Corey Perry

The trade deadline is creeping up on us and, as always, rumors are a plenty. 

The Vancouver Canucks are once again looking like a dangerous Stanley Cup threat. They have, however, been criticized for lacking grit; something that they'll be looking to disprove in the coming weeks.  

With so much competition in the West, rivalries are beginning to intensify. A perfect example of this would be what is currently occurring in the Golden State. With three possible cup contenders, the division rivalry between teams in California is heating up.

Let's take a look at what each Californian team has to offer.

ANAHEIM DUCKS

Last season only one player in the entire NHL hit the 50-goal plateau: Corey Perry, with 50 goals in the regular season.

For the majority of the season, it seemed as though no one would reach it.

Sidney Crosby was on pace for one of his best seasons ever, and one surely assumed it included at least 50 goals. However, reoccurring concussion symptoms kept him out of the second half of the season.

Teemu Selanne has played in 1,259 games in his NHL career. He has 637 goals and 703 assists for 1,340 points. Not so long ago, those totals would have been deemed impossible.

In the betting world, the term "square" refers to an average bettor who consistently loses money over time.

Sidney Crosby was the early-season favourite to walk away with the NHL's MVP trophy. When he went down with a concussion, Daniel Sedin emerged as the new consensus favourite.

Well, here we are at the end of another NHL season. 

With just one week to go, the NHL playoff picture is still unclear.  There are three spots available in the Eastern Conference and over in the West only two teams have clinched a playoff spot.  This final week will be very interesting as the playoff match-ups start to take shape.

Here is some great information for helping you to decide who to dress for the upcoming fantasy hockey week.

The Playoffs and golf courses are almost upon us. While I am curious which member of the Florida Panthers (my bet is on Stephen Weiss since he has never played hockey in May) has the best tee shot, I am more interested in who is most primed for a long post-season run, and what aspects of each team's game may help or hinder their pursuits.

What Ducks star Corey Perry has accomplished this year (especially in the last month) has been nothing short of spectacular as he tries to lead Anaheim into the playoffs and hopefully back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

His 100 penalty minutes this season are testimony to Perry’s toughness and intensity on the ice, but his other stats are what make his case for MVP candidacy.

Let's see a show of hands, Flyers fans.

Put your hand in the air if you had heard of Jason Akeson prior to 2:54 p.m. EST on Mar. 2, in this 2011th year of our Lord.