Predict the Standings!

And the Western Conference not as bad, but still not great;

Central Divison

1. Detroit - The Red Wings are rolling with the team they had last year, plus Jiri Hudler, and should win the division if they stay healthy.

2. Chicago - The Blackhawks lost a lot of depth, but their Fantastic Four - Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook - are still, well, fantastic.

3. Nashville - As usual, the Predators couldn't afford to keep some key players, but they're the Minnesota Twins of the NHL and can't be counted out.

4. St. Louis - The Blues made the boldest offseason deal in the division, trading for playoff star Jaroslav Halak in a move that makes sense for now and later.

5. Columbus - The Blue Jackets suffered last season due in large measure to goalie Steve Mason's sophomore slump. Their season is tied to how he bounces back.

Northwest Divison

1. Vancouver - Knocking on the door for a decade, this could be the year a deep, high-scoring Canucks team breaks through in the playoffs.

2. Calgary - Years of managerial neglect will take a greater toll on the Flames, who didnt' address their lineup needs in the offseason and have relied for too long on Jarome Iginla and Miika Kiprusoff.

3. Colorado - Real deal or one-year wonders? The baby-faced Avalanche will answer that question this season after surprising everyone - including themselves - a year ago.

4. Edmonton - After hitting rock bottom, the Oilers begin the long climb back toward the Stanley Cup. With No. 1 Overall pick Taylor Hall and other potential young stars, they could get there eventually.

5. Minnesota - This franchise it trying to win, but a lack of talent and flexibility under the salary cap make that difficult. The Wild will take baby steps this season.


Pacific Division

1. San Jose - The Sharks will look to build upon some overdue postseason success without longtime goalie Evgeni Nabokov. But look for his free-agent replacement, Antero Niitymaki, and a talented core roster to position San Jose for a serious run at the Stanley Cup.

2. L.A. - How does 20-year-old defenseman Drew Doughty improve upon being a Norris Trophy finalist in just his second NHL season? By continuing to move the Kings upward among the NHL elite.

3. Anaheim - Filling the void left by the retirement of star defenseman Scott Niedermayer will be a difficult task. Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will get the Ducks on the scoreboard, but skating a makeshift defense could be a tough way to keep the opposition under control.

4. Phoenix - No NHL team was able to better its fortunes more than the Coyotes last season - but they won't be able to sneak up on anyone this year.

5. Dallas - The Stars will look to return to playoff form without longtime producers Mike Modano and Marty Turco. That means center Brad Richards needs to have another outstanding season.

rooneypoo wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:Try this one on for size - the fantastically wonderful magazine The Sporting News (based out of Charlotte N.C. ) have predicted the standings as followed...well, they didn't really predict the standings but they predicted by Division ...so who knows what they're final standings would be in the East and West. We can get somewhat of an idea anyway...

I will post them by Conference and then I will predict my own afterwards;

Anyway, one of these in particular is really good for a laugh;

Atlantic Divison

1. Pittsnerd
2. Philly
3. Jersey
4. Rangers
5. Islanders

Northeast

1. Boston
2. Barfallo
3. Ole Ole
4. Maple Laughs
5. Sens


Southeast

1. Washington
2. Tampa
3. Carolina
4. Atlanta
5. Florida

Honestly, with the obvious exception of the Sens placement, which will probably be 2nd in the division if you ask me, that looks pretty good to me.

Man, I still don't understand the media hate-on for this (relatively speaking) new organization from a rather smallish, quiet town. Seriously, is it because we make the Laffs look so bad? Come on!

It's not too bad, but the Northeast is a mess. I don't know what they were smoking when they did that one. The rest looks okayish yes. I do however, think that Philly might finish above Pittsburgh, but that's just me. We shall see!

PKC wrote:Did they provide any analysis for the basis of their predictions?

Oops, you're right they did. I will post them.

SensGirl11 wrote:And the Western Conference not as bad, but still not great;

Central Divison

1. Detroit
2. Chicago
3. Nashville
4. St. Louis
5. Columbus

Northwest Divison

1. Vancouver
2. Calgary
3. Colorado
4. Edmonton
5. Minnesota

Pacific Division

1. San Jose
2. L.A.
3. Anaheim
4. Phoenix
5. Dallas

Again, not too shabby.

My changes:

--St. Louis moves ahead of Nashville. I think STL this year will be like LA last year (that is, a big surprise, and will earn a playoff berth).
--MIN moves ahead of EDM, put it's a close race to the bottom. COL could pass CGY, but that's one's a toss up in my mind.
--PHX definitely finishes ahead of ANA.

I added their little write-up to my previous post for the East. I will now do the West.

Both have been updated.

Yeah, Anaheim ahead of Phoenix is cute. And the Sens in 5th in the NE is absolutely ridiculous.

2. Barfallo - It's 40 years and counting for Sabres fans waiting for their first parade. To get there, Ryan Miller will need to carry a team that lost two key defensemen to free agency.


5. Sens - With Sergei Gonchar now manning the point in the Canadian Capital, the Senators' power play could flourish. But is Brian Elliott the answer between the pipes?

LMAO! I like how they ranked buffalo at number two while basically saying that ryan miller needs to carry his team again after losing two key d-men. and seriously....wasn't brian elliott the answer last season?

i'm loving the ignorance!

I don't know...I think it's going to be close for Detroit and Chicago, but I'd put Chicago ahead of them.

Michallica wrote:2. Barfallo - It's 40 years and counting for Sabres fans waiting for their first parade. To get there, Ryan Miller will need to carry a team that lost two key defensemen to free agency.


5. Sens - With Sergei Gonchar now manning the point in the Canadian Capital, the Senators' power play could flourish. But is Brian Elliott the answer between the pipes?

LMAO! I like how they ranked buffalo at number two while basically saying that ryan miller needs to carry his team again after losing two key d-men. and seriously....wasn't brian elliott the answer last season?

i'm loving the ignorance!

I know, it's absolutely ridiculous and their write-up didn't make it make any more sense either. It basically contradicted their standings. Very odd stuff. And, they seem to ignore the fact that we have Pascal as well...sure he didn't play much last year, but that would be enough to add him in there seeing if he can have a bounce-back year and earn his pay this year while fighting for a contract next season. Odd.

I propose we have some sort of pool setup to determine whose predictions officially came closest....thoughts?

SensGirl11 wrote:

Michallica wrote:2. Barfallo - It's 40 years and counting for Sabres fans waiting for their first parade. To get there, Ryan Miller will need to carry a team that lost two key defensemen to free agency.


5. Sens - With Sergei Gonchar now manning the point in the Canadian Capital, the Senators' power play could flourish. But is Brian Elliott the answer between the pipes?

LMAO! I like how they ranked buffalo at number two while basically saying that ryan miller needs to carry his team again after losing two key d-men. and seriously....wasn't brian elliott the answer last season?

i'm loving the ignorance!

I know, it's absolutely ridiculous and their write-up didn't make it make any more sense either. It basically contradicted their standings. Very odd stuff. And, they seem to ignore the fact that we have Pascal as well...sure he didn't play much last year, but that would be enough to add him in there seeing if he can have a bounce-back year and earn his pay this year while fighting for a contract next season. Odd.

Simple logic would lead people to believe that since they made the playoffs last season, at the 5th position no less, with Brian Elliott leading the way with 29 wins, that they can do it again with him. Fine, make them a bubble team, but to make them LAST FRIGGIN' PLACE in the division.....

I had a good laugh at this

Michallica wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:

Michallica wrote:2. Barfallo - It's 40 years and counting for Sabres fans waiting for their first parade. To get there, Ryan Miller will need to carry a team that lost two key defensemen to free agency.


5. Sens - With Sergei Gonchar now manning the point in the Canadian Capital, the Senators' power play could flourish. But is Brian Elliott the answer between the pipes?

LMAO! I like how they ranked buffalo at number two while basically saying that ryan miller needs to carry his team again after losing two key d-men. and seriously....wasn't brian elliott the answer last season?

i'm loving the ignorance!

I know, it's absolutely ridiculous and their write-up didn't make it make any more sense either. It basically contradicted their standings. Very odd stuff. And, they seem to ignore the fact that we have Pascal as well...sure he didn't play much last year, but that would be enough to add him in there seeing if he can have a bounce-back year and earn his pay this year while fighting for a contract next season. Odd.

Simple logic would lead people to believe that since they made the playoffs last season, at the 5th position no less, with Brian Elliott leading the way with 29 wins, that they can do it again with him. Fine, make them a bubble team, but to make them LAST FRIGGIN' PLACE in the division.....

I had a good laugh at this

Oh yeah, very good laugh for sure. I couldn't believe my eyes. But, I don't mind people thinking we suck and that we're not going to make it. It makes it that much more fun when we do.

Now for my EAST predictions;



1. Washington - I struggled mightily between them and Philly, but I have to go with them as they have been so sorely beaten in the playoffs these last 2 seasons that the hunger must be unbearable for them. If AO stays healthy, which is proving to be difficult for him with his borderline wreckless playing, then I see no problem for them finishing 1st overall in the East. The questions that remain for them are Goaltending and Defense. They can outscore any team though, so goaltending becomes less of an issue, until of course, they make it to the playoffs. Things need to change in their regular season to playoff thinking if they want to make it further. They threw a lot of shots at Halak in the playoffs last year, but they failed to get traffic in front of the net, which in turn, led to their early exit.

2. Philadelphia - This team is one of the most stacked teams in the East. They have offense coming from everywhere. The issue here is whether Carter, Briere and Gagne can stay healthy. Pronger will miss some time here, which could hurt them a bit to start the season, but I do believe that Timonen will be able to hold the fort until he comes back. Can Leighton do it again? That's another question, but he proved what he could do last year when it mattered most, and got them all the way to the Finals.

3. Boston Bruins - This Bruins team has been promising for the past 3 seasons, but I think their stock has fallen a little bit due to inconsistency and lack of scoring. If Seguin and Horton can make an impression and provide the missing offense, they could very well finish 2nd place, but I still prefer Philly's defense to theirs. Savard's constant injuries don't help matters for them either, and the fact that Lucic has not fully achieved what has been expected of him isn't helping either.

4. Pittsburgh - People might think I'm crazy for putting them down so low, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not a fan of their defense at all. The puck-moving defensemen is what's missing here, they made great acquisitions in Michalek and Martin, but I'm not sure they'll be able to or are even expected to fill the void left by Gonchar. Crosby and Malkin will most certainly notice his absence, and I'm not sure how long it will take them to get used to their D and their inability to move the puck up the ice effectively. They're lucky to have Letang and Goligoski though, that should help them somewhat. Wingers? I couldn't even name them for you...I'm not sure how it's going to work out for them. Time will tell of course, when you have a guy like Crosby and Malkin on your team, anything is possible. Still, I put them 4th.

5. Ottawa - Biased? Maybe a little. But seriously, with the addition of Gonchar and Karlsson entering his 2nd season I can see some bright things in the future for the Sens. I believe they'll be a very tough, balanced team all year and will give any team a run for their money. If Kuba, Michalek, Spezza, Alfie, Fisher, Kovalev and Leclaire can stay healthy, especially when we get closer to the playoffs, I think we could be in for a very fun, heart-stopping season. I also expect them to fight for Number 1 in the Northeast all season. It will be quite the battle.

6. New Jersey - Wow, this team seems to be a mess to me right now. So much drama surrounding them after the whole Kovalchuk debacle. Now, they've lost money and draft picks for their future. They have a good forward corps - or great even - in Parise, Langenbrunner, Kovalchuk, Rolston, Elias and Zajac. But the problem here lies in their puck-moving ability from the blueline. They have Andy Greene, that's it that's all, with his 37 points last season. They better hope he can do more than that, otherwise, having those snipers on the top line might not do much for them if they can't get the puck. Us Sens fans know how that feels. On top of that, they have Martin Brodeur between the pipes, awesome goalie of course, but 38 years old. He's getting up there and their still playing him 70+ games a season. They have not learned over the past 5 years that it's just not going to work anymore. He's so tired by the time they get to the playoffs, he starts to play like a mediocre goalie, which is not what they need. The additions of Tallinder and Volchenkov will help take some of the pressure off of him, but they need to make a decision and start playing their backup a little more to ensure Brodeur is ready for the post-season.

It gets much tougher from here...

7. Buffalo - This is tough, I think there might be a chance that they don't make it at all this year, but I will put them into the 7th spot, because they have Miller...is that reason enough? It was last year, so why not...aside from him though, they don't have much. They have Derek Roy who's a solid consistent producer, Tim Connolly who's awesome when he's healthy, which is very rare lately. He can still manage a PPG though. Pominville, consistent and dependable. Vanek, had an offseason last year, will need to get back to form if they want to make it in. The big problem I see here for them this season is the lack of D. Myers, Rivet and Leopold are good in the puck moving department, but I'm not sure where their defense will come from. This team has gotten weaker from last season, IMO. There's only so much Miller can do for this team.

8. This is anyone's spot really, between the following; Atlanta, Tampa, Montreal and maybe the Rangers. Aside from them though...I don't see anyone else making a push for this spot except for maybe Carolina. They're one of those teams that can surprise at any moment. That being said...I guess I'll go with the young Atlanta team that have been chomping at the bit to make it to the playoffs and make an impact. So, Atlanta it is for spot 8...I kinda have a hard time not putting Tampa in here, but I'm not sure they're quite there yet, even with the likes of Lecavalier, Stamkos and St. Louis. The new coach might give them that extra push needed, but I have yet to be convinced.

Now for the rest...

9. Carolina - I think they'll either just make it or just miss. Staal needs to get back on the right track and lead the charge. This could be the year he wakes from his slumber.

10. Tampa Bay - that's the one I was missing...hehe. I'll write a reason later...gotta go soon.

11. Bah...this one's hard. Rangers? Yeah...I guess I'll go with the Rangers...I guess. Lundqvist and Gaborik anyone? That's pretty much the only reason, their D sucks donkey...don't know how they'll get through that...they could finish as low as 13th really...

12. Montreal - I think the loss of their playoff hero will have an effect on them, I'm not convinced that Price has what it takes to shake it off when the going gets tough. He needs to mature some more this season and keep his cool, otherwise it could be a disaster. I truly believe this team overachieved last season and Halak and Cammalleri were the heroes for them in the post-season. I think it could be a miss year for them...but again, we'll see.

13. Toronto
14. Islanders
15. Panthers

Ok...I messed something up there...why do I only have 14 teams?

I think the potential 5-10 teams are definitely hard to predict, but I like the Thrashers team as it's assembled now - and I think they have much better goaltending in Mason and Pavelec (sp) than TB does in Ellis/Smith. Forwards should be TB, D is Atlanta IMO with Bogo spearheading a nice group.

Gonna be a dogfight - and I'm not naive enough to think the Sens will waltz easily into a playoff spot - although I truly believe they will make it.

East:
1. Boston
2. Washington
3. New Jersey
4. Pittsburgh
5. Ottawa
6. Buffalo
7. New York
8. Atlanta

West:
1. Vancouver
2. San Jose
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
5. Calgary
6. Colorado
7. Nashville
8. Anaheim

1. Washington
2. New Jersey
3. Boston
4. Pittsburgh
5. Philly
6. Ottawa
7. New York
8. Atlanta

Ok, so I have Ottawa lower than alot of you guys. But I think some people have things to prove. Although like I said before, IF Kovalev can be healthy and fight for a contract, Spezza and LeClaire can continue how they ended last season, if some of the younger guys can work hard (Foligno, Regin, Karlsson) and improve on last years numbers we will be a KILLER team. But those are too many ifs to make me put Sens THAT high right now.

One thing going for the sens, IMO, is the way the players work together and the lack of drama going on. The team last year may have gotten worse on paper with the loss of Heatley, but they lost the drama, and ALL played as a team, really working hard, and I am loving the work ethic of the players we have. If they can all work and be to the best of their ability, we could have a kick Donkey team!