9 NHL Teams Due for a Season-Crippling Cold Streak

The All-Star break is a very interesting time period for teams.

For some, it provides that break and rest needed to make a strong push for the playoffs.

For other teams, it breaks any kind of momentum that they had going and follows the break with a streak of losing that can kill their chances at a birth in the postseason.

Here are some teams that may suffer a season-threatening cold streak after the All-Star break.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are currently sitting in third place in the Western Conference and have been flip-flopping with the San Jose Sharks.

They have had spectacular goaltending from Jonathan Quick all year and will need him to continue his stellar play if there is any hope of the playoffs.

The Kings are loaded with talent, which makes it so much more befuddling when you see that they are the lowest-scoring team in the NHL.

At some point, Quick is going to need some more support.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Leafs are a coin sitting on its edge right now, and it's hard to say which way they are going to go.

It is possible that they could come out of the break the same way that they started the season, lighting the lamp at will and dominating opponents.

It's equally likely that they may finish crashing to earth and lose sight of the teams moving in front of them.

Toronto is right in the thick of things, but they have a tough schedule coming right out of the break, playing a home-and-home with Pittsburgh, followed by the Senators.

If they can pull out wins in these games, that will build momentum and do a lot to push them to the playoffs.

Otherwise, it might be hard to recover fast enough to right the ship.

I hope I'm wrong, but I think Toronto is going to get left behind.

Florida Panthers

Florida is another team that sits dangerously close to the edge.

Florida surprised everybody throughout most of the first half of the season and were helped by the uncharacteristically slow start of the Washington Capitals.

Well, the Capitals seem to have figured things out and are now just one point behind the Panthers in the standings.

The pressure is going to be on the Panthers to keep earning two points each night, which they have struggled to do lately, going 3-4-3 in their last 10 games.

The Panthers also have 10 overtime losses, tying them with the previously mentioned L.A. Kings.

It's good to get a point, but this also means that they haven't been able to get that second one on a consistent basis.

With both conferences extremely competitive, all teams need to get two whenever they can.

Minnesota Wild

Yes, I know Minnesota already went through a streak of absolutely terrible hockey that saw them drop from the top of the entire NHL to where they are now, but they are still in the playoff hunt.

Minnesota will continue to experience growing pains in the first year of head coach Mike Yeo and could slip even further in the standings.

Their 14.4 percent power play isn't helping their cause, either.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado has a lot of positive things going for them right now, and they have climbed up the standings as a result.

The biggest question mark that will remain for the Avalanche is how well they will play within their division for the rest of the season.

Currently, Colorado has only won two games within their division all season long, and the first four games after the break are all within the Northwest Division.

If Colorado is to make a push for the playoffs, they have to pull their record up to at least .500 within their division.

They are playing well though, and they have the return of Matt Duchene to look forward to.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets have played pretty well this year but have struggled of late, going 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.

They are still young and, as a result, tend to be a bit streaky.

When things get rough for this team, they'll get very rough.

Look for the Jets to miss the playoffs this year, but not by much.

Calgary Flames

Calgary is just too inconsistent for their own good.

They start super slow and everybody discounts them, then they get red hot and come back into the picture, and then they fall out of the picture late.

It's a vicious cycle that Calgary won't get out of until they admit that they have to look to the future.

Dallas Stars

Dallas is in the middle of a dangerous streak right now, and their start after the All-Star break will determine if they are a playoff contender or pretender.

The Stars have currently lost five straight games while being outscored by a brutal 13-4 margin.

Dallas will need to find their scoring sticks and their defense and goaltending will need to be much better if they don't want to fall into an even longer streak.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey is currently sitting in the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference and has a tough start to their schedule after the All-Star break.

New Jersey will start off against the Rangers and see the Flyers, Penguins, Blues and Panthers in the first couple weeks of February. All of these teams are towards the top of their respective divisions.

A lot will also depend on what they decide to do with Zach Parise, whom they have still have not signed to a long-term contract.

The time is ticking on having to make a decision on risking losing him for nothing, or trading him and getting something back.

Kevin Goff is a Featured Columnist for the Colorado Avalanche and NHL on Bleacher Report. For more NHL news and discussion,