NHL Eastern Conference Preview

The NHL season is underway and it’s time to get more fans to follow the sport.  I hope to add at least one more fan to the sport, because if you give hockey a chance, I promise you will love it.  So, to start off the previews, here is the Eastern Conference.

Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils:  There weren’t many that predicted the Devils would have a very good season last year, yet they finished with 107 points in one of the most competitive divisions.  This year, they lose key defenseman Brian Rafalski and one of the better centers in the league, Scott Gomez.  The Devils GM was quick to fill those spots, signing D-man Vitaly Visnevski and Dainius Zubrus on offense.  With that said, I don’t think the Devils will be anywhere near as good as last year.  I predict they will finish third in the division, but barely sneak into the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins:  Sidney Crosby.  Sidney Crosby.  That will be all you hear for the next 15 years or more.  Until Crosby performs in the playoffs, I will not be on that bandwagon.  Opposing teams can shut down Crosby all they want, but they also have to be aware of Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal.  There is too much young firepower on this team for them to not finish first in the division.

New York Rangers:  Speaking of firepower, the Rangers went on a shopping spree signing centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.  They also retain Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan, and Martin Straka.  The only problem with this team is the chemistry.  It will be interesting to see how that develops and because of that I will put them second in the division, just behind Pittsburgh.

New York Islanders:  It’s hard to see a team who loses Jason Blake, Alexei Yashin, and Ryan Smyth, making any noise this season.  Their GM did his best to refill the roster with players such as Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie.  There are just too many questions going on with this team to have them anywhere near the top.

Philadelphia Flyers:  This is probably the most intriguing team to watch this season.  After finishing dead last in the NHL last season, they too got a gift certificate for Christmas.  The Flyers went out and signed the likes of Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul.  Of course, like the Rangers you have to look at the chemistry.  I just have a feeling the Flyers will do really well this season and make the playoffs, and perhaps make some noise.

Northeast Division

Buffalo Sabres:  The Sabres came close to losing Thomas Vanek in the offseason, which probably would have killed their season.  With him locked up, the Sabres have a chance, even while losing Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.  The goalie, Ryan Miller, will once again have a great season pushing Buffalo into the playoffs as a six seed.

Boston Bruins:  I am going to be honest here – I have no clue about what to think of the Bruins.  With skaters like Marco Sturm, Patrice Bergeron and Marc Savard, one would think they would be good.  The biggest question and probably most important, is the goalie.  Will Manny Fernandez start or Tim Thomas?  I can’t see Boston in the playoffs but if they do make it, it would be as an 8 seed.

Montreal Canadiens:  This team has the potential to be a dark horse this season.  They barely missed the playoffs last season and lost a lot of talent during the offseason.  Even with all of the goaltending questions, I still believe they can surprise a lot of people. I look for newly acquired Bryan Smolinski to have an excellent season keep Montreal in the thick of the playoff race.

Ottawa Senators:  The defending Eastern Conference champions were disposed of easily in the Stanley Cup finals by the Anaheim Ducks.  This year, they basically return the same core of players as last year.  Because of that, I look for them to continue to be near the top of the conference.  The only burning question would be how their new coach fairs.

Toronto Maple Leafs:  This is a team that should be feared.  They only missed the playoffs thanks to a lucky Islanders win on the last day of the season.  The scapegoat was goalie Andrew Raycroft.  The GM quickly addressed that issue trading for Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala.  Toskala is the real deal folks and he will propel the team to a fourth place conference finish and they will go deep in the playoffs.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Thrashers:  Boy, you get in the playoffs for the first time, the fans are excited, the players are excited, and you get swept by the Rangers.  Tough luck for Atlanta fans.  Luckily, this division is probably the worst in the league, and because of that I have Atlanta finishing first again.  However, it’s all on goalie Kari Lehtonen, which may or may not be a good thing.

Carolina Hurricanes:  A year ago, the Hurricanes were high on life after winning the Stanley Cup.  Then, the season started and ended with the Hurricanes silently bowing down and not making the playoffs.  It looks like more of the same this year unless center  Eric Staal and goalie Cam Ward can have spectacular years.

Florida Panthers:  Plain and simple:  this is not a very good team.  Florida’s only hope of doing anything is for recently signed goalie Tomas Vokoun to prove his worth.  If he struggles, Florida can say hello to the basement of the NHL.

Tampa Bay Lightning:  Here’s another team that’s stuck in neutral.  They can sign Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis forever, but until they get a proven goalie again and some supporting players they’re going nowhere.  They will contend in a bad division, but miss the playoffs by a few points.

Washington Capitals:  I like the direction this team is headed in.  Maybe it’s just because I like Alexander Ovechkin, but they can be good.  Alexander Semin came on last season to be another scoring threat that the Capitals desperately needed.  After the signing of players Viktor Kozlov and Michael Nylander, the team looks like a legitimate contender.  If the chemistry comes together and goalie Olaf Kolzig puts in a solid year, they will be in the thick of things come playoff time.  I don’t have them in the playoffs but it would not be a surprise to see them knock out a team like New Jersey to take the 8th playoff spot.