I'm not sure whether it's a good idea or a bad idea to put all my ramblings about hockey here. On the one hand, it means that people who don't care don't have to read it in my blog. On the other hand, it means I'll have one less thing to talk about in my blog. Oh well, let's go for it. At least here I don't have to worry that I'm talking about hockey too much.
I figured I'd start by running down my opinions of the various divisions and teams before the season starts. Don't be shy about chiming in with your own opinions, too.
Today, I give you the Atlantic Division. This is one of the stronger divisions in the NHL, due in large part to the fact that there are so many bad teams in the East, mostly clustered in the other two divisions. Just being decent is good enough to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and there are four decent teams in this division.
New Jersey Devils - I think the Devils are on the decline, shedding parts and lagging behind the Penguins. But Martin Brodeur always keeps them competitive. I think they'll be on the happy side of middle-of-the-road this year, but as I said, there are so many awful teams in the East that even middle-of-the-road means a decent playoff spot. I'm thinking they'll probably be the 5 seed, maybe 4.
New York Islanders - The best thing for this team would be to suck, which isn't exactly hard for them. They need some more great draft picks to help their on-ice product. Off the ice, their sucking might help destroy their fanbase, which in turn might help nudge them into a new city with a new arena, both of which they desperately need. So let's hope the Islanders are terrible. Of course, there are a bunch of Eastern teams who'll also be terrible, plus Phoenix and Colorado, so it'll be quite a fight for the top of the lottery.
New York Rangers - The Rangers are, like New Jersey, a middle-of-the-road Eastern team, which means playoffs. But they're not as good as the Devils, and they don't have Brodeur, so I expect them to finish somewhere around 6 or 7.
Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers should be good enough for the playoffs, but they do have the potential to be an utter train wreck, too. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they finish as the 4 seed. Failing that, they'll probably be 5th, but either way means meeting New Jersey in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins - Obviously the most powerful team in the division, and one of the elite teams in the league; I consider them a top contender for the Stanley Cup. One thing they haven't done since their Crosby-fueled rebirth is win the President's Trophy, so I say they'll do it this year. Do they win the Stanley Cup again? I wouldn't put it past them, but my official preseason prediction is no.
FINAL ANALYSIS
z-Pittsburgh
x-Philadelphia
x-New Jersey
x-New York Rangers
New York Islanders
Join me next time, when I'll be dissecting the Central Division.
I figured I'd start by running down my opinions of the various divisions and teams before the season starts. Don't be shy about chiming in with your own opinions, too.
Today, I give you the Atlantic Division. This is one of the stronger divisions in the NHL, due in large part to the fact that there are so many bad teams in the East, mostly clustered in the other two divisions. Just being decent is good enough to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and there are four decent teams in this division.
New Jersey Devils - I think the Devils are on the decline, shedding parts and lagging behind the Penguins. But Martin Brodeur always keeps them competitive. I think they'll be on the happy side of middle-of-the-road this year, but as I said, there are so many awful teams in the East that even middle-of-the-road means a decent playoff spot. I'm thinking they'll probably be the 5 seed, maybe 4.
New York Islanders - The best thing for this team would be to suck, which isn't exactly hard for them. They need some more great draft picks to help their on-ice product. Off the ice, their sucking might help destroy their fanbase, which in turn might help nudge them into a new city with a new arena, both of which they desperately need. So let's hope the Islanders are terrible. Of course, there are a bunch of Eastern teams who'll also be terrible, plus Phoenix and Colorado, so it'll be quite a fight for the top of the lottery.
New York Rangers - The Rangers are, like New Jersey, a middle-of-the-road Eastern team, which means playoffs. But they're not as good as the Devils, and they don't have Brodeur, so I expect them to finish somewhere around 6 or 7.
Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers should be good enough for the playoffs, but they do have the potential to be an utter train wreck, too. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they finish as the 4 seed. Failing that, they'll probably be 5th, but either way means meeting New Jersey in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Penguins - Obviously the most powerful team in the division, and one of the elite teams in the league; I consider them a top contender for the Stanley Cup. One thing they haven't done since their Crosby-fueled rebirth is win the President's Trophy, so I say they'll do it this year. Do they win the Stanley Cup again? I wouldn't put it past them, but my official preseason prediction is no.
FINAL ANALYSIS
z-Pittsburgh
x-Philadelphia
x-New Jersey
x-New York Rangers
New York Islanders
Join me next time, when I'll be dissecting the Central Division.