Post by matt51180 on Aug 24, 2008 20:25:29 GMT -6
At least according to The Hockey News they are. Very good breakdown for those of you who remotely care.
1. Pacific Division
Let's see, we're talking about a division that can boast a one-year-removed Cup winner in Anaheim, one of last season's Western Conference finalists in the Dallas Stars and a San Jose Sharks team that will once again cause a majority of hockey writers to go all 12-year-old-girl-at-a-Jonas-Brothers-concert on their readerships.
Oh, and behind those three are the slowly-but-surely cresting Phoenix Coyotes and the long-lost Los Angeles Kings, who are well on their way to being found, thanks to a roster that includes blossoming stars Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson. No so-called experts are honestly going to try to argue this collection of teams isn't the clear-cut class of the league, are they? If so, can I pity them in advance?
2. Atlantic Division
Another no-brainer here. For starters, Pennsylvania alone has two of the league's top 10 teams. As well, there are the Devils, a team whose year-in, year-out success is attributable to Lou Lamoriello -- and I've finally figured out the GM's secret: He's actually the last surviving, uncredited crystal skull from the recent Indiana Jones installment. As long as "Lou's The Boss" is playing in New Jersey, ain't no way you should be counting the Devils out.
I still haven't referenced the New York Rangers, who have made major changes this summer and appear to be a team that's either going to win pretty or lose ugly. Pulling up the rear are the Islanders, who, though still searching for an identity, are making slow strides toward contention. They'll likely exceed expectations to a slight degree again this season -- and that's something you definitely can't say about some of the other division bottom dwellers.
3. Northwest Division
Here's where it gets a wee bit tricky. On the one hand, when I look at the Central, it has at least one virtually unanimous pick as a Cup favorite (I'll let you guess which team it is). It's tough to say the same about any franchise in the Northwest.
On the other hand, I think most people would agree the Edmonton Oilers' offseason makeover, combined with what were, at best, relatively lateral moves made by the other four teams, will result in an already tight division becoming even tighter this year. You can see scenarios in which four of the five teams here (sorry, Vancouver) could be the last playoff team standing among this group, so in terms of team-to-team competitiveness, it's hard not to go with the Northwest over the Central.
4. Central Division
I know, I know, the presence of the Red Wings alone makes the Central a division to reckon with. The burgeoning Blackhawks and never-say-die Predators also help in that regard -- and the fact that more than half of Detroit's regular-season losses came at the hands of teams in its division is a fact that's nothing to sneeze at, either.
The Blue Jackets and Blues are playoff dark horses, but even then, both of those franchises have a handful of young talent to build around. In sum, there could be many more Cups bound for the Central Division and not just to Michigan. Just not for a couple more years.
5. Northeast Division
Forget that two of the worst offseason free-agent signings (Michael Ryder in Boston and Jeff Finger in Toronto) speak to the sizable desperation levels existing in this division. Forget that, aside from the astounding Canadiens, there are medium-to-mountain-sized holes in every other team in the Northeast.
On second thought, remember all that stuff. Also remember how transcendentally awful the Senators looked after last Christmas, how hot and cold the Bruins were all season long, the Sabres' disappointing performance and the Maple Leafs' all-around mediocrity. Yes, there's something to believe in for each Northeastern team, but there's also at least one faith-shaking factor for all five franchises as well.
6. Southeast Division
Where to begin? Perhaps the fact three of the worst nine teams in the league last season call this division home? Or that only one team (Washington) last season won more road games than it lost? Or that there hasn't been a single second-round playoff game won by three of the division's five teams in more than a decade?
1. Pacific Division
Let's see, we're talking about a division that can boast a one-year-removed Cup winner in Anaheim, one of last season's Western Conference finalists in the Dallas Stars and a San Jose Sharks team that will once again cause a majority of hockey writers to go all 12-year-old-girl-at-a-Jonas-Brothers-concert on their readerships.
Oh, and behind those three are the slowly-but-surely cresting Phoenix Coyotes and the long-lost Los Angeles Kings, who are well on their way to being found, thanks to a roster that includes blossoming stars Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Jack Johnson. No so-called experts are honestly going to try to argue this collection of teams isn't the clear-cut class of the league, are they? If so, can I pity them in advance?
2. Atlantic Division
Another no-brainer here. For starters, Pennsylvania alone has two of the league's top 10 teams. As well, there are the Devils, a team whose year-in, year-out success is attributable to Lou Lamoriello -- and I've finally figured out the GM's secret: He's actually the last surviving, uncredited crystal skull from the recent Indiana Jones installment. As long as "Lou's The Boss" is playing in New Jersey, ain't no way you should be counting the Devils out.
I still haven't referenced the New York Rangers, who have made major changes this summer and appear to be a team that's either going to win pretty or lose ugly. Pulling up the rear are the Islanders, who, though still searching for an identity, are making slow strides toward contention. They'll likely exceed expectations to a slight degree again this season -- and that's something you definitely can't say about some of the other division bottom dwellers.
3. Northwest Division
Here's where it gets a wee bit tricky. On the one hand, when I look at the Central, it has at least one virtually unanimous pick as a Cup favorite (I'll let you guess which team it is). It's tough to say the same about any franchise in the Northwest.
On the other hand, I think most people would agree the Edmonton Oilers' offseason makeover, combined with what were, at best, relatively lateral moves made by the other four teams, will result in an already tight division becoming even tighter this year. You can see scenarios in which four of the five teams here (sorry, Vancouver) could be the last playoff team standing among this group, so in terms of team-to-team competitiveness, it's hard not to go with the Northwest over the Central.
4. Central Division
I know, I know, the presence of the Red Wings alone makes the Central a division to reckon with. The burgeoning Blackhawks and never-say-die Predators also help in that regard -- and the fact that more than half of Detroit's regular-season losses came at the hands of teams in its division is a fact that's nothing to sneeze at, either.
The Blue Jackets and Blues are playoff dark horses, but even then, both of those franchises have a handful of young talent to build around. In sum, there could be many more Cups bound for the Central Division and not just to Michigan. Just not for a couple more years.
5. Northeast Division
Forget that two of the worst offseason free-agent signings (Michael Ryder in Boston and Jeff Finger in Toronto) speak to the sizable desperation levels existing in this division. Forget that, aside from the astounding Canadiens, there are medium-to-mountain-sized holes in every other team in the Northeast.
On second thought, remember all that stuff. Also remember how transcendentally awful the Senators looked after last Christmas, how hot and cold the Bruins were all season long, the Sabres' disappointing performance and the Maple Leafs' all-around mediocrity. Yes, there's something to believe in for each Northeastern team, but there's also at least one faith-shaking factor for all five franchises as well.
6. Southeast Division
Where to begin? Perhaps the fact three of the worst nine teams in the league last season call this division home? Or that only one team (Washington) last season won more road games than it lost? Or that there hasn't been a single second-round playoff game won by three of the division's five teams in more than a decade?
