The 2015-16 NHL season has reached its halfway point and that can only mean one thing: It's report card time again.This is our second installment of the NHL report card for the season, and this time we are looking back at the second quarter performance for every team in the league.The important thing to keep in mind: Second quarter grades are for what teams did in the second quarter, which is probably bad news for teams like the and , and very good news for a team like the .Adam Gretz will be handing out the grades for the Eastern Conference teams, while Chris Peters handles everything in the Western Conference. Eastern ConferenceAtlantic DivisionAtlantic DivisionTeam1st Quarter Grade2nd Quarter Record2nd Quarter GradeBoston BruinsB+9-6-3B-Buffalo SabresC7-10-2CDetroit Red WingsB9-5-5B-Florida PanthersC16-3-0AMontreal CanadiensA7-12-1C-Ottawa SenatorsB8-10-1C-Tampa Bay LightningC-9-8-1CToronto Maple LeafsC9-5-2BIt was an interesting quarter in the Atlantic Division as it turned into a five-team race for the top spot. Emerging from that pile for the time being has been, surprisingly, the Florida Panthers thanks to a 19-game stretch that has seen them Montrezl Harrell Jersey win 16 games to make up a ton of ground in the standings.After looking unbeatable to start the season, Montreal finally hit a wall in the second quarter thanks in large part to major injuries to Carey Price and . The good news for them: They are playing better than their second quarter record may have indicated, while the return of Gallagher has been a huge lift to their top line. Once they get Price back they might be in busine s again.Detroit and Boston are still hanging around in the race as well, while the Tampa Bay Lightning can't seem to get going. Toronto had a pretty strong second quarter but had such a brutal start that it might be too much to overcome. Best Player in the second quarter: , Florida PanthersThe Panthers were the NHL's best team in the second quarter of the season, climbing from sixth place in the Atlantic Division all the way to the top spot. They have a lot of players to thank for that rise in the standings, but perhaps none more than their starting goaltender, Roberto Luongo.Luongo has been a brick wall in net for the Panthers over the past 19 games and put a .945 save percentage on the board in the second quarter. When you get that type of goaltending for that long, you're going to win a lot of hockey games.What is so amazing about Luongo's performance is that he is doing it at an age when most goalies start to fall apart. At 36, he is the oldest goalie in the NHL but seems to have found some sort of fountain of youth with the Panthers and is putting together one of his best seasons in the league. Along with the seemingly agele s , he is helping to make the Panthers a contender in the Eastern Conference. Most disappointing team: Tampa Bay LightningJust as it was in the first quarter, it is still the Lightning.How can it be anybody other than the Lightning? After reaching the Stanley Cup Final a year ago this was supposed to be a team on the rise that was going to begin a run of dominance in the Eastern Conference with a couple of top-line players in and and a great supporting cast around them.But the Stamkos free agency question is still hanging around, their top young prospect, Jonathan Drouin, has demanded a trade, and they can't seem to make a move in the standings even as most of the teams ahead of them fail to put any real distance between them.What's even more disappointing than just their overall record is there doesn't really seem to be any sign that they are on the verge of putting it all together anytime soon. Metropolitan DivisionMetropolitan DivisionTeam1st Quarter Grade2nd Quarter Record2nd Quarter GradeCarolina HurricanesD9-8-3C+Columbus Blue JacketsD7-9-3D+New Jersey DevilsB9-8-4CNew York IslandersC12-5-2B+New York RangersA6-11-2DPhiladelphia FlyersD9-6-2B-Pittsburgh PenguinsC7-8-5DWashington CapitalsB+15-2-2AThe three big stories in the Metropolitan Division in the second quarter were the Pittsburgh Penguins firing coach Mike Johnston, the New York Rangers forgetting how to win, and the Washington Capitals starting to run away with the division thanks to a 15-2-2 run.With a 12-point lead over every other team in the division, the Metropolitan has pretty much turned into a race for second place with the Islanders, Rangers and Devils fighting for that spot and the Penguins trying to climb back into one of those top-three spots under new coach Mike Sullivan.The Devils remain the biggest surprise in the division and still barely hold on to a playoff spot with a roster that seems to be short on talent, but is getting some great goaltending from Cory Schneider and a couple of big years from the likes of Mike Cammalleri and Kyle Palmieri. Philadelphia and Carolina are trying to hang around in the playoff race but just don't seem to have enough, while the Blue Jackets still haven't been able to overcome their horrible first quarter start that led John Tortorella taking over for Todd Richards.Best Player in the second quarter: , Washington CapitalsEven if he hasn't been the best player (though, I think there is an argument to be made that he has been), Evgeny Kuznetsov might be one of the most important players in the Metropolitan Division.His emergence as a scoring threat for the Capitals (he currently leads the team in scoring, ahead of ) has given them the dominant second-line center they had been lacking in recent years when they were never able to get over the hump in the playoffs. When combined with , he helps make up one of the best 1-2 center punches in the league. It's not just the production that stands out about Kuznetsov, either. It's the fact that he is a joy to watch with the puck on his stick and is a one-man highlight reel every time he is on the ice.Most disappointing team: New York RangersLike the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division, the Rangers hit a major slump in the second quarter of the season. Unlike the Canadiens, they didn't really play well and get sabotaged by a couple of significant injuries. They just simply did not play well, from in net, to the defense in front of him. There was always some concern with the Rangers this season, even during their first start, because of the number of shots they gave up and the fact they just didn't look anywhere near as good as they have been in years past.Lundqvist is going to bounce back at some point and play better and that will mask some of their flaws, but this is a team that probably isn't as good as it looked early in the year. Western ConferenceCentral DivisionCentral DivisionTeam1st Quarter Grade2nd Quarter Record2nd Quarter GradeChicago BlackhawksB-14-5 Wesley Matthews Jersey -2A-Colorado AvalancheD12-5-2A-Dallas StarsA11-5-4BMinnesota WildB10-6-4C+Nashville PredatorsB8-8-4C-St. Louis BluesA-9-8-3CWinnipeg JetsC+9-9-0C-The Central continues to impre s as the deepest division in the NHL. Six of the seven teams have records that put them in the top 17 of the league. Five of the six are currently in playoff position and the Colorado Avalanche are just two points out from bumping one of their Central foes from a wild card spot.The second quarter was still all about the Dallas Stars and their incredible offensive attack. They finished the first half of the season in second place in the entire NHL and have scored 22 more goals than any other team. They stumbled a bit in terms of record in the second quarter but remain one of the most dangerous teams in the division with a seven-point lead. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks seemed to find their footing and hit their stride in the second quarter. They won 14 of their 21 games in our designated time frame. The Blues ran in place a bit in the second quarter, unable to stay consistent and close out some games. The Wild has a pretty strong second quarter with a mostly-healthy team and improved play from . Theyre in the mix to finish among the top three teams in the division yet.The Predators and Jets, meanwhile, each took some big steps back over the second quarter. Nashville still has a hold on the second wild card spot, but their grip is loosening. Thats because the Colorado Avalanche were the big surprise heading into the second half of the season. They went 12-5-2 amid better goaltending and a more potent offensive attack led by and . Colorado suddenly looks threatening. Best player of the second quarter: , Chicago BlackhawksIn a division that includes four of the top five scorers in the NHL, Kane continues to stay a few steps ahead of the rest. He had 28 points between Nov. 25 and Jan. 6, just under half of his 60 points so far this season.It is incredibly difficult for players to be as consistent offensively as Kane has been this year. Heading into the second half of the season, Kane has been held without a point in only five of Chicagos 42 games this season. He is still on pace for 116 points this season, which would be the most in the NHL since 2006-07.Most disappointing: St. Louis BluesAfter such a strong start to the year, the Blues entered the second quarter with a 14-6-2 record, a five-point advantage on the rest of the Central for second place and appeared to be cruising. The consistency left their game, particularly offensively and it resulted into some streakine s in terms of wins and lo ses. Now theyve been pa sed and are losing ground on the Blackhawks for second place and hold just a two-point advantage over the Wild for third place. They closed out the quarter with four straight lo ses, including back-to-back games in which they gave up a third-period lead and lost in overtime. The good news is that they should have a better time rebounding in the third quarter as theyre finally getting healthy. Pacific DivisionPacific DivisionTeam1st Quarter Grade2nd Quarter Record2nd Quarter GradeAnaheim DucksD8-5-2C+Arizona CoyotesC+9-7-3CCalgary FlamesD11-5-1B+Edmonton OilersD-10-8-2C+Los Angeles KingsB+12-4-2A-San Jose SharksB+5-9-2D+Vancouver CanucksC+8-8-3CAside from the Kings, the Pacific Division has been le s than inspiring. The amazing thing about that, however, is that it has allowed all seven teams to remain firmly in the mix for a playoff spot.The Kings are cruising high above the division with a 10-point advantage on second-place Arizona. Meanwhile, only four points separate the last place Edmonton Oilers from third place and a playoff spot. Five of the seven teams in the division reside in the lower-third of the league standings as of right now, including third-place Vancouver.There is going to be a lot of movement over the course of the season, but heading into the second half the Kings should probably be expected to coast to the division title. Everyone else will be fighting to the death.One of the few bright spots in the second quarter, though, was the Calgary Flames. They started to look like the team most believed they could be heading into the season. They won 11 of 16 games and were dominant on home ice. Their Albertan neighbors, the Edmonton Oilers, also had a better second quarter, winning half of their games and getting points in 12 of 20. The Anaheim Ducks also showed improvement, collecting points in 10 of 15 games in the quarter.The Sharks, Canucks and Coyotes all finished with sub-.500 records in the second quarter.Best player of the second quarter: , Los Angeles KingsThe star goalie for the Los Angeles Kings is playing like a star right now. Quick is enjoying a resurgent season in L.A. with a .923 save percentage to backstop one of the Western Conferences very best teams. Over the second quarter, Quick put together a 12-2-1 record thanks to a .933 save percentage. That is allowing the Kings to get by as a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to scoring goals. Meanwhile, only two teams are allowing fewer goals per game than the Kings so far this season.Most Disappointing: San Jose SharksThe Sharks were one of the most confounding teams in the NHL last season and they continue to be this year. Over the second quarter, they grabbed just five wins in 16 games. It appears they lack the depth and goaltending to keep up, but theyre still very much in the playoff hunt thanks to the poor quality of the division this year. The Sharks have a team save percentage of just .906 this year. Thats been a major problem so far with new addition not totally seizing his role as the Sharks No. 1.Theres also some bad luck mixed in there. San Jose has the fourth lowest PDO in the league, suggesting they havent been getting many bounces like some other teams seem to be getting. What makes this particularly disappointing is that the team is wasting another great year of production from (20 goals, 38 points) and , who is currently on a 35-goal pace from the blue line right now.
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