The Central Division has been the best division in the NHL in recent history. The last three Western representatives in the Stanley Cup Finals and two of the last three winners have come from the West’s Central division.

Conversely, the Eastern Conference champion has come from the Atlantic Division for three years in a row. 

How are those divisions stacking up this year versus the rest of the NHL?

This slide show is a ranking of the divisions according to their records outside their own division. The unbalanced NHL schedule does not lend itself to this kind of analysis, especially when just over a quarter of a season has been played. Still, here's a look at those numbers.

6. Northwest Division

The numbers: 37 W, 36 L,11 OT, .506 WP

It is the second year in a row that the once mighty Northwest Division is threatening to be the weakest in hockey. Their .513 win percentage is an even-worse .506 against teams from outside their division.

Vancouver has been fattening up their record against division opponents. They have gone 6-1 in the division, helping them to a .630 win percentage overall. Outside their division they are winning just over 53 percent of their games. 

Minnesota, Calgary and Edmonton are all in the bottom third of the league. Calgary’s .412 win percentage outside their own division puts them behind only Florida at .353 and the Islanders with .294—two teams also having huge problems winning games against anyone not in their own division.

The Northwest needs someone besides Colorado and Vancouver to start winning games to keep from being the easiest division in hockey to get points against.

Scoring in the Northwest has actually been prolific. The entire division ranks third, potting 2.89 goals per team per game. Unfortunately, they are giving up more goals than they score. Colorado, Calgary and Edmonton are all giving up more than three goals per game, making them three of the bottom six teams in the league. Only Vancouver and Colorado are scoring more goals than they give up.  

5. Northeast Division

The numbers: 36 W, 34 L, 3 OT, .512 WP

The Northeast is just as bad inside the division as out. That .512 win percentage is what they manage against everybody.

Three sub-.500 teams in a league that gives out an extra point for every tie game does not make for a strong division.

Division leader Montreal has a very good 15-8-2 record but is a less fearsome 8-6-2 outside their own division.

Boston and Toronto are the only teams doing better outside the division than in.

Teams in the division score a league-worst 2.44 goals a game. Montreal and Boston, however, are the two teams giving up the fewest goals against per game in the league.

4. Atlantic Division

The numbers: 43 W, 40 L, 11 OT, .516 WP

The Atlantic Division has supplied the past three Eastern representatives in the Stanley Cup Finals. The division also features two top-quality teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers, with better than .650 winning percentages. The third-place Rangers are also a team that is comfortably above .500. Yet as a group, they can only manage a .516 winning percentage against the rest of the league.

The New York Islanders have an unbelievably bad .294 winning percentage against teams from outside the division. The crumbling Devils have also helped to drag the Atlantic average down. 

The Atlantic division is fifth in scoring and fourth in goals allowed among all the divisions. Two of the toughest teams in the league to play are in the division, as are two of the easiest. The result? A medium-quality group.  

3. Southeast Division

The numbers: 48 W, 33 L, 8 OT, .584 WP

After years as the league's weakest division, the Southeast took a small step forward last year, as it beat out the Northwest division to be the second-weakest division in hockey. This year they have catapulted into third place.

The Southeast now does better outside of their division than in it. Even the Carolina Hurricanes, who have an overall winning percentage of .479, are .526 outside the division. Only Florida has a losing record outside the division.  

The Washington Capitals, along with the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings, are the only teams in the league with a better than .700 winning percentage against out-of-division opponents.

Young scoring stars like Eric Staal, Steven Stamkos, Evander Kane and Alex Ovechkin are helping fuel what is the highest-scoring division in hockey. The Southeast has suddenly become the best division in the Eastern Conference.

2. Pacific Division

The numbers: 49 W, 32 L, 11 OT, .592 WP

The upside-down Pacific Division has the second-best record in hockey outside their own division. This is despite the fact that last year's champ, San Jose, is currently in last place. 

Only Anaheim has a losing record outside their division. Dallas, with a .719 winning percentage, has the best winning record of any team in the league outside their own division.

All the teams in the division are over .500, and Phoenix, in second place, is .675 outside of the division. Dallas and Phoenix are also the only teams with winning records inside the division.

Defense has been the forte for the Pacific Division, as they have collectively given up the second-fewest goals in the league.    

1. Central Division

The numbers: 48 W, 26 L, 8 OT, .634 WP

Despite the falloff in play from the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, the Central Division is still the toughest division in hockey. 

Every team in the division is over .600 versus non-divisional opponents, except for Nashville, who is .533. The resurgent Blue Jackets have the second-best winning percentage in the division.

Detroit and Nashville are the only teams with winning records within the division. All the teams are feasting on the other NHL clubs.  

The Central Division is the best division in hockey and is threatening yet again to send a team to the Stanley Cup Finals.