Hope can be a powerful motivation for NHL teams. Or it can be a powerful hallucinogen, with the lure of the playoffs altering best-laid plans. Or it can be a foreign concept for teams that are dwelling in the standings basement as the midpoint of the season nears.
Here are the Stanley Cup hope tiers as they are currently constituted. The projected points and playoff probabilities are through Tuesday's games and provided by Stathletes.
We begin with the highest of hopes:
Tier 1: True Stanley Cup contenders
Boston Bruins
Projected points: 106.