Steven Stamkos
My version of the NHL’s “Power Rankings” to start the 2014-2015 Season: Continue reading
NHL Rankings – October
Category Archives: NHL Season Preview
The NHL-30 (October)
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My version of Scott Cullen’s TSN “Power Rankings”. I was inspired to do this after disagreeing intensely with some of his picks (Washington 6th, Buffalo 7th, Minnesota 27th). Like Cullen’s item, it isn’t meant to indicate the top team in the standings, but rather the team(s) I feel are most equipped to make a serious playoff run. (Although the two will naturally tend to overlap). Here’s the first installment of what will become a monthly item. Continue reading
Can We Play in YOUR Division?
The Florida Panthers last post-season appearance was shortly after Y2K. Yeah.
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There was a time when the South-East division was the weakest in the league. Florida and Atlanta were laughing stocks, Tampa Bay had some rough stretches, while Carolina and Washington were the best of a bad lot. Then Washington took a big step forward, and started cleaning up in the standings, finishing 4th in the league in ’08-’09, first overall in ’09-’10 and 2nd overall last season. But despite a series of impressive regular season performances, post-season success proved elusive.
The Vancouver Canucks were thoroughly dominant during the 2010-2011 regular season. They scored the most goals in the league (262) and also allowed the fewest (185) for a staggering +77 goal differential, capturing the President’s Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team. Unlike Washington, they made a strong playoff run, coming one game away from winning the Stanley Cup. But they also came inches away from losing to 8th place Chicago in the first round (Patrick Sharp nearly converted on the powerplay, mere minutes into OT of game 7), and struggled at times against a far less talented Nashville team. The finals loss to Boston can be blamed in large part on injuries, but what happened in the first two rounds? Continue reading
What Line Does So-and-So Play On?
***UPDATED OCTOBER 14***
Complete NHL line-ups updated on a weekly basis
Confirmed Line-Up’s
Winnipeg
(LW-C-RW)
Ladd-Little-Wheeler
MacLean-Burmistrov-Antropov
Kane-Scheifele-Wellwood
Glass-Slater-Thorburn
IR: Fehr Continue reading
2012 NHL Standings Forecast
Standings forecast on a divisional basis
Might want to check out the FULL SEASON PREVIEW first, but here’s a plain old forecast of the NHL’s 2011-2012 regular season standings:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1WASHINGTON CAPITALS
2BUFFALO SABRES
3PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
4BOSTON BRUINS
5PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
6TAMPA BAY LIGHTING
7NEW YORK RANGERS
8NEW JERSEY DEVILS
9MONTREAL CANADIANS
10TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
11CAROLINA HURRICANES
12WINNIPEG JETS
13OTTAWA SENATORS
14FLORIDA PANTHERS
15NEW YORK ISLANDERS
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1LOS ANGELES KINGS
2VANCOUVER CANUCKS
3CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
4SAN JOSE SHARKS
5DETROIT RED WINGS
6MINNESOTA WILD
7ANAHEIM DUCKS
8ST. LOUIS BLUES
9CALGARY FLAMES
10NASHVILLE PREDATORS
11COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
12DALLAS STARS
13PHOENIX COYOTES
14EDMONTON OILERS
15COLORADO AVALANCHE
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For a bit of playoff intrigue, check out THE CONTENDERS SERIES, chronicling:
2012 NHL Preview: Western Conference Contenders
SJ's summer catch, Brent Burns
See the following for a comprehensive NHL Season Preview
Yesterday I previewed the top teams in the Eastern Conference. It was not only a long and impressive list, but filled with uncertainty due Sidney Crosby’s injury, the roster overhaul in Philadelphia, and the potential of up-and-coming clubs in Buffalo and New York. Overall, the Western Conference wasn’t quite as tumultuous over the off-season, but there was significant movement from two of the top five teams. Continue reading
2012 NHL Season Preview: Eastern Conference
Washington's FA steal: Tomas Vokoun
Relevant links:
Comprehensive NHL Season Preview
Western Conference Contenders Preview
There are a number of good teams in the NHL today; in fact, there are so many that you’ll often hear analysts say that you can’t rule anyone out. Once the playoffs begin, anything can happen. They point to Philadelphia’s 2010 run to the finals and Edmonton’s in 2006 (both from 8th place), as evidence that the road to NHL glory is sudden and unpredictable.
But with the exception of 2006 (unpredictable after a year’s layoff), that’s not true. Each year, there are a handful of teams – perhaps as few as 4 – with true cup potential. I can’t tell you with any certainty which of them will win the Stanley Cup, but I’m confident that I can narrow it down to a handful of eligible candidates. They are The Contenders. Continue reading
2012 NHL Season Preview
Drew “Norris T” Doughty
Other previews:
The NHL regular season is still over a month away, but rosters are all but solidified. Sure there’ll be the usual competition between 20-somethings and NHL vets for a few spots at the end of the lineup, but each team’s key players are in place (ironically, excepting Drew Doughty). That means the business of predictions can begin. But first, here are some important notes on injuries.
Injuries
The single biggest reason that hockey isn’t played on paper is the potential for injuries. Last year I thought the St. Louis Blues would be the new Chicago Blackhawks. They had a young core of talented forwards like T.J Oshie, David Perron, Patrik Berglund, and David Backes, supplemented by veterans like Andy McDonald and Brad Boyes. They had just added Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak – fresh off a dominant playoff performance where he took the underdog Habs to the Conference Finals. Throw in a solid defence anchored by vets like Eric Brewer and Barrett Jackman, and the Blues looked poised to finish near the top-third of the Western Conference. They came busting out of the gates, cruising to a 9-1-2 record, but then it all came crashing down. Continue reading
NHL Season Preview ’11-’12: The Toronto Maple Leafs
This is the first in a series of articles that breaks down all 30 NHL teams. I thought it best to start with Canadian teams, and no team provokes stronger reactions – on both sides of the ledger – than the Toronto Maple Leafs.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Despite the infamous and debilitating Kessel trade of 2009, the Leafs organization is stronger than it’s been at any other time since the lockout. They have a decent group of forwards with a bit more offensive punch than in recent years; they have a nice blend of size and skill on the back end; and they have two decent goalies. But the biggest difference is their prospect pool. Continue reading