from Bob McKenzie of TSN,

The Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, with a side dish of Los Angeles Kings, dominated TSN’s annual All-Star Break NHL Head Coaches’ Poll.

Twenty seven of 30 head coaches participated in the poll, voting on a series of questions ranging from who will advance to the Stanley Cup final to who will win the Cup to who deserves mid-season honours for best player, goalie, defenceman, rookie and top coach. The poll was conducted over a three-day period (Jan. 23-25) and the only restriction was that coaches could not vote for their own team or players.

The NHL-leading Capitals and defending Stanley Cup-champion Blackhawks – whose recent hot streak has them atop the Western Conference – won every category but one, which went to a King.

Here are the results of the poll:

Projected Stanley Cup Finalists

EAST: Washington 25 votes; Tampa Bay 2 votes

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