Flames +/-

Unfotunately due to the Flames awesome PPV schedule I was not able to catch the game tonight. But simply looking at the highlights I had a few thoughts to share:

1. I think that one day Phanuef will be this team's best player and leader, and at times he even plays like that now. Having said that, he is currently not the Flames best player, not even our best defenseman. Tonight Phanuef played 29 minutes while Regher only played about 21. Regher, although offensively challenge, is a horse. Phanuef, although still playing with vigour, has looked overwhelmed at times playing against other team's top defensive pairings. Even though a lot of the time difference was due to the PP, I think Dion would be more effective playing less minutes. At least for a while. On the other hand, if we're gonna lose either way, the experience he's getting is invaluable.

2. Miikka may not be looking as good as he did last year, but I'm not worried. His last October stats were underwhelming, and he went on to win the Jennings, Vezina, and was the team's unquestioned MVP. Why is Miikka a little off? I have two theories: (a) He's a 'slow' starter. I'm less inclined to believe this one because I think Miikka has already at times looked really sharp, and has been the key to every Flames victory this season (all two of them). (b) Is that the team's sloppy defensive play has Kipprusoff overthinking his positioning, trying to do too much and is psyching himself out. I think even the coolest player in the league is starting to realize how much his team relies on him, and maybe its starting to get to him a little bit. I mean, he even looked a little pissed off at that Sundin overtime winner last Saturday, and Kipper never shows emotion. When the team pulls together and plays better defensively, as they did last November, then Kipper will start to ease back into his regular self. That’s assuming of course that the team did pull together defensively last season and the reduced GAA wasn’t simply due purely to Kipper's miracle work.

3. At this point, Matthew Lombardi is giving the Flames the best individual offensive efforts. His shorthanded marker against Toronto was part luck, but it was also part persistence and effort. Include his two goal performance against Montreal and his almost break-away goal tonight and you see a trend. Lombardi has had individual 1-1 offensive victories all season by using his speed and beating defenders to the outside. He is proving that he is a natural pivot for the speedy Tanguay and is no longer a second thought in Calgary's offense, (first on team in goals, second on the team in points, leads the team in +/- at a +5). If it were up to me, Lombardi's PP time would be increased - what have we got to lose?

4. Bring back Giordano and send Zyuzin down to the farm. On TSN tonight Duthie asked Dreger 'what is wrong with the Flames defence*?' to which Dreger replied 'the defensive pairing of Zyuzin and Hamrlik is not working well*' to which my brother replied 'thats the understatement of teh century.' I agree, and I can't think of a single aspect of the game in which Zyuzin appears to have more competency than Giordano. Better yet, lets put Hamrlik on waivers and hope someone picks him up. Maybe Bobby Clarke would be willing to part with Nolan Baumgartner...

5. Come back soon Stephane...

6. Another loss. Is anyone getting a little worried yet? Even though the highlights made our effort appear better tonight, the Flames couldn't muster a victory against one of the most hapless organizations in the league. When do we get to play Philadelphia?

Canuck's, Oilers, Home and Home

Although I predicted Vancouver to hit a wall this year, they're a team that plays much better than the sum of their parts. The Sedins (always assumed to be playing together of course) are very dangerous, so much so that it almost seems like Naslund is now the third wheel on that line. The former first line third wheel (Brendan Morrison) is having a 'frustrating year.' Quite frankly, I think Morrison was lucky to benefit from the skill of Bertuzzi and Naslund and had pretty inflated numbers over the past few seasons, especially after seeing him play in the World Championships. Overall they just appear to be a very well coached team this season, and their new style of play is due to frustrate a few teams.

On Monday, the Oilers were one of those teams. Although they gained the lead early in the 2nd period on a goal from (who else?) Canuck killer Raffi Torres, the Oilers had a lot of trouble penetrating the dangerous parts of the ice, thanks to some significant team defence efforts from the Canucks. Coupled with relentless forechecking, the Canucks went on to score two unanswered goals.

In the final minute or so, MacTavish pulled netminder Roloson and put out what one would assume to be his top 6 grouping. This grouping did not include Shawn Horcoff, but it did include Thoresen. Obviously Horcoff is a very good hockey player, but put quite simply, he is not playing as effective as he could. There is a lot of skating going on, and not a lot of physicality or offensive creativity. He was the Oiler's forward ice time leader until his minutes were dramatically cut in the Vancouver games, and to be blunt, he's expected to be the Oilers' top two way forward. Obviously, in MacTavish's eyes, Horcoff has failed to live up to expectations this season.

This is highly contrasted with Thoresen. He looked dangerous when he got his chances on Monday, he always brings energy to his shift, and was one of the Oilers' more consistent forwards. He was rewarded with Horcoff's position when the game was on the line. On Tuesday night, his effort was rewarded with his first career game winning goal.

Another player that is being rewarded with ice time for strong play is Marc-Andre Bergeron. Although his season average ice time per game is only about 17 minutes, in the first Vancouver game he played 20 minutes, and in the second game he played 22, the second highest among Oiler's defenceman. Bergeron has some decent PP instincts and is not as bad a defenceman as some Oiler fans would like to think.
I am a little surprised however that MacTavish hasn't been a little more outspoken (as he's known to be) about Hemsky's inconsistent play this season. Hemsky is the Oilers' most talented player, and if they're to have any long-term success they need him making smarter plays. Obviously a guy like Hemsky needs a bit freerer reign then say, Ethan Moreau, but some of the shooting opportunities he's given up this year are absolutely ridiculous. Is it still accurate to say a player has good instincts if he makes a cross ice no look laser pass - if he gave up a breakaway to do it?

I'm not going to say the Oilers were lucky to split the series against Vancouver. They could have won both games, (as could have Vancouver). There wasn’t a lot separating these two teams. But it was nice to see the Oilers win a game with a simple blue collar 'lunch-pale' (thanks Burkie!) effort on Tuesday night. It was maybe even nicer to see Jussi Markkanen put in such a solid effort. Is this the same goalie that had Oilers' fans holding their breath on every shot last regular season? In my opinion, there are two differences since then that have really contributed to Markkanen's success. Number one is that the Oilers are playing a different and much more effective overall defensive game. The Oilers last year didn’t always give up a lot of shots, but they gave up more than enough juicy scoring chances most games last season. Secondly, Markkanen seems to have benefited from having Roloson around. Roloson takes the heat now, and Markkanen is no longer expected to shoulder a load he obviously wasn't prepared for, and I also think Roloson has a calming influence (NHLPA aside…).

Notes from Around the League

• Did anyone else see Philly get absolutely tuned the other night? Nedved, along with a couple other Philly players, was placed on waivers as a result of that game. Sophmore Mike Richards was so disgusted that he told reporters it was a 'classic Flyers hockey.' I can only speculate on what Clarke was saying.

Yay Dion! Boo Dion!

Well it seems Phaneuf's awesomeness has given him the ultimate honour: being featured on a Coach's Corner segment. Of course Cherry is right, Phanuef dominated the other Norris nominated defenceman in several categories, including hits and game winning goals (those don't matter do they?) I would also say he's right in claiming that most journalists wouldn't know a hockey player if they slept with Bobby Orr. (There was a 3 count on the Orr references on tonight's Coaches Corner if you were keeping track)

The problem in this case though may be precedent, rather than journalism. Since Orr the Norris has tended to go towards the highest scoring defenceman, rather than the best defenceman, and I for one think it’s a shame. We have a category for best defensive forward, so why not best defensive defenceman? Better yet, lets make the Norris the award for best defensive defenceman, and create a separate award for the highest scoring defenceman, (I saw we call it the Bobby Orr award).

Regardless, Phanuef did not have a stellar night. Although he looked good early and helped set the tone (by which I mean he creamed Maple Leaf Pohl from behind), he looked bad on two goals, including the game winner. Forget that he potentially kept Kiprusoff from identifying the puck trajectory, he helped set the whole play in motion with a bungled point pass, and was also slow to identify which man he was supposed to pick up. Perhaps he was thrown off by being the sole defenceman on the ice, but whatever the reason, it was quite a costly set of mistakes.

I was however pleasantly surprised by the game and the fact the Flames got back into it. It was especially nice to see Giordano rewarded on two occasions for his head's up play. I really think that him and Ference should be the 2nd defensive pairing, but I wonder if they are not because Ference appears to be on the number 1 penalty kill unit and Playfair wants him fresh for that.

The Flames' special teams still do not look good. Even though it looked like the Maple Leafs scored only once on the PP, that number is a bit distorted because for all intents and purposes the Flames were still shorthanded when Sundin scored in the first, as the Flames penalized players had yet to return to the play. The one positive is that Lombardi managed to score a nice shorthanded goal. He was actually one of the better-looking Flames all night.

The Flames PP didn’t look much better. Although on the Flames' first powerplay there were some early offensive sparks the Flames managed to not only NOT score, but also on one occasion take two penalties on the same power play, and on another occasion, allowed Sundin to score the shorthanded winner.

If in fact the Flames have learned to score goals, the next step is probably relearning how to keep the opposition from scoring. The Flames have allowed 4 or more goals on three occasions this year already. This is not a recipe for success, especially if you only generate about 2 goals a game.

Notes from Around the League

• An article in the Calgary Herald today lauded Kobasew's Kamikaze style of play, describing him as a player who takes the hit to make the play. I guess someone else DOES notice Kobasew tends to get hit quite often. Quite frankly it would be nice if Chuck would become known for something else…maybe scoring goals?
• Did anyone else catch the Senator's shootout lineup? Vermette, McAmmond and Fisher. No Spezza, no Alfredsson, no Heatley. If that is not the coach sending a message to his top players, I don't know what is. By the way, good on Vermette and Fisher to score.
  
• Despite the hard time I've given Tjarnqvist of the Edmonton Oilers, it seems he still has a few supporters, including coach Craig MacTavish. No, I don't have a quote of Mac T endorsing the game play of Tjarnqvist. What I have is his ice time statistics - 23:59 on an average night. Evidently he's Edmonton's number 1 defenceman.
  
• Sounds like Evgeni Malkin is set to return from his dislocated shoulder perhaps as soon as this week. That’s good news for the Penguins and its good news for me. I have him in my pool.
• Dear Cassie Campbell, you're a much better hockey player than you are a colour commentator. I'm saying this nicely because you won two gold medals for Canada, but seriously.

Random Thoughts: Flames/Sens, Oilers/Sharks

Flames vs. Senators

• I won't complain about a shut-out win, but it still bothers me that the Flames have to play PERFECT in order to win. The Flames are talented enough to be able to score more than 1 goal a game, and this win won't put the worrywarts to rest.
  
• Double Dion!!! Ok, well just a single tonight, but its always nice to see Phanuef put his stamp on the game.
  
• Does anyone but me notice that Chuck Kobasew takes one big hit a game? Watch for it, its happened for every game thus far this season, and it happened in virtually every game last year. Keep your head up Chuck.
  
• Huselius is the Flames best offensive weapon right now. Got an assist on the only goal of the game and had a couple nifty moves on the play, but the goal was really a result of good digging and driving to the net for a shot. Who'd a thunk it?
  
• Congrats to Kipper on what I hope is only the first of many shut outs this season.

Oilers vs. Sharks

• Tjarnqvist is the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde. One minute he's making a blundering defensive error or forcing shot opportunities on the PP, the next he's making highlight reel 2 line breakaway passes. Consistency Daniel, consistency.
  
• God dammit Hemsky, keep your stick on the ice, not on the opposing player's jersey/arm/face etc.
  
• Steve Staios on a breakaway. What more can one say?
  
• PPs, PPs, and more PPs. Both teams looked dangerous, but I couldn’t help but think the Sharks were going to score on just about every chance. The way Cheechoo was burying them early it looked to be a long night. In the end, the Sharks went 3/10. The Oilers PP went to work though, and punished SJ twice on a double Kyle McLaren hooking call. Edmonton finished 2/4.
  
• The Oiler's PK does not look as good as it did with Pronger. That might be where the Oilers miss his 12 foot wingspan the most
  
• Smyth pulls out a natural hat trick in 2:01s. This beats the previous fastest 3 goals in Oiler history, set by a little known player named Wayne Gretzky back in 81'. His time? 2:18s.
  
• Nice to see Thoresen get his first NHL goal. Couldn’t have played much after that, as he only logged just over 3 minutes of ice time.
  
• Here is the current main difference between watching Flames' games, and watching Oilers' games. If the Flames go down 3-1, you can't help but think, 'its over.' When watching the Oilers go down 4-1 you think, 'this is quite the hole, but lets see what happens.' For those that didn’t tune away in disgust tonight after the 2nd period, you were rewarded by a tremendously exciting game.
  
• I guess lots of talent up front is a good problem to have, but it’s a shame quality players like Jarret Stoll and Fernando Pisani have their 5-5 ice time reduced so much. Tonight Pisani made most of the lost 5-5 time up by playing PK, but really, he (and Stoll) are good enough to play on the 1st or 2nd line. Stoll played just over 6 minutes of even strength time, only Thoresen and Winchester had less
  
• Shawn Horcoff is looking a bit invisible offensively. Can't score if you don't take any shots.
  
• therealdeal turning point? Thornton breaks off the check of an Oiler along the side wall and drives to the net. He pulls out a fantastic move on Dwayne Roloson and has a wide open net, only to have Roloson make a stick save out of nowhere. 10 Seconds later Lupul gives Smyth a beautiful breakaway pass and bangs home the rebound.

Underachievers, not Underdogs

It was remarked to me the other day that the Flames are getting harder and harder to cheer for. One of the problems, as I see it, is that as a team, the Flames have gone from Underdogs to Underachievers. Gone are the Niemenens, Clarkes, Donovans, Gelinas, Montadores, Commodores Lydmans and Conroys. Replacing them are the Amontes, Friesens, Hamrliks, Mccartys and Kobasews, and to a lesser extent, and perhaps unfairly, the Langkows.

Whereas Flames fans used to be able to say 'can you believe how well x played last night? That guy is all heart!' now you hear:

'What happened to Amonte? He used to be a 25 goal man garunteed, now it looks like he doesnt even know what hockey is.'

'Why is Hamrlik getting paid $3.5 million a year while we traded away Stanley Cup champion Mike Commodore, receiving near league average despite being a turning point catalyst in Carolina's championship series?'

'How badly must Chuck Kobasew be playing to lose his 2nd line spot to Tony Amonte???'

'Is that Mike Leclerc? No wait, we traded away Reinprecht for him, then benched him, then never resigned him.'

So lets take a look at some of the guys that are still underdogs on this team.

Stephane Yelle - He has never taken a night off in his life, always skates hard, always plays smart. Will block shots with his eyeball if it helps the team. Coincidently, he's also the team's scoring leader right now.

Andrew Ference - The little defenceman always brings it. Although almost always outmatched in terms of size, he never is in terms of intensity. Watch his physicality as he plays and you'll see how much of himself he puts into every hit and stride.

Miikka Kiprusoff - Yes, he's still an underdog. If you've witnessed lately how the Flames play defence you'd realize any Calgary goalie is an underdog. Always calm, always acrobatic, always sharp.

Kristian Huselius - The player who I initially believed to be soft is now responsible for almost all of Calgary's decent scoring chances. Although he has yet to register a point, its only a matter of time as he's now playing with Iginla.

Marcus Nilson - Missed the latter part of last season due to injury, and his smart play was severely missed in the playoffs. Has Calgary's sole GWG this season.

Mark Giordano - a 7th defenceman callup last season, he will be expected to fill that role again this year. Is moderately unsure of himself right now, but at last nights game made several great defensive plays, including a textbook 2-1. Is one of the few Flames defenceman that can skate WITH the puck.


Sharks Eat Flames Alive


Last nights 'game' (and i put game in quotation marks because it arguably wasnt even a game) was a perfect example of how far removed this team is from its 2004 almost Stanley Cup triumph. In part, our biggest problems are coming from our players whom we depend on most. The Flames top defensive duo, Regher and Phanuef, combined foulups for two goals against last night. In one instance there was a miscommunication where both players identified the same defensive target and left a streaking SJ player all alone in front of the net. In another, a hapless pass from Langkow to Regher lead to a giveaway on the blueline, which turned into a bizarre and desperately pathetic 3-3 situation which SJ took advantage of once again. In one of Calgary's many PP tries, Tanguay, the $5.5 man, made several ill advised and downright terrible passes, often to phantom teammates. At other times he looked invisible at best. Calgary's man for all seasons, Jarome Iginla, at least tried. He really did. 7 shots on net, maybe even two of them legitimate scoring chances. Langkow remains unable to finish, and Hamrlik and Zyuzin looked totally innefective.

After the game all team members reported for a mandatory 30 minute workout, however, I'm going to have to start to question Calgary's offensive system as being a bigger problem than the players themselves. As it stands Calgary has been goal starved for over a year. Tanguay was brought in to supplement Calgary's sputtering goal engine and has looked really innefective. In the preseason, Playfair commented that the Flames needed more north south movement from Tanguay, and less East West. However, Tanguay has good offfensive instincts, perhaps his east-west playing is part of what allows him to score goals. Shouldn't an offensive system encourage creative offensive players to use their instincts rather than fight them?

Why are the Flames still using an offensive system that encourages perimeter play? 30 outside shots are clearly not as valuable as 25 Opposition teams have figured out that the offensive system is to pass it to our defence for the shot. If our defence really do have the ability to score, why not 'activate' them more, meaning bring them in on offensive rushes to create odd man opportunities? Or, for instance, if we're going to centre our power play along the points instead of along the wall, lets make sure players are moving around to create shooting lanes for the points. If we're going to have Dion out there ripping it, why not give the opposition a second man to worry about so they can't key on one guy. I'm thinking someone with a really hard shot, which will keep the opposition honest. Perhaps a guy like Jarome Iginla? Oh, and lastly, if we do get a lane, lets make sure we have someone in front mucking it up or tipping it. Most goalies are far too good now the simply let in a hard blast from the point. Even Al MacInnis needed Joe Niewendyk sometimes.

And quite frankly, I'm tired of people telling me the Flames are slow. While some individuals may be slow, team speed is created by breakout systems. I've seen teams with fast players become very slow because of poor breakouts and neutral zone control. This is what the Flames lack now. The good news is that along with conditioning drills, the Flames worked on fast tempo breakouts today in practice. Its a good place to start.

2006-2007 NHL Predictions Cont. - The West

As with the East, I reserve the right to disavow all knowledge of poor predictions, and gloat over correct ones.

Central:
15. Chicago - Some good things have happened for Chicago; they acquired Havlat, Seabrook should continue to mature, Aucoin and Khabibulin probably won't play worse than last year and…that’s about it. They are still plagued by injuries (Daze might as well retire, and Ruutu is certainly thinking about it), and still paper thin in depth in almost every aspect. Its another bottom feeding year from the team with the worst owner in the league. Oh wait, now Wirtz is the 2nd worst owner. Congratulations go to Charles Wang.

8. Columbus - This is most definitely a team on the up and up. The top two forward lines are littered with talent (Nash, Federov, Zherdev, Carter, Brule, Modin) and LeClaire looks ready to tackle the number one goalie position. With Klesla maturing and Foote continuing to be the steadiest defenceman in the NHL, this is a team poised for greatness. Just maybe not this year.

7. Detroit - Gone are the Greats of the past, (Yzerman, Shanahan) still here are the relics of the past (Chelios), and the never will be of the present (Datsyuk). But among the hopelessness has emerged some hope - Zetterberg appears as interested as ever, Kronwall looked very solid in his first NHL season, the consummate defenceman Lidstrom is still around - and the Wings still have one of the best minds in the game at the helm-Babcock.

1. Nashville - When most people think of the Predators, they think of puke. Puke yellow to be exact, the colour of Nashville's 3rd jersey. But what they should be thinking of is cup contender. Nashville has the goalie, the forward depth, and one of the best young defence groups in the league. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

14. St. Louis - Last year Keith Tkachuk was so fat on the first day of training camp that he was told to leave and not come back until he was looking more like a hockey player and less like a power lifter. Number 1 defenceman Eric Brewer missed most of the season due to shoulder problems. Weight left to pursue the Cup. Well now the whole gang is back together again, but now Tkachuk isn't fat, Jay Mckee will be blocking shots, Brewer is healthy, and American pal Guerin is along for the ride. This 1996 Team USA 10 year reunion team will get an A for effort, but don’t expect them to be a lot better than last year.

Northwest:

3. Calgary - Kipper, Regher, Phanuef, Tanguay, Iginla. Calgary has a mix of dominant players, a decent cast of supporters, and a work ethic burned into their brains. They will have more offence than last year, thanks both to Tanguay and the full addition of Huselius, and they will have the best goaltender in the league. Undoubtedly they are a cup contender.

10. Colorado - Blake, Tanguay, Forsberg Roy. Leopold, Svatos, Arnason Theodore. The first group of names is what the Avalanche have lost since they last won a cup. The second group of names are the replacements. If you think the second group of names is disturbing because Arnason couldn’t even crack a heartless Ottawa squad (forget the concussion theory) and Theodore went from being the MVP to the GOAT then you're probably among the majority who thinks this Colorado team is a step down. You'd also probably be right.

5. Edmonton - They went from almost sipping from the cup, to having cold water poured on them. Pronger, Spacek, Peca and Dvorak are gone. In their place are the more youthful and inexperienced Lupul, Smid, Mikhnov, and the underachieving Sykora. While the Oilers defensive depth is highly questionable, their forward depth is unmatched in the league. Will this be enough to get the Oilers over that playoff spot hump? I'm betting it will.

11. Minnesota - Lemaire's group used to be known for its defensive efforts. Soon it will be known for its offensive explosivity and creativity-well, sort of. Minnesota has a good forward group including Gaborik, Demitra, Bouchard, and Rolston. Their defensive has no single powers, but a solid group top to bottom. Fernandez will no longer have Roloson looking over his shoulder. They should make a push for the playoffs this year.

12. Vancouver - For the first time in franchise history, the Canucks have a franchise goalie. Unfortunately they don’t have much of a team to put in front of that Goalie. Vancouver's defensive group is unintimidating, dull at best, and once you get past the Sedins and Naslund, there's not much up front either. Luongo has yet to make the playoffs. Don't be surprised if that trend continues.

Pacific:
2. Anaheim - If Anaheim plays this correctly, they could have either Pronger or Neidermeyer on the ice during the whole game. If this doesn’t intimidate opponents, nothing will. While the Ducks still have goaltending issues (who's the number 1 today?) its not as if neither guy can handle the job. Their forwards are young, but last year proved they have what it takes to get the job done. Probably the Cup favorites.

6. Dallas - Modano 'lost' the captaincy to Morrow. Turco's playoff woes continue. Mike Ribiero and Eric Lindros are now a key figures of the team. Despite this, Dallas still has a decent depth at forward, including shootout wiz Jokinen. Dallas won't light it up, but they'll keep it respectable.

13. Los Angeles - A questionable goaltender. A lack of depth at all forward positions. Sean Avery. If this sounds like a trainwreck, and if this looks like a trainwreck, well, lets face it, it’s a trainwreck. With Crawford coaching the Kings will make it close most nights, but it'll take a second Mircale on Manchester for them to make the playoffs.

9. Phoenix - The Coyotes cleaned house last year in an attempt to get rid of people that didn’t fit the Gretzky motto - If you didn't practice hard every day and leave it on the ice every night, you were off the team. (Quick note to Gretz and Co. -How come Morris is still on this team??). Roenick swore off partying, playing for money and rededicated himself to focusing on the sport (then promptly signed for the highest bidder in a winless situation and instantly flew to Vegas to watch some UFC fights), Nolan dusted off his crippled hips and Gorgeous Georges put on his boxing gloves. This team now has some added heart (Jovanovski), a little bit of forward offensive depth (Reinprecht, Comrie, Doan, Nagy, Nolan, Roenick) and a pretty good defensive group. Still, I can't shake the feeling they're going nowhere.

4. San Jose - Thornton/Cheechoo, Marleau/Bernier. Those are two pretty potent line combinations. Unfortunately, there's not much behind them. Niemenen will fulfill his role of the NHL's greatest pest, Mclaren and Hannan will add some toughness, but both Nabokov and Toskala must have confidence issues. Two lines can only carry a team for so long.

2006-07 NHL Regular Season Predictions - Eastern Conference

The Season is almost ready to start, so here's the first half of my 1st Annual Regular Season Predictions! I am going to have a disclaimer and say that any predictions that end up wrong were unforseeable by myself, and any prediction that are correct will be dwelled upon and gloated about.

Atlantic Division:

10. New Jersey - Brian Gionta remains unsigned, Scott Stevens shows no signs of coming out of retirement, and they are so far over the cap as of Oct 1. that they will be unable to play on opening night. Broduer will keep them competitive, but they'll miss the playoffs.

13. NY Islanders - Former backup goalie Garth Snow is now taking up cap space while simultaneously trying to manage it. Charles Wang abandons his plan to bring in Sumo wrestlers as goalies and signs his current one to a 15 year deal. Yashin is the captain. Obviously they're going nowhere.

2. NY Rangers - Jagr is healthy again, Lundqvist is now a proven champion, Shanahan was drawn by the Broadway lights and Petr Prucha aims to follow up his stellar rookie year. This transplanted euro squad will be dangerously talented all year. They're a top 8 team.

6. Philadelphia - Forsberg is the new captain, Gagne will take on a bigger role. Richards and Carter will show their performance last year wasn’t a fluke. Hatcher will slowly get worse, and the goaltending situation remains uneasy at best. Philly will be in the hunt for a spot, but it'll be touch and go.

14. Pittsburgh - Malkin, Crosby, Rechhi, Leclair, Gonchar. Do these names strike fear in you? Ok, do half these names strike fear in you? Ok, what about the first two only? Ok then! What about Colby Armstrong? Ya. That’s right. The Cheese (I made it up and I hope it sticks) is coming for you! Will do better than last year, but not a whole lot.

Northeast:

11. Boston - Thankfully, the Bruins ejected that Joe 'do nothing' Thornton guy, who was obviously the problem. Now the Bruins have a pair of skilled centres in Bergeron and Savard to take over, and are looking to supporting players Sturm and Murray (and Kessel?) to step it up. Chara anchors the defence.

1. Buffalo - Gone are several key playoff performers Mckee, Dumont, and probably Connolly. Still in town are Briere, Vanek, Kotalik, Drury, Campbell, Lydman and Miller. There will be an adjustment period, but Buffalo is still a force to be reckoned with.

12. Montreal - Aebischer or Huet? This team has plenty of skilled stars up front, (Koivu, Kovalev, Samsanov) but what they really need is some size and a good defensive group. Souray was on a lot of highlight reels last year, but for all the wrong reasons. Do not buy stock in Aebischer.

5. Ottawa - With Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson, these guys will do fine. They will be just as much of a threat as last year, and if the leadership reigns begin to shift to Spezza, watch out. Gerber has proven he can do fine in the regular season behind a good team.

9. Toronto - Oh god. Alright, well they dumped a lot of dead weight. Unfortunately, they also picked up more dead weight, and then signed that dead weight to bad contracts. But that’s ok. The new look Leafs are improved, and they only barely missed the post season last year.

Southeast:

7. Atlanta - Last year they were high flying. They were tough. They were dirty. They were fiesty. They did probably everything they could to make the playoffs. But in the end, Atlanta's goalie problems cost them a spot. If Lehtonen stays healthy, Atlanta has a very good shot.

4. Carolina - No more Weight. No more Recchi. No more Johnson. But lets face it, this is a very very good team. Conn Smythe winner Ward will take the reigns in net and run with them. They have one of the best leaders in the game with Brind'amour. No one will be taking this team lightly anymore.

8. Florida - The Panthers have replaced Luongo with Bertuzzi. They will have a bruising 1st line, but for the first time in a long time, their goaltending will be rather questionable. Bouwmeester is now the team's unquestioned number one defenseman, but he needs to put the puck in the net more often if the Panthers want to win. Still, they're my darkhorse team in the East.

3. Tampa Bay - MVP St. Louis had an 'off year' last, and he will be looking to bounce back. This team is stocked with talent up front, with Lecavalier and Richards not yet even hitting their prime. Although their defence is anonymous, the Lightning will be bolstered this year by a true number one goalie in Denis.

15. Washington - Chris Clark is the captain of a squad of AHLers. Ovechkin will again dazzle the NHL, but will have little help from the rest of his team. Olaf Kolzig better have some painkillers behind that mask, because this whole season is probably going to hurt.