NHL predictions 07/08 (09/24/2007)

Legend:
Means i'm sure the team will make the playoffs and is a very serious Cup contender.
Means the team will make the playoffs and as a shot at the cup.
Means the team won't make the playoffs.

East

Ottawa, Pittsburgh and the Rangers are the top 3 teams.
Toronto, Philadelphia and and maybe Florida are the dark horses.

NorthEast

This should be a cake walk for Ottawa this year. Buffalo will still be OK but no match for the sens.
Toronto could surprise people, i like their additions very much.
I think Montreal is going to tank.

Ottawa: They are basically the same team as last year, with more confidence. I think they will be doing great, especially in this fairly weak division.

Buffalo: Buffalo lost a lot, yet they will still make the playoffs because they still have lots of talent and can beat Toronto, Montreal and Boston 24 times. Yet they won't be a treat in the playoffs, at least not to teams like the penguins or sens.

Toronto: I think Toronto is getting better, and the additions of (Especially)Toskala and Blake will help even further, like last year they will have to fight to the end for a playoff spot, but i think this time they will make it, if they do make the playoffs they are always a dangerous team to play against.

Montreal: I love Huet and their other goalies(Price, Halak), they probably will trade one along the year for a good power forward, either way they just don't have a very competitive team as a whole, and will probably miss the playoffs again, probably by more points than last year.

Boston: I still don't see where Boston is going, but nowhere good in my opinion, won't make the playoffs again.

Atlantic

This is a hard one to figure out here, so many roster changes. I think it's an advantage for Pittsburgh, they will build on last season, while the Rangers and Flyers spend time figuring their team out.
New jersey is gonna drop big time and the Islanders will go back where they belong.

Pittsburg: Pittsburgh should keep progressing and build on last year, they have a great mix of players, and if they start on the right foot they could go very far, i see them going as far as the conference finals.

New York Ranger: Well they gotta make the playoffs with that roster, yet i'm far from convinced this is the team to win it all, we will have to see how they jell together, i don't think it will work out great and hope not (Rangers fans are still bragging about the 80's .. gee!)
But in any case they should make the playoffs.

Philadelphia: Good to Goat to Good in 3 years ! OK, no team got better as much as the flyers. Juts having a reliable goaltender is gonna be a huge step for them, and their nashville pickups are huge add-ons. I was going to say they should make the playoffs for sure, yet they will have to battle the rangers, the penguins and Brodeur 24 times, so i'm not so sure. they won't be a joke this year though that is for sure.

New jersey: Well here we are, the year the devils will drop, i've been saying that for a while, but this time it will happen, their division got a whole better, and Brodeur just can't do it all alone, well not EVERY night a least. I believe a goalie is just as good as it's defense, meaning if the defense is gonna suck, it will, Brodeur's numbers will go down as well, they will.
This is the year the Devils won't make the playoffs, well depending of how the Flyers play, but i put my money on the Devils loosing 20+ points over last year.

New York islanders: Goat to Surprising to Goat! OK, i have to admit they surprised me last year. Ted Nolan should have got coach of the year. However this was more of a fluke than anything, and while they will still give a fight(work ethic), they just don't have the cast/skills left to compete with the other teams in this division. Di pietro is a good goalie but that won't be enough this tine around.

Southeast:

This is the lame duck division, no Stanley cup here next season !
I think it's almost flipped around from last year.
Very hard to figure who will be on top though, i think those teams are all about the same level now, so it will be a good fight.
I don't see any of those teams doing any good in the playoffs however.
Any of those team could finish first or last ... honestly !

Florida: OK with the Bertuzzi thing over with and the great pickup of Vokoun, and the emergence of young players it think, and hope, this is the year to make the playoffs for Florida.

Washington: They still have a great goalie, and with a new solid D in poti and a great playmaker in Nylander who should help Ovechkin and Semin that team should be out of the basement and possibly more.

Carolina: It will be good for them than Cullen is back, and i think last year they underperformed a bit. they probably will be a bit better this time.

Atlanta: Atlanta hasn't changed much from last year, yet Florida and Washington improved a lot so not sure they will make the playoffs this time.

Tampa Bay: About the same as last year, but i'm guessing players are tired of the coach by now, still no good goalie and now Boyle injured ... i don't know id don't think they are gonna make the playofs, wouldn't be chocked if they finish lat in this division.

WEST

Colorado, Detroit Anaheim and San Jose are the teams to watch for.

Northwest

Another tight one. Colorado is back ! and i think it will be to the detriment of Calgary.

Colorado: OK, Colorado is THE scary team, they have great scorers and good all around team and if Budaj can keep playing good enough (say ~900 save pct), they will score enough to win ots of games. The additions of Hanan and Smyth are great for them.Centers: Smyth, Stansny, Sakic .. whoo !

Vancouver: They surprised me last year, i think they might drop off a bit, yet with Luongo they are still a playoff team. A lot of people think that is the team that will pay for Colorado's rising... but my vote goes to Calgary.

Minnesota: Hard to tell, if Backstrom is the real deal they can be good, but it's quite a gamble. I think they will be OK, maybe make the playoffs ... not much more.

Calgary: I don't like this team, i don't like the guy's the picked up either or the money they paid for them, and i think Kiprussof will keep getting "worst"(still very good but not a top 3 goalie), thye won't score enough still and you know what .. experts picks them as winning this division .. well let make a gutsy call here... they WON'T make the playoffs !

Edmonton: Edmonton is rebuilding, some good additions, but this division is way to good for a team like this.

Central

Well Detroit is gonna have it easy again.
The other teams are fairly even now.

Detroit: They will rack up the points once again. feel overconfident and hopefully pay in the playoffs

St Louis: I like the way they rebuilt and Andy Muray. I think they are now good enough to make the playoffs -- maybe, if Brad boyes scores a lot. If Toivonen plays to is potential they could actually be pretty good.

Nashville: Nashville lost too much too fast, yet they still have a good team with good youngsters. They won't suck, yet i wonder which of St Louis or Nashville will make the playoffs this time around.

Columbus: I don't know, still no great goalie, getting a bit better but waaaay to slowly !

Chicago: Another rebuilding team getting better, but not ready yet, another 2 years or so.

Pacific

About the same as last year, except that LA is gonna take Dallas place.

San Jose: Well this is my team, and i love them. I like a lot their youngsters .. another of those team with endless flow of new talent. The one worry i have is Toskala gone. I'm not 100% on Nabokov he is very good, but unreliable. He seem to perform best when clear number1 though.. so we will see.
I regret they lost Hannan, still worried about the D.
At the same time the whole team is getting better, and Anaheim maybe lost a little (not much).
They should have got Rafalsky ... they will make the playoffs though and have enough money to buy something then
I like the signing of Rivet and the smart Thorton extension.
I don't get Ronick though .... what is that about ??

Anaheim: Well even without Selanne and Neidermeir they are still a scary team. yet Selanne was their top scoring forward and Neidermeier the top scoring D(and more), they also lost the BEAST(Penner), so maybe that is a window for the sharks to surpass them.

Los Angeles: Well LA got much better in a hurry, they can score ! and they got great D which might be almost enough to cover up the lack of any decent goalie. Yet they will loose lots of games to the sharks, ducks, wings and avs, so not sure they can make the playoffs.

Dallas: Every year i think they will suck and they don't, thanks to Turco. The problem is there are lots of teams that can put the puck in the net, and Dallas can't answer to that, I think that is the year they will pay for it. And even if they manage to make the playoffs that will be for only one round.

Phoenix: Deep into rebuilding (not sure what), probably last in the NHL this time around, unless columbus manages to beat them to it again ?

Top 8 teams to make the playoffs semi-finals

East: Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Rangers and Toronto.
West: Colorado, San Jose, Anaheim and Detroit.

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