For all the drama that has entertained us halfway through this NHL season -- the Vancouver Canucks rifts, the Boston Bruins "rifts," and the infuriating Buffalo Sabres -- there's been plenty of positivity.

The East bubble is anyone's game, which means a few unlikely playoff candidates have popped up and treated us to entertaining games each night as we enter the season's dog days. Teams have endured unfathomable tragedy with grace, individual players have overcome adversity, and things might pan out for some "will they won't they" teams.

Let's take a little break from all the drama and misery and review five of the best stories from the 2024-25 NHL season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Their Unlikely Playoff Push

The Blue Jackets are currently hanging on to the first Wild Card spot in the East, and not even their first-year GM Don Waddell saw this one coming.

He told the Columbus Dispatch the team's further ahead than he expected.

"I thought we'd have a lot more trouble scoring goals. I think we're leading the league in scoring goals at home," Waddell said. "...openly and candidly, I'd have to say yes ... we're further ahead than I thought we'd be at this point."

We expected this team to continue the rebuild this season after trading Patrik Laine to the Canadiens and continuing to mourn the tragic death of star forward Johnny Gaudreau. Instead, the Blue Jackets keep scoring goals and have gifted us the hockey story of the year so far.

Zach Werenski's getting some well-deserved Norris Trophy love as he leads the team with 51 points in 45 games. Kirill Marchenko's enjoying a delightful breakout season with 18 goals, 49 points, a plus-28 rating, and tons of swagger. Sean Monahan provides consistency, a scoring flare, and leadership on and off the ice as the team continues to mourn his best friend.

Things aren't perfect—for all the goals scored and home wins, defense and goaltending have been a struggle. But Columbus' ability to bounce back after losses and work around flaws in the face of adversity has been a potent tribute to No. 13, no matter what happens moving forward.

Patrik Laine's Revival in Montreal

The Canadiens are another team unexpectedly in the East's playoff mix. Part of this is the young core taking development steps, the other part is injured stars returning to health and lighting it up.

Patrik Laine is at the heart of the productive playoff push. His Canadiens debut was delayed due to a preseason knee injury that kept him sidelined for 24 games. Since his return, he's got 10 goals in 16 games -- nine of which he scored on the power play.

It's always great to see a star player get a fresh start and take advantage of it, rising above uncontrollable setbacks. It's even better that this comes after Laine opened up about his mental health, received help from the NHLPA Players' Assistance Program, and started his own mental health initiative.

The East-Leading Capitals and Ovechkin's Gretzky Chase

No NHL team is vibing harder than the Washington Capitals right now. Last season, they barely squeaked into the playoffs with the league last year's brutal goal differential. This season, they're No. 1 in the East and tied with the Jets for No. 1 in the league. Their +47 goal differential is second to only the Jets.

Both Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson have provided much-needed stability in net. Off-season additions like Pierre Luc-Dubois (34 points in 45 games) and Jakob Chychrun (12 goals, 30 points, and a plus-17 in 40 games) have been a fantastic fit.

The veterans are crushing it: Dylan Strome is poised for a career year, Tom Wilson has a pep in his step, and John Carlson is thriving with Chychrun. Alex Ovechkin was set to break the all-time goals record before he got a tough injury break, but he's back to business and has 21 goals and 33 points in 29 games.

Spencer Carbery has done a great job utilizing the younger future stars like Connor McMichael and keeping the balance between the veterans and emerging players. Great vibes all around.

Ottawa Senators Resurgence Despite Injury to Linus Ullmark

The Senators have been a bit inconsistent, sure, but they're starting to gain traction in a conference full of possibilities. One point out of the East's No. 2 Wild Card spot, Ottawa is 22-18-4 and might live up to our expectations this year.

Tim Stutzle is leading the way with 14 goals and 43 points in 44 games. Jake Sanderson is holding it down on defense as he averages almost 25 minutes per game.

Linus Ullmark has figured it out after a shaky start to the season, and of course, this has been the No. 1 difference in the team. He's dealt with a recent injury, but he's rocking a 2.38 goals against average and a .915 save percentage in 23 games.

If Ullmark can stay healthy, and if this team can score a few more goals, they might actually do it this year.

A Star-Studded Rookie Class

What a world in which we're tuning in to watch the Philadelphia Flyers and the San Jose Sharks more often than not this season.

While multiple exciting things are emerging about both of these teams, of course, we're tuning in to watch rookies Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini as the two battle it out for a Calder Trophy race with a few other contenders that'll come down to the wire.

It was a real shame when Celebrini got injured to start the season, but it was a huge relief when he came back and somehow exceeded our high expectations from the jump. He's electric to watch from a playmaking, goalscoring, and vibes perspective, and he's got 13 goals and 32 points in 35 games.

Michkov has revived the Flyers' long-dead power play. He's got more of a power winger vibe, and he's also got 13 goals in 32 points -- but in 44 games.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, defenseman Lane Hutson is arguably ahead of schedule and is right up there with Patrik Laine when it comes to their success this season. He's ushering in a new generation of defensemen, and he leads all rookies with 36 points (3 goals) in 4 games. He's crashed Celebrini and Michkov's party and has made the Calder Trophy race even more interesting.