These are the NHL standings on December 18, 2014:
And here they are how they stand today, just prior to puck drop:
This is a spectacular collapse that will hopefully be a boon to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nick Kypreos may think that Steve Dangle is a loser for advocating tanking and say it on national television but that's only because he is too gutless to ever say that about any of his other colleagues that spend every waking day saying that the Leafs are full of awful players and that the only path to success is through tanking. I'm not saying Kypreos is only against the plan because it gives him a chance to punch down but I am saying that he's yellower than the first place Predators' sweaters.
This is the first of many Must-Lose Games that the Leafs will play and it's paramount that they find the delicate balance of having possible trade assets play well enough to garner interest but not play well enough to earn any points. I trust that the Leafs will screw this up but as a fanbase we have nothing if not the hope that they will ride this plunging elevator all the way to the ground.