Well alright my kinda thread.
In the East.... Philadelphia : I see Philly doing well this year because of the new addition of Pronger and the signing of former all-star goalie Ray Emery. Emery has already shown good promise in the first 2 games by shutting out Carolina Hurricanes and only allowing 2 goals to the New Jersey Devils. I see the Flyers making a hard push into the playoffs this year.
Pittsburgh : Pittsburgh is one of biggest beasts in the East as far as i'm concerned. When you've got a team with as much talent as they do with guys like Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Gonchar, etc you know they're gonna be tough to play against. Sure their first 2 games were only won by a goal, but the intensity they showed during those games proved they aren't going to give up. It's always the teams with the most confidence in each other that will always win the hockey game. I see Pittsburgh advancing far into the playoffs again.
Montreal : I see a couple problems with the Montreal this year. Sure they added a few new people to the roster, Gomez, Gill, Gionta, etc to name a couple, but what they lost was much more valuable. The biggest 2 being Alex Kovalev signing with the Ottawa Senators and former captain and fan favorite Saku Koivu signing with the Anaheim Ducks. These were 2 important factors in this team moving forward into the playoffs. Another problem i see is the inconsistency of rookie Carey Price. The kid has shown promise here and there, but if the team wants to do well they need a veteran to lead by example. Both Price and Halak for that matter need a veteran to help them in their slumps. I see Montreal maybe making the playoffs this year, but a first round exist will most likely happen once again.
Washington : When you've got a guy by the name of Alexander Ovechkin you have to be happy. He's the type of hard, gritted player than gives you the chance to win every night. He showed this in the last 2 games by scoring twice and adding an assist against one of the best teams in 08/09 being the Boston Bruins and torching the Toronto Maple Leafs for a goal and 2 assists. Ovechkin has 6 points in 2 games thus far and is on pace for a 250 + point year. If your a team is facing the Capitals this year i would be worried. Assuming Ovechkin keeps doing this thing, goalies Theodore and Varlamov can workout a #1 job or simply run a rotation per game that works, and veteran players like Nylander, Clark, Knuble, Morrison can lead by example i see the Washington Capitals making a serious run at the Stanley Cup this year.
In the West.... St. Louis : After a few disappoining seasons in 2005, 2006 & 2007 it was nice to see the Blue have a winning record in 2008. In 2009 i also see good things for the Blues. All-star Paul Kariya is back from nearly a year off due to injury, the defense is healthy with Brewer, Jackman, and Colaiacovo, and it seems like goalies Chris Mason and Ty Conklin are forming quite the duo. The 2 goalies both took a turn in beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 and 5-3 in back-to-back games. If this team stays healthy i think they'll find a spot in the playoffs this year.
Colorado : Colorado used to be one of the most feared teams in the NHL. Recently though with alot of players retiring and signing with other teams it seemed like the Avalanche were heading nowhere but downhill. Last year showed this, but that is going to hopefully change this year. The team went from being one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest with only 5 or 6 players being over the age of 30. As long as Craig Anderson continues to show his potential, just like he did in the first 2 games by beating San Jose and shutting out Vancouver, forwards Hejduk and Tucker help out the young guys and the defense combo of Foote and Clark can continue their hard styled aggression i see this team being really good. If the younger guys can keep up to the NHL pace expect good things from the Avalanche.
Calgary : Calgary will be one of the toughest teams in the West this year, especially with the addition of Jay Boumeester. They showed good team chemistry in beating Vancouver and Edmonton in the first 2 games and will hopefully continue good chemistry far into the season. When you have guys like Iginla, Jokinen, Conroy, Regher, etc you know your team is going to be good. I see the Flames going far in the playoffs if goalie Mikka Kiprusoff can buckle down and be the all-star goalie they know he can be.
Phoenix : I don't have good feelings about the Phoenix Coyotes this year. With all the distractions about a possible relocation this year i think it is going have an affect on the players. Yes they did beat the L.A Kings in their opener, but beating the LA. Kings is nothing special in my mind. If the Coyotes stay in Phoenix after this year i wouldn't be surprised if most of the veterans left. Phoenix will not make the playoffs this year, and if they do it's a damn miracle.
San Jose : San Jose is one of the best teams in the league, well in the regular season anyways. I'm hoping that with the addition of Dany Heatley they can push on farther into the playoffs. They did lose the first game of the season to Colorado, but i liked what i saw from the team. They followed up that last lost with an impressive 4-1 rout over the Anaheim Ducks. With guys like Thornton, Heatley, Blake, Boyle and Marleau to name a few, how can that team not be good. San Jose will do just fine this year and don't be surprised if they win that Presidents' Trophy again.
