

The reason why Detroit was able to last so long despite losing two of its key players is that everyone has been contributing. The Wings have nine players with at least 10 goals. That's what you call scoring depth. And the Wings need that depth, because they don't have a single guy averaging a point a game. Brendan Shanahan is Detroit's top scorer with 23 goals and 44 points in 53 games. Stevie Yzerman is second with 13 goals and 43 points in 55 games. The longer the Fedorov situation drags on, the worse things are gonna get.

Detroit's MVP to this point has been Nicklas Lidstrom. The Swedish blueliner has elevated his game and has done his best to make up for the absence of Konstantinov. He's second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 41 points. Without Lidstrom, the Wings would be scrap.

5. Philadelphia Flyers (29-17-9, 67 pts, 2nd in Atlantic, 3rd in East, 7th overall): It's the same old story with the Flyers. The could be the game's best if only they had goaltending. Yet Bobby Clarke continues to go with Ron Hextall and Garth Snow. Unless that situation changes at the trade deadline, the Flyers won't be sipping from the Cup come June. Rumors persist that Curtis Joseph could be heading to Philly, but the Oilers want either Dainius Zubrus or Janne Niinimaa in return. Zubrus is good and all, but he's not better than a Stanley Cup parade.

The Legion of Doom may be no more, but John LeClair and Eric Lindros continue to terrorize opposing netminders. Even though the duo has spent time on different lines, they continue to put up hefty numbers. LeClair is fourth in league scoring with 64 points and second in goals with 38. Lindros is hot on his heels with 25 goals and 63 points. While the two big guys are getting most of the attention, Rod Brind'Amour is having yet another great season, compiling 25 goals and 48 points. And while he got off to a miserable start, Chris Gratton is starting to find his stride.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins (29-16-13, 71 pts, 1st in Northeast, 2nd in East, 5th overall): Hey, get this! The Penguins are the fourth best defensive team in the league, having allowed just 132 goals. Aw, that's some wild, wild stuff. Kevin Constantine has transformed the once defensively-impaired Arctic Birds into a powerful two-way threat. They may not be as good as the more established Avalanche, Stars, or Flyers, but the Pens have the potential to beat anyone thanks to the offensive brilliance of Jaromir Jagr and the flawless goaltending of a rejuvenated Tom Barrasso.

Jagr is second in league scoring with 25 goals and 67 points. The Czech Wonder Kid has teamed up with his usual partner in crime, Ron Francis, to carry the Pittsburgh attack. Francis never gets the credit he deserves, but he's also in the league's top ten with 16 goals and 59 points. The duo has teamed up with the scrappy Stu Barnes to give the Pens a potent top line. Barnes is having a career year with 22 goals and 44 points. Of course, it pretty much has everything to do with who he's playing with, but who cares? The Birds can also ice a decent second line, featuring Marty Straka, Eddie Olczyk, and rookie Alexei Morozov, and a damn steady checking unit of Robert Lang, Robby Brown, and Alex Hicks.

The defense is driven by the devastating checks of Darius Kasparaitis, the overall game of Kevin Hatcher, and the Ever- steady Freddie Olausson. Jiri Slegr and Brad Werenka have been pleasant surprises, while Chris Tamer provides the only real source of heavyweight toughness.

But the Penguins wouldn't be where they are today without the goaltending of Barrasso. After rarely making an appearance over the past two seasons, Barrasso has been absolutely phenomenal this year. Outside of one early subpar outing against Vancouver, Tommy hasn't allowed a single weak goal all year. His numbers are staggering: 23 wins, a 2.07 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and six shutouts. Barrasso is back.

7. St. Louis Blues (30-21-8, 68 pts, 3rd in Central, 4th in West, 6th overall): The Blues got off to a tremendous start, going 10-2-2 in the month of October. But when injuries claimed Brett Hull and Al MacInnis, the club started to tank it. In fact, from the time of November 1 to January 31, the Blue Note went just 17-18-6. But the good news is that Hull and MacInnis are both back in the lineup and the team once again looks like it could make some noise come playoff time.

While you can't ignore the like of Hull and Pierre Turgeon up front, St. Louis' real strength is on defense where it boasts three of the game's elite blueliners. MacInnis leads all defensemen with 16 goals. Steve Duchesne is tied for second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 11 goals and 41 points. And the always improving Chris Pronger leads everyone with a +32. As long as these three guys stay healthy, the Blues will be a force.

8. Washington Capitals (26-19-11, 63 pts, 3rd in Atlantic, 5th in East, 9th overall): Maybe the Capitals should quit their pregame rituals of spilling salt, breaking mirrors, and walking under ladders. These guys have some serious bad luck. It seems each year more and more Cap players get injured. Sooner or later these guys have to stay healthy. And when they do, look out.

The Capitals will make an impact in the postseason. They play a gritty, hard-working game and they've got talent at all three positions. Most of the damage on offense is done by the great Peter Bondra, who checks in with 36 goals. The Slovakian speedster had a slow start, but he's been dy-no-mite ever since he was teamed up with Adam Oates. The Oates-Bondra tandem has even made perennial farmhand Andrew Brunette a top-line scoring threat.

The big surprise in Washington is that Olaf "The Berserker" Kolzig has taken the number one goaltending job away from Billy Ranford. Odd, but true. Is Ranford ready going to make the transition from superstar to veteran backup? Don't bet on it. Here's hoping he gets another shot at the top gig.

WORST TEAM
Tampa Bay Lightning (10-37-9, 29 pts, dead last in conference and league): Oh, those zany Lightning Bolts. At least they went into the Olympics on a positive note. Tampa Bay earned its first win of 1998 and snapped a franchise high 16-game winless streak on Saturday by beating the Capitals 4-3 at the MCI Center. That deserves a wow...

BIGGEST TEAM SURPRISES
Boston Bruins (23-22-11, 57 pts, 3rd in Northeast, 6th in East, 12 overall): Pat Burns actually has the below average Bears in playoff position. Unfortunately, he's done it by transforming them into one of the most boring teams in the league. But wins are wins.

Pittsburgh Penguins: The Penguins a strong defensive team? How'd that happen? Keep in mind, if you took Mario Lemieux off last year's club, the Penguins wouldn't have finished much better than the Bruins. The turnaround is absolutely stupefying. Sure, the game's aren't as exciting as they once were, but winning sure beats the hell out of losing. And Jaromir Jagr is worth the price of admission every time out.

BIGGEST TEAM DISAPPOINTMENTS
New York Rangers (17-24-16, 50 pts, 4th in Atlantic, 9th in East, 16th overall): The Blueshirts enter the break six points out of the final playoff spot in the East. And there are no real signs that the situation is going to get any better. The core players have struggled. Wayne Gretzky has been desperately looking for someone, anyone, to finish his plays. Mike Richter has been inconsistent at best. Brian Leetch has been coming on strong of late, but he got off to a horrendous start. Free-agent acquisitions Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland haven't been able to change the club's direction and fellow newcomer Pat LaFontaine has cooled off a bit from his torrid early-season pace. Mix in the different injuries to Jeff Beukeboom, Ulf Samuelsson, Adam Graves, and Alexei Kovalev, and the Rangers have had a season to forget.

Vancouver Canucks (15-33-8, 38 pts, last in Pacific, last in West, 25th overall): How could a team with Mark Messier, Pavel Bure, and Alexander Mogilny suck this bad? Mike Keenan is up to his old tricks in trying to turn things around, but it's going a lot slower than expected. The Canucks have yielded a league-worst 200 goals. See, that's a problem. But at least with Brad May, Donald Brashear, and Gino Odjick on the roster, the Canucks can beat up anyone that makes fun of their lousy record.

SURPRISE PLAYERS
Jason Allison, Boston Bruins: Everyone knew he had the hands of a scorer, but most doubted his wheels. But Allison's skating has improved. What he lacks in agility, he makes up for in strength. And once he powers to the net, he's got the reach and touch to finish. Allison has been something special so far for the Bruins, leading the team in goals (20), assists (33), points (53), plus/minus (+16), and game-winners (6).

Jamie Langenbrunner, Dallas Stars: Without Langenbrunner, the Stars would have been in some serious trouble when Modano and Nieuwendyk went down. The second-year center has provided the Stars with some unexpected scoring depth, standing fourth in team production with 17 goals and 42 points.

Ray Whitney, Florida Panthers: The Sharks didn't want him. The Oil didn't want him. The Panthers are lucky to have him. Whitney has been a scoring machine since landing in Florida. He leads the Cats in goals (21), points (45), plus/minus (+9), and power-play goals (7). Those scoring numbers have already eclipsed the diminutive 25-year-old's previous career highs.

Shayne Corson, Montreal Canadiens: After bagging just eight goals and 24 points last season, Corson was all washed up. Well, now he's sparkly clean and scorin' like a chimp. Corson is second on Montreal with 17 goals and 47 points in 50 games. He also leads the entire NHL in power-play goals, with 13.

DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS
Geoff Sanderson, Buffalo Sabres: Aw, it's been brutal for good ol' Geoff. He started out the year in Carolina. That's bad enough, but it was made worse by the fact that he wasn't scoring. His lack of production led to a trade out west to Vancouver. He was only a Canuck for a couple weeks before being traded again, this time to the Buffalo Sabres. Now Sanderson will hope to improve on his pathetic scoring totals (seven goals and 20 points in 49 games) skating with Mike Peca and crew. The trade should be a good one for Sanderson. Hey, things couldn't get much worse.

Geoff O'Neill, Carolina Hurricanes: One of the reasons why Sanderson never scored in Carolina was that he didn't have a quality center. Geoff O'Neill just isn't the second-line pivot the Hurricanes need. He's got 12 goals and 25 points in 52 games. Watching him try to play with the great Gary Roberts was absolutely painful.

Chris Simon, Washington Capitals: Will Simon ever reach his full potential? It's tough to say. He was on the right track this season, recording seven goals, 17 points, and 38 penalty minutes in his first 28 games. But then he had to have season-ending shoulder surgery. If Simon could ever stay healthy, he could be a dominant power forward. Sadly, that day seems like it may never happen.

HART CANDIDATES
Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Mighty Ducks: Paul Kariya who? Face it, Selanne is the better player. Teemu has meant the world to the Ducks, leading the league in scoring with 41 goals and 68 points in 56 games. He's the only thing separating Anaheim from being a minor league club.

Mike Modano, Dallas Stars: Sure, the Stars didn't exactly collapse when he was injured, but that doesn't mean they don't need him. Modano is the guy that takes Dallas to the next level. They're a good team without him, but they could be a championship team with him.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: It's hard to believe the Red Wings have been able to adjust to life without Vladimir Konstantinov so easily. Well, maybe it's not so hard to understand considering how well Lidstrom has played. The Wings would be just another average trapping team without the Swede around to anchor the defense.

Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins: It sounds nutty, but Barrasso has been the best goaltender in the league this season. The best. And while Pittsburgh is playing much better defensively, they wouldn't be near the top of the Eastern Conference without Barrasso there to make all the big saves in key situations. Whenever there's a breakdown in coverage, Barrasso shuts the door.

Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins: It's unusual to see two teammates get consideration for the Hart Trophy, but this is a special circumstance. As important as Barrasso is to Pittsburgh's defensive game, Jagr is just as important to the offensive side of things. In fact, Jagr is the Pittsburgh offense.

NORRIS CANDIDATES
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings: It's going to take a superhuman effort from somebody to steal the Norris away from Lidstrom down the stretch.

Scott Niedermayer, New Jersey Devils: Niedermayer has been dynamic for the Devils. He's still steady in his own zone, but now he's finally establishing himself on the scoresheet the way everyone knew he could. Few blueliners can match Niedermayer's raw talent.

Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues: The Big Daddy Mac is draining the puck. He's already got 16 goals and is showing no signs of slowing down. Yet another victory in the Hardest Shot Competition just added to his legend.

VEZINA CANDIDATES
Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres: Hasek stumbled out of the gates, but a six-shutout month of December put him right back in the race. He's now second in the league in save percentage (.924). It's doubtful he'll win a fourth Vezina, but he'll definitely be in the picture.

Patrick Roy, Colorado Avalanche: While most of the Avalanche have been sleepwalking through the season, Roy has been left to win most games all by his lonesome. The Avalanche haven't really earned their place among the league's best this season. But Roy has.

Ed Belfour, Dallas Stars: Playing goal in Dallas is the easiest gig in show business. It's a rare night when the opposition cracks 20 shots. The bottom line, though, is that Belfour is stopping the puck. It's impossible to ignore his numbers.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils: Brodeur also has a cushy job in New Jersey, but he's getting the job done. He leads in every major goaltending category and should be on a collision course with his first ever Vezina. It's hard to believe Brodeur's never won the Vezina, but it's been tough to pry the trophy away from the Dominator. And the one year he should have won it (1995-96), the dorks voting on the award gave it to Jim Carey. That's jive.

Tom Barrasso, Pittsburgh Penguins: For all the reasons listed above, Brodeur's most serious competition will be from Barrasso. If Barrasso wins he should be forced to explain his mask. That is one wacky paint job. There's all sorts of zany things goin' on. It's like a Salvador Dali painting. When the clock starts to melt, it's time to go...

CALDER CANDIDATES
Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils: Elias is good. They were all but inscribing his name on the trophy until he hit a rather nasty scoring slump. But he's got the skills to crank it up down the stretch and skate away with the hardware.

Mike Johnson, Toronto Maple Leafs: Johnson leads all rookies in scoring with 11 goals and 35 points in 55 games. Yes, it hasn't been a banner year for rookies. Johnson has been one of the few bright spots, though. He's teamed up with Mats Sundin to give the Leafs a little happiness in an otherwise dreary season. The fact that he's in Toronto could give him the edge when it's time to vote.

Matthias Ohlund, Vancouver Canucks: It's hard to imagine the Canucks having any award winners, but Ohlund will get some consideration. Defense is the hardest position for rookies to play and the Swede has handled it better than most, despite the less than favorable surroundings.

ADAMS CANDIDATES
Pat Burns, Boston Bruins: Burns has the Bruins in playoff position. 'Nuff said...

Scotty Bowman, Detroit Red Wings: The only way a team can survive the losses of players like Konstantinov and Fedorov is through good coaching. Bowman has kept the Wings focused through all the distractions.

Kevin Constantine, Pittsburgh Penguins: Constantine should have this one locked up. Fans in Pittsburgh haven't been so pleased with a defensive game-plan since the days of the Steel Curtain.

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