Six of the top-ten teams in league standings were from the Eastern Conference, and four of those were from the Atlantic Division (Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins).
Out of the four Atlantic teams that missed the playoffs, it's clear that the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators vastly improved, and people have noticed.
According to a fan poll, the Atlantic Division was voted the hardest in the NHL, and it wasn't particularly close either:
