Where has the parity gone...?

The parity is still there. I mean just look at the Standings. I mean the season is in the last week and there were still teams alive. Before the lockout it was the same teams making the playoffs and 1-7 was locked up like 2 weeks before the season ended and like one or two teams fighting for the 8 seed. The teams you mentioned just don't have what it takes, they don't have enough talent to get it done.