Hot or not

James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs

Reimer stopped 34 of 35 shots for a .971 save percentage in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche to further establish himself as the Leafs' go-to goalie.

Frederik Andersen, Anaheim Ducks

Andersen allowed three goals on seven shots -- including one from the neutral zone -- and was yanked in the Ducks' 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators.

Are we devoid of any real doormats this season in the NHL?

@Real_ESPNLeBrun: I ask the question because as the Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames and Maple Leafs all picked up victories Tuesday night, I honestly can't look at one particular team and say with vigor that it is the worst team in the NHL. The Maple Leafs waxed the Avalanche 5-1 Tuesday night and have now won four of their past five games, Mike Babcock's system and structure is taking effect on a roster missing talent, yes, but it's a team that's gotten better from Day 1 under the league's No. 1 coach. The Flames are better than their record -- they're not as good as last season's results -- but they're somewhere in between. The Blue Jackets should be better this season and they won again Tuesday night as they finally get going. The Edmonton Oilers are technically last overall with 12 points (6-12-0). Losing Connor McDavid was a huge blow but do we really think of the Oilers as a pushover? I didn't have them in the playoffs but I thought they'd be better and I think that will prove out. So I ask again, where are the patsies? Last season, the Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, Oilers and Maple Leafs were brutal and easily identifiable as your bottom four pushovers as the race for McDavid and Jack Eichel was full on. But has parity eliminated the bottom feeder?

@ESPN_Burnside: Pierre, you raise a good point but I think the next month is going to say a lot about this interesting hypothesis. I, too, have been impressed by the Leafs and maybe they can parlay a renewed work ethic and identity into meaningful games in January. Maybe. But the Philadelphia Flyers simply aren't very good and I would guess they're destined to somewhere between 14th and 16th in the Eastern Conference. And the Flames are going to have to show more consistency to prove they are better than their record (even though I believe that to be so). I'd like to see where the Coyotes are in a month, and this stretch will be a real test for coach Dave Tippett in keeping the positive mojo going in the desert. And as for the Oilers, I have no problem saying they are the worst team in the Western Conference and might well nab another No. 1 overall draft pick, given that even with all the changes, this is a team that still can't play in its own zone and has issues in net. Sound like a familiar refrain?

@CraigCustance: It's a great question and I think it has something to do with the fact that Connor McDavid isn't waiting to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick. He was a player teams had been salivating over for years and there was plenty of opportunity to time your rebuild so that it lined up with the McDavid draft. Plus, the 2016 draft is the second phase of the changes in which the lottery will be used to select the top three spots in the draft. There are no guarantees of anything if you're horrible this season and less payoff to tank. I'm just worried it will further hurt the trade deadline because every single team is going to think it's in the playoff hunt.

@ESPNJoeMac: Ah, parity. It's a word that players love to use when a team is in a losing skid, or just lost a series in the Stanley Cup playoffs. A player's go-to line is: "Any team can win on any given night." As cliché as it sounds, it's true. Pierre, you had an interesting conversation with Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf before the season about the organization's rebuilding process, but he said the team will work to win and not settle for mediocrity. All of the so-called basement teams have a similar mindset. Look, these are talented players, the best in the world, and in a salary-cap era any team should be able to win. Standings don't mean anything anymore. Every team's goal is to earn a postseason berth because anything can happen in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yes, parity is alive and well in the NHL and it makes for some interesting hockey.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

• When Dallas Stars goalie Antti Niemi took the ice for warmups Tuesday night in Buffalo, his name was misspelled on the back of his sweater. The mistake was fixed in time for the game, which the Stars won 3-1.

• Los Angeles Kings goaltending prospect Patrik Bartosak waived arraignment on 12 domestic violence charges, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

• The All-Star Game is getting a format overhaul, which is not a bad thing. The league is going kooky over the 3-on-3, apparently.