NHL Hockey!

[Habber]

It's been awhile since we've had any discussion on hockey guys, so I thought I'd give it a jumpstart with some very very early predictions for the upcoming season. This is the glory time for all teams because everyone thinks that maybe this year is the year they can make the playoffs/win that first round/go all the way to win the cup. It's full of hope and all that jazz, so I figured I'd better start ranking the shitty teams before their fans start giving me arguments as to why they'll be good this year. (I'll be ranking Montreal much higher because they have a good young group who's growing together and stellar depth and skill in goaltending; there's my plug, haha)

EAST:

1. Pittsburgh

2. Ottawa

3. Tampa Bay

4. New York Rangers

5. Montreal

6. Buffalo

7. Atlanta

8. Toronto

9. New Jersey

10. Carolina

11. Florida

12. Philadelphia

13. Washington

14. Boston

15. New York Islanders

West (with less bias!)

1. Detroit

2. San Jose

3. Colorado

4. Anaheim

5. Vancouver

6. Minnesota

7. Calgary

8. St. Loius

9. Nashville

10. Dallas

11. Los Angeles

12. Chicago

13. Edmonton

14. Columbus

15. Phoenix.

Feel free to chip away and post your own. I'm so happy hockey is back. CFL only fills my sports needs so much.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

Why is Buffalo even ranked that high when they lost their "beef"? And while Toronto claims that they are going to get to the playoffs this year, that does not mean that they will with what they have.

ETA: And thank you for this Hockey thread, although the h in Hockey should be capitalized in the topic title.

[Habber]

Why is Buffalo even ranked that high when they lost their "beef"? And while Toronto claims that they are going to get to the playoffs this year, that does not mean that they will with what they have.

Short answer is Miller and new goaltending depth for the leafs. Their weak point last year was Raycroft. Some healthy competition will move them up one place this year. Buffalo still has a lot of young guys that can play. They used to roll all 4 lines but now they will stick more with their top two. Derek Roy isn't a number 1 center but Vanek will make up for it by lighting it up on the wing.

ETA: Yup, Big H is needed.

[Caligula_K]

I hear that Montreal is going to play so well that all other teams will explode and they'll win the Stanley Cup by default.

Oh, and that Toronto will suck... a lot.

[BLU-RAY]

Let's see...

EAST:

1. Ottawa

2. Pittsburgh

3. Tampa Bay

4. New York Rangers

5. Atlanta

6. Toronto

7. New Jersey

8. Montreal

WEST:

really tough to rank the West without knowing if Neidermeyer and Selanne are coming back. Assuming they're not:

1. Detroit

2. San Jose

3. Colorado

4. Vancouver

5. Anaheim

6. Calgary

7. Minnesota

8. Chicago

If Neidermeyer and Selanne come back, Ducks are 1st in the conference.

[Demonblade]

It's waaaaay too early for me to speculate as to the rankings, but what I am definitely sure of is that Pittsburgh is not going to win the East. That's still Ottawa's to lose, and tho the Pens will have improved from last year, this is still essentially the team that was utterly schooled last playoffs. I wouldn't be surprised if Buffalo doesn't even make the playoffs, and while the Leafs fan in me believes that they will make the playoffs, my head's telling me that the Islanders will make the playoffs before the Leafs do. I don't see both teams making the playoffs.

As for the West, even with the loss of Niedermayer and Selanne, I still think that Anaheim takes 1st place. St. Louis might steal Minnesota's final playoff spot and the downward spiral of the Oilers shall continue, methinks.

CFL only fills my sports needs so much.

Musta been humiliating to see the Riders get their arses handed to them last Sunday, huh? I'm thinking Grey Cup preview, those last two games.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

NHL Team Prediction: The Bruins will continue to inexplicably suck and unable to get themselves out of the whole which they have been in for at least the past two seasons.

[Habber]

...

Musta been humiliating to see the Riders get their arses handed to them last Sunday, huh? I'm thinking Grey Cup preview, those last two games.

Pittsburg surprised me last year by doing great. I'm not going to get tricked again.

And it wasn't as humiliating as some of the Rider fans who drove to Winnipeg to watch. I was entertaining the notion. Glad I didn't. Would have been a long sobering drive home. And yes, we'll see you in the Cup.

[TheHoundRules]

Looks like the Rangers and the Islanders are ready for the season to start. That preseason game got quite ugly last night. Everyone wanted to fight. It is good to have hockey back.

Going to see the Thrashers and Predators tonight. Looking forward to seeing how are young players do who are trying to make the team.

[VikingBeard]

I wouldn't say Raycroft was their weak point last year. I would say it's their lack of good defense. Can't blame Razor for letting some goals in when he's facing around 30 shots a game.

[Week]

NHL Team Prediction: The Bruins will continue to inexplicably suck and unable to get themselves out of the whole which they have been in for at least the past two seasons.

I will never watch the NHL again until Jeremy Jacobs has been buried face down in a steaming pile of excrement.

[BlueRose]

yay, a hockey thread! I'm glad this board has SOME hockey fans

I'm a Canucks fan

it's going to be an interesting year, I cant wait for the real season to start.

[Lord O' Bones]

yay, a hockey thread! I'm glad this board has SOME hockey fans

I'm a Canucks fan

it's going to be an interesting year, I cant wait for the real season to start.

Did you catch any of the 'Nucks/ Sharks game this Saturday? Apparently the players can't wait either. And neither can I.

[Caliban]

Red Rising.

[Lord O' Bones]

Red Rising.

Uh... What?

[BLU-RAY]

Uh... What?

Is he blathering about the Blackhawks?

Anyway, LoB, dyou know of any area bars that show hockey games? I don't know if I'm interested in paying for cable or not, but I also don't know how much hockeylessness I can endure.

[Lord O' Bones]

Is he blathering about the Blackhawks?

Could be. Maybe they'll sign Rex Grossman and return to the ranks of the NHL elite.

Anyway, LoB, dyou know of any area bars that show hockey games? I don't know if I'm interested in paying for cable or not, but I also don't know how much hockeylessness I can endure.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of The Boardwalk on El Camino in Los Altos? or thereabouts. They have one big screen TV and a few other TV's showing various sports. They will occasionally be showing a crappy Giants game on the big screen over say an Ottawa/Rangers game, but oh well. They sell burgers and sandwiches and pizza and the like too. I'll keep my eye out for any others.

[BlueRose]

Did you catch any of the 'Nucks/ Sharks game this Saturday? Apparently the players can't wait either. And neither can I.

Yeah! It was a good game. I went to the Nucks preseason game against the Oilers and the Canucks won with 2.7 seconds left! Talk about a good way to get pumped for the seaon

Now if they can just stay/get healthy....

[Biter]

When there's a line brawl where the goalies (

) get involved in the preseason, you know there's a serious rivalry. I didn't expect any less from the Isles or the Rangers.

Also, let's go Sharks! A lot of people are predicting that they do well, I just hope they don't get jinxed.

And why do you predict the Avs to win their division and finish third in their conference? Sure, they've got Smyth and Hannan now and they are in a relatively easy division, but what about their goalies? Neither Budaj nor Theodore has played that impressive lately.

[BLU-RAY]

When there's a line brawl where the goalies (

) get involved in the preseason, you know there's a serious rivalry. I didn't expect any less from the Isles or the Rangers.

Also, let's go Sharks! A lot of people are predicting that they do well, I just hope they don't get jinxed.

And why do you predict the Avs to win their division and finish third in their conference? Sure, they've got Smyth and Hannan now and they are in a relatively easy division, but what about their goalies? Neither Budaj nor Theodore has played that impressive lately.

Their goaltending isn't so hot. But their offense looks like it should be stellar, and Vancouver's offense looks kinda anemic. Also, I think Anaheim will have somewhat of a post-Cup hangover, and they'll have all the Selanne/Neidermeyer distractions to cope with, and Dallas is old and finished.

Vancouver could pretty easily take that division also, though.