All quiet on Western front

The young season is shaping out to look a lot like the old one in the Western Conference.

The Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche are on top of their respective divisions and the Calgary Flames have won one game.

Maybe the biggest surprise has been the demise of the Chicago Blackhawks. Nobody picked the Blackhawks to win the Cup this year, but their horrendous performance so far has been worse than anyone's expectations.

To say that the notoriously great hockeyfans in Chicago are upset, is a gross understatement.

Also the stonger-than-expected start of the St. Louis Blues and the overachieving of the young Los Angeles Kings have raised eyebrows around the league. The Kings, under coach Larry Robinson, have adopted a disciplinary and physical style and are bound to upset many teams this year.