There usually isn’t a singular moment in a failed season that you can point to as the “moment” that things went bad. Usually a combination of things contribute to failure. Injuries, bad luck, poor coaching, poor personnel management and even, wait for it, below average play lead to losing records, missed playoffs and coaching vacancies.

There are several teams and players that fit that bill this year. Some people could put the figurative asterisk next to the 2012-13 season because of the lockout. An extreme set of circumstances turned the NHL season upside down this year. Or so some teams and players would like you to believe that.

This year’s playoff race has some new faces in the mix. Parity is something that all professional leagues strive for, but seldom achieve with any consistency. The Montreal Canadiens finished dead last in the Eastern Conference last season, but will finish either second or fourth depending on if they can win their division. There were no major personnel moves in Montreal, but a new general manager (Marc Bergevin), new coach (Michel Therrien) and renewed commitment to winning have made a huge difference.

The same can be said in Anaheim. Coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t able to save the Ducks’ season after taking over the team in late December of 2011, but what a difference a year makes. The Ducks were pushing Chicago for the Western Conference crown up until a week ago and have run away with their division.

Good for them I say, but now let’s take a look at the players and teams that have let us down this season.
 

5. New York Rangers

The Rangers are still sitting underneath the playoff umbrella for now, but they have a ton of pressure coming from Winnipeg, Buffalo and Philadelphia. With all of the talent on his roster, coach John Tortorella has no excuses and missing the postseason could spell curtains for the “Torts” era in New York. Underachievers Brad Richards, Ryan Callahan, and Michael Del Zotto have barely been earning their paychecks this season while the less heralded Islanders have been the best team in New York this year.

4. Detroit Red Wings

For a city that paints “Hockeytown” at center ice, they certainly haven’t played like they deserve that mantle. The legacy of greatness in Detroit might get the Red Wings a pass so far this season, but if they miss the playoffs there could be riots. Henrik Zetterberg had the tall task of filling outgoing captain Nik Lidstrom’s massive skates. He has been solid, but inconsistent. Pretty much a microcosm of the entire team this year. When Detroit is good they are spectacular, but when they are bad, they can stink up the joint. For a team with 21 consecutive playoff appearances, they are about as reliable as a coin flip.

3. Colorado Avalanche

I’ll be the first to admit that many months ago I had picked Colorado to challenge for the division title and be a force in the Western Conference. Hopefully no one lost any money on that one. The Avalanche just missed the playoffs last year and returned the reigning Rookie of the Year in Gabriel Landeskog, slippery center Matt Duchene, the tandem in goal of Semyon Varlamov and J. S. Giguere. P.A Parenteau was signed during free agency and the Avs looked young, stacked and ready….to fail. Owners of the worst record in the NHL, Colorado has been one of the biggest busts of the year.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

General manager Steve Yzerman made significant strides this offseason to improve Tampa’s biggest weakness. Or so he thought. Trading for Nashville’s backup goaltender was a gamble that ended badly for the Lightning. Bringing in Matt Carle and Sami Salo via free agency also failed to produce the results that were expected for the 2011 Eastern Conference finalists. Coach Guy Boucher lost his job and Tampa will miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The coming summer will be crucial for Yzerman if he expects to last in Tampa Bay.

1. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers were supposed to be bringing the bullying back to Broad Street this season. After an entertaining playoff series against the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers fell flat against the New Jersey Devils. Philadelphia hasn’t been able to shake the sleepwalking since the second round of last year’s playoffs. Claude Giroux seemed to labor under the weight of the captaincy bestowed on him this past summer. There were flashes of brilliance this season but Giroux was not the player that took the league by storm last year and challenged for the scoring title. The Flyers still have an outside shot at the playoffs, but at this point it’s probably too late.