Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Master Post

A one-stop shop for my silly scribblings about the other teams ahead of this coming season ...

Atlantic
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins

Northeast
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs

Southeast
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals

Central
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues

Northwest
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Canucks

Pacific
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
San Jose Sharks

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Buffalo Sabres

That other New York team isn't flashy. That other New York team isn't much fun to watch. But that other New York team owns our New York team so they will have a big hand in the fate of the Rangers this season. Two seasons ago we had some success as Scott Gomez tripped over Ryan Miller, taking the best player out of Buffalo for over a month and ending their chances. Last year he was healthy all season, they went 3-1 against the Blueshirts, earned 100 points and won their division before bowing out to Boston. Considering there are no Olympics this year, should Miller make it through the year uninjured, this uninteresting team should make it well past the opening round of the playoffs.

Familiar Foes: You know the names - Roy, Vanek, Connolly, Pominville, blah blah blah. Old friend Pat Kaleta will hopefully, finally, be dissuaded from headhunting by Boogey (that is why we signed him, right) but Paul Gaustad should still cause havoc in front with the soft Blueshirt blueline. Oversized Tyler Myers will face a sophomore season. Little Tyler Ennis tortured us in the fourth and final matchup between the two teams and is entering his first full season in the NHL while their other mighty midget Nathan Gerbe will try to make the roster and stick this time around.

N00bz: Rob Neidermayer (Scott's grinding brother), Jordan Leopold (on his fifth team in three years), Shaone Morrisonn (Washington's mediocre mucking defender) and Cody McCormick (Colorado energy guy).

Last Year: Saturday, December 5th, 2-1 Ranger win; Saturday, December 12, 3-2 Sabres win; Sunday, March 7th, 2-1 Sabre OT win; and Tuesday, April 6th, 5-2 Sabres win.

This Year: Saturday, October 9th in Buffalo (season opener); Thursday, November 11th @ MSG; Tuesday, March 1st @ MSG; and Wednesday, March 30th in Buffalo.

What They Mean To Blue: Four likely losses. Lindy Ruff is a former Jack Adams winner for a reason: he gets the most out of mediocrity. And with Miller playing like the world class goaltender he is (USA! USA! USA!), Buffalo will be quite tough to beat.

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Boston Bruins

There won't be many team that will be more motivated next season than the Bruins. After their legendary implosion to the Flyers, the B's should come out as big and as bad as ever. It was the ultimate slap in the face and there is no way Claude Julien lets the proud boys in black crumble into mediocrity.

Familiar Foes: Even with his contract under fire, our old buddy Savvy should be lining up at center with the B's as will David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron. Marco Sturm will be hurt to start the season but there is no way Milan Lucic will suck as bad as he did last year and Mark Recchi has played Ponce De Leon and found the Fountain of Youth. The guy is the cockroach of the NHL - can you believe he won a Cup with Pittsburgh 20 years ago?!? Unreal. Tuukka Rask and Timmy Thomas will be inside the crease while Zdeno Chara will make sure no one bothers them.

N00bz: As if adding the number two pick at the draft - Tyler Seguin - wasn't enough, the B's went out and added Nathan freakin' Horton. Horton has 14 points in 19 games against the Rangers since the lockout. He cost them Dennis Wideman but a healthy Dennis Seidenberg could be huge. I mention Seidenberg here as he only played one game against the Blueshirts last season after being traded to the Bruins. (He played 28 minutes and had six shots in that one, and if he doesn't get hurt in the playoffs, Boston doesn't epically choke.)

Last Year: Sunday, Nov. 1st, 1-0 Ranger win; Monday, Jan. 4th, 3-2 Ranger win; Saturday, Jan. 9th, 3-1 Ranger win; Sunday, March 21st, 2-1 Ranger loss.

This Year: Saturday, Oct. 23rd in Boston; Wednesday, Nov. 17th at MSG; Saturday, March 26th in Boston; Monday, April 4th at MSG.

What They Mean To Blue: The Original Six rivals can bring out the best in the Blueshirts - like MDZ's goal or they can bring out the worse - the entire 2-1 loss on March 21st. The Rangers will hope for the former this season as they face the Bruins twice in the all-important late season lunge at eighth place. They are one of five teams that the Blueshirts play twice after March 1st (Sabres, Sens, Isles and Flyers).

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Atlanta Thrashers

After teams win the Stanley Cup playing a certain style, other teams emulate that style in order to take the cherished chalice. When the Ducks were tough, other teams got tough. When the Wings played puck possession, other teams learned to play puck possession. When the Pens used homegrown top draft picks to power their way to a Cup, other teams tanked to build from within.

Well, Chicago won the Stanley Cup so Atlanta went out and took a chunk of the Hawks roster. While it won't get them a Stanley Cup, it certainly will help them maintain some semblance of respectability - especially in the wake of the Russian defection (Kovalchuk).

Familiar Foes: Borat will be back, as will Rich Peverley, Ron Hainsey and Tobias Enstrom. Evander Kane and Zac Bogosian should be tougher with last season's experience under their belts, and you don't want to mess with Kane. And you can't forget their punching bag Eric Boulton ...

N00bz: The return from the Kovy trade Johnny Oduya and Nic Bergfors, St. Louis stopper and beard-grower extraordinaire Chris Mason, and those Hawks: Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel. Prospects Patrice Cormier (Devils) and Akim Aliu (Hawks) should both get shots as well.

Last Year: Thursday, Nov. 12th, 5-3 Ranger loss; Monday, Dec. 14th, 3-2 Ranger shootout loss; Thursday, Jan. 7th, 2-1 Ranger shootout loss; Friday, March 12th, 5-2 Ranger win.

This Year: Wednesday, October 27th in MSG; Saturday, January 22nd at Atlanta; Friday, February 11th at Atlanta; Thursday, April 7th in MSG.

What They Mean To Blue: Of all of their acquisitions - Buff included - Mason is the biggest. Ondrej Pavelec may have a good future ahead of him but Mason can win games by himself right now. He singlehandedly carried St Louis to the playoffs two seasons ago and is one of the most underrated goaltenders around (and this season he will rock an awesome mask). All he will need is a little help from the offense. If Buff isn't a bust in his new city, if Alexander Burmistrov can make the leap from the O, if Aliu and Cormier contribute, if Kane avoids the sophomore jinx and if Bergfors keeps improving, their young talent could emulate the aforementioned Blues and edge into a lower-seeded playoff slot ... exactly where the Rangers are aiming. But that is a lotta ifs ...

Peepin' Foes Preview Edition: Anaheim Ducks

So here is the first of the team puck previews for 2010-11. I'll try to do one a day or every two days leading up to preseason. Gotta get back into the rhythm again ...

The Ducks will be missing two of the old familiars this season, with J.S. Giguere sent to Toronto late last year and Scott Niedermayer retiring. Seriously this time. After loathing him for so long while he was a Devil, it was a little odd to see him raise a Cup in Anaheim. Despite all of the hatred, even a Ranger fan has to appreciate his resume. Too bad a lot of it happened across the Hudson ... But back to the Quack Attack.

Familiar Foes: The Ducks have that albino Islander bridge troll Jason Blake but at this point in his career you hardly have to worry about him. You do have to be concerned with Ryan Getzlaf - one of the best all-around players in the NHL - and his wing-man Corey Perry. Jersey boy Bobby Ryan has not been re-signed at this point but it seems like a Dubinsky-esque certainty. Todd Marchant and Saku Koivu are shadows of the players they once were but Teemu Selanne is still dangerous. And if they add Paul Kariya (as is still rumoured) he and the Finnish Flash may be able to find a little of their old form.

N00bz: Nick Bonino, Andy Sutton, Toni Lydman and Aaron Voros. Bonino was assistant captain at BU and had a nine game guest appearance late last season; he has serious skills. Sutton does not, as we well remember from his time headhunting with the Thrashers and Isles and his time as an expert in Ottawa. Lydman is quiet and capable but certainly not a real threat on either side of the ice. And the People's Champ, well, he may be able to block some of Prust's punches with his face, maybe hurting the Ranger's knuckles.

Last Year: Sunday, October 11th, a 3-0 Ranger win.

This Year: Just one game this season - in Anaheim on Wednesday, March 9th, 2011. That should be right before the annual 'oh crap, the playoffs are coming' last ditch pitch for eighth place.

What They Mean To Blue: Very little aside from two points. As a team out west, they won't be battling the Blueshirts for a playoff spot and there is no historical hatred. But, as we saw last year, two points can be the difference between the postseason and golf and the Ducks will likely be battling for a position in the playoffs as well so those two points could be tough to get.

Scotty Nostradamus '09-10

Just like last season, I am going to shake the magic sno-globe and see where everything lands. It is kind of ridiculous - let's face it meteorologists have science on their side and they stink at predicting the future. But we all like to play prognosticator so I will step into the role again. Granted, many of my predictions last season were wrong, but what the hell?

Standings
Eastern Conference
1. * Washington - Ovie, Backstrom, healthy Semin, healthy Green, Mike Knuble ... even Poti can't pull them down.
2. * Boston - Even without Kessel they can score and Timmy T and Mount Zdeno make sure other teams don't.
3. * Philadelphia - Pronger's elbows help make up for Emery's woes.
4. Pittsburgh - No Scuderi hurts more than expected but Cindy, Gina and the Flower are still around.
5. Carolina - Staal bounces back and hits 100, while the Wizard Whitney continues his mightily unappreciated wizardry.
6. New Jersey - Mmmmmmaaaaaarrrrrtttttyyyyy. Mmmmmmaaaaaarrrrrtttttyyyyy.
7. Buffalo - Population of Pominville surges back to norm while Miller makes his case for Olympic starter.
8. Toronto - Strong defense gives the Monster some confidence and Kessel comes out strong ... in December.
--------------
9. NY Rangers - Tortorella's tough talk can only go so far with a flawed superstar and a overburdened goaltender.
10. Montreal - MexiCan't can't make up for Steve Penney Carey Price and Cammalleri is no Kovalev.
11. Tampa Bay - Healthy Mike Smith with an improved defense helps Vinny04 find his game again.
12. Atlanta - Offense will have more punch but no XLB and weak goaltending spells doom.
13. Florida - Loss of Bouwmeester and Anderson hurts. A lot.
14. Ottawa - No Heatley, injury-prone goaltending and Jarkko Ruutu aren't a recipe for success.
15. NY Islanders - Too many kids, too terrible a defense but I have a bad feeling that they will be damned good in the near future. And that's one helluva bad feeling.
* = Division Leader

Western Conference
1. * Detroit - They're the Red Wings, 'nuff said.
2. * San Jose - Regular season stars yet again.
3. * Calgary - Top three D can't be beat as Sutters star in home province.
4. Dallas - Healthy captain Morrow doesn't let Turco slide, proves that the Avery distraction was indeed the reason they sucked.
5. Vancouver - Improved defense helps Lou chase Stanley silver along with Olympic gold.
6. Chicago - Twenty-Cent leads charge in last season before cap woes kill dream.
7. Anaheim - No Pronger, no problem as Hiller is no Swiss cheese.
8. St. Louis - Prepare to get Oshied as JD's brats come up big again.
--------------
9. Columbus - Even Hitch can't stop Mason from pulling a Price.
10. Los Angeles - The kids are alright. Not good, not bad, alright.
11. Nashville - No Radulov, no goals. No Zanon, no blocked shots.
12. Phoenix - Off ice turmoil too much, even for Captain Canada Shane Doan.
13. Minnesota - Lemaire was there for a reason. Can't attack without any offense.
14. Edmonton - Two coaches not better than one, especially if twitchy Bulin Wall crumbles.
15. Colorado - Everything will be downhill after the Sakic ceremony.
* = Division Leader

I won't do individual awards but here are 10 other shots in the dark:

*The NHL will have more than three 100 point scorers. And Zach Parise will be one of them.
*Bobby Ryan will score 45 goals.
*Jeff Carter will not.
*The Olympics will cost the Detroit Red Wings the Stanley Cup.
*Mats Sundin will return to the NHL, and will play for the Rangers.
*Mmmmaaarrrtttyyy Brodeur will get injured again.
*Los Angeles will trade for a goaltender at the deadline, thinking they can run for the playoffs.
*Jacques Martin won't last the season in Montreal.
*Versus and Direct TV won't come to terms, screwing hockey fans yet again.
*I will finally make it to Philly for a game and will escape without a criminal record.

Now for some personal certainties: Aside from crossing Philly off my arena list, I am also going to get out to a few Olympic games in Vancouver - have tix to two Russia games, one Sweden, one Finland and trying to get one for a USA game as well. While I am out west I will catch my first junior game (Seattle vs. Vancouver) and may even get a NCAA DI game in this season to; I may not hit the Winter Classic this time around - no one worth rooting for - but will try to get to Fenway for BU/BC the next week. Fingers crossed.

Here on the blog I have no big plans for new types of content: no podcasts, radio or video shows. If you can think of something you want - aside from me to stop hating on Brashear - feel free to chime in. I hope to have a new masthead hopefully by the end of the weekend though. Peepin' Foes for the Pens and for the Sens will both be up by Friday afternoon.

Save Your $$$!!! (Part 2)

Much like in my first Save Your $$$ post, I have to warn you guys away from a hockey publication.

Sad to say, as you can see, its a Hockey News product - their "ULTIMATE" fantasy guide ... it's ultimately useless crap.

I saw it on the newsstands a few weeks back and wondered why I didn't get it with my subscription. I finally called this week and they said that it wasn't included. Now that right there should have rang some warning bells but, as I always admit, I am a hockey geek so I had to have it. I shelled out the eight bucks and, let me tell you, would have had more fun setting that money on fire.

First off, the guide was clearly rushed out so it is hopelessly out of date. The player-by-player listing misses a large chunk of guys (I am guessing that was because of a space issue), and it also doesn't include a shorthanded points category. Then, to top things off, the first two team previews I looked at had embarrassing editorial issues - the Wild preview mentions the Backstrom/Harding goaltending situation and then says "while one of them will be moved in order to fill another hole at some point, these three puck stoppers represent Minnesota's biggest strength." So clearly they edited out the mention of Manny Fernandez without reading through and making sure the rest made sense. And the Rangers preview had a mistake as well: "On defense Staal joins Girardi, Tyutin, Michal Rozsival, Paul Mara and to form an unheralded corps with something to prove." Now while I would love to forget about the existence of Marek Malik, I cannot, and neither should the proofreader. That's just sloppy and inexcusable.

Brian Costello is listed as the "Senior Special Sections Editor" and by the product he put out, should clearly be editing nothing more than a high school newspaper. Sadly the rest of the staff of THN is listed in the masthead so they should go to the box and feel shame as well.

Don't waste your money on this rag, instead spend five minutes and look up the material yourself online. If you aren't one to get hands on, don't waste your time with the fantasy columns at Yahoo or ESPN, instead turn to Dobber because his site is fantastic. Although, just taking a glance at it now, his staff did a review of some fantasy books and gave this very same THN guide four stars for content so I am not sure how much I trust him now ... hmmmmmm ...

East Siiide, What?

As promised, here is my Eastern Conference preview, why I care (or not) and what I am watching (or not).' If you want real team previews, throw down some cash for the THN book. I worked on this here and there over several days so hopefully it doesn't come off as too disjointed.

For my ramblings on the Western teams, click here. The names in parenthesis are the ones that each division should be called, enough of this boring geographic bullsh-t.

Southeast (Calder Division)
1. Tampa Bay Lightning: What a ridiculously top-heavy team. But no matter how good Vinny Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and Brad Richards are and how bad their goaltending is, the Bolts are hard to watch. I just no not enjoy watching them, donno what it is. And now they have ugly jerseys too, so why bother?
2. Washington Capitals: Now this is a team that I can't wait to watch. They have heroes in Alex Ovechkin, Olaf Kolzig and now Michael Nylander. They have villains in Donald Brashear and Tom Poti. And man do I haaaaaaaate Poti. I am quite sad to see him gone from the Isles, it was much easier to loathe him there. Here I just have to hope he doesn't do anything too stupid that ends up hurting Ovie. But back to the point, they should be fun to watch. Especially in their nice, new uniforms.
3. Florida Panthers: I can't think of any real reason to watch them. Eventually they may be good, Vokoun in net will get them another 10 wins or so, but there is no flash or spark. I am interested in seeing this Cory Murphy guy they are importing to run their power play. After all, they can't seem to trust Jay Bouwmeester to do it, the guy can't even drive himself to the rink anymore.
4. Atlanta Thrashers: Now they may have their famous fans, but they stink, especially after mortgaging their future just to lose to the Rangers in a sweep. Hopefully Hossa can repeat his 100 point effort of last season, my fantasy season depends on it!!
5. Carolina Hurricanes: I have read all sorts of things that predict these guys will return to Stanley Cup form. I really don't think so. While Cam Ward is a nice guy, I think he will prove to be Steve Penny. Good kid though, gave me an autograph once.

Northeast (Adams Division)
1. Ottawa Senators: So they got an ugly new logo, they still have some great players. Dany Heatley can score a helluva lot better than he can drive and Anton Volchenkov is the best shot blocker in the league. Combined with their goon Ray Emery, they are great to watch.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: Yeah, this is pretty damn far fetched, but you never know. As much as I hated him as an Islander, Jason Blake is pretty damn good and should be the help Mats Sundin needs to get into the playoffs (hope they made amends). Then again, they are the Maple Leafs, and something will go wrong. Adding Vesa Toskala and dealing away Tuukka Rask will likely prove to be a massive mistake but we shall see.
3. Montreal Canadiens: The Habs blew it last year to their biggest rivals on the last game (which was an incredible game to watch). So you gotta figure that they will come out with a chip on their shoulder this year. While Huet and Halak will likely start the year as the goaltenders, Carey Price will eventually take the job and may very well become the next Ken Dryden.
4. Buffalo Sabres: While they were good last year, 7.7 seconds was all that separated them from a second round defeat by the Rangers. And now we took Drury from them and Briere bounced to Philly. They still have Ryan Miller, so they should be able to hold their own. Oh, and I am a big fan of Andrew Peters, probably the classiest enforcer in the NHL.
5. Boston Bruins: My dad will not want to accept this, but the Big, Bad Bruins blow. Even with Zdeno Chara, and now Manny Fernandez, they still suck on offense ... and defense ... so don't expect much. I am quite thankful to them for one of the highlights of my season.

Atlantic (Patrick Division)
1. Pittsburgh Penguins: I really loathe Cindy Crosby but damn is he fun to watch. The guy is going to turn into a shark - now he had a taste of the playoffs, and I think he will carry the Pens even farther. They added Petr Sykora, who the Rangers shouldn't have gotten rid of, but still have no backup goaltender for Fleury.
2. New York Rangers: Because I am so superstitious, I don't want to jinx anything about our boys, but I will say that I think Marc Staal needs a shot at a job, I can't wait to see Chris Drury take a last second shot and Marek Malik still needs to be shot.
3. Philadelphia Flyers: Now the horrible Sporting News hockey preview asked "can you say worst to first?" for them, and then ranked them in third. Third, not first. The Penguins are better and the Rangers (hopefully) are better but the Flyers won't repeat their mess of last season. If Briere and Simon Gagne have any chemistry at all, Philly will be a force to reckoned with again, even if they are a far cry from the Broad Street Bullies.
4. New Jersey Devils: Marty will carry them again, and having a Sutter as coach will make them hard to play night in and night out. Losing Gomez and Rafalski will hurt their power play, but little else. Now moving to Newark, that will hurt their attendance. I just hope I don't get shot when I go there.
5. New York Islanders: I am even more mad at them than usual; they let Tom Poti go to Washington. What better situation for me is to have my most hated player on my most hated team??? For what to expect, Nolan will get the most out of his players, but they blow and won't get all that far. Good. Most of their fans are rude and ignorant, their arena is a dump and most of their players don't belong in the NHL. Screw 'em.

It's Labor Day, So I Labored On This

Ok, I started writing this preview at three in the morning and it was basically a condensed version of the yearbooks. Then I read over it after four hours of sleep and decided 'screw you people, I will write why I care (or not) and what I am watching (or not).' If you want real team previews, throw down some cash for the THN book (see two posts down).

For each division, I put in parenthesis the names that I recommended in my post earlier this summer with things I would do if I was commish. This sport should have a bit of character, not be as white-washed and benign as other sports. So onto my thoughts on each team; now the West (Campbell), later the East (Prince o' Wales) because I am at work and they don't pay me to do this ...

Pacific Division (Smythe Division): I think the standings will remain the same from last year as the balance of power has not shifted in the least.
1. Anaheim Ducks: They replaced Dustin Penner and Teemu Selanne with Todd Bertuzzi, which will be interesting because if Bert can get any of the form back that he had before clobbering Steve Moore then the Ducks will have taken care of both at once. As for Scott Neidermayer, I hated him as a Devil, but he is a classy guy and a winner and deserves a slot in the Hall of Fame.
2. San Jose Sharks: I think it was a mistake to let Vesa Toskala go to Toronto for some draft picks. Having insurance of his caliber for Nabokov can't be replaced with a rookie, even if they were trained by the late, great Warren Strelow. I also think that tweaking their logo will prove to be a mistake but we will see once they step on the ice.
3. Dallas Stars: Defensively they are probably the best team in the NHL - their rearguards are fantastic and both of their goaltenders superstars. If anyone watched the All Star game last year -- and I bet there aren't many of you -- then you saw that Versus mic'd Marty Turco during the game. He was awesome and endearing and hopefully he makes the game again and they mic him again.
4. Los Angeles Kings: I would be in the Jack Johnson fan club, if there was one. He was fantastic at the end of last season. He hits, he fights, he plays his position well. You can always tell when he is on the ice and he stands up for his teammates, but he has to stop fighting while wearing a visor, that is chickensh-t Richie Pilon garbage. I look forward to when the Kings come to town in February.
5. Phoenix Coyotes: Poor Gretz, I don't think he fully realized what he was getting himself into. These guys suck. They really, really suck. If the league ever got smart and contracted, based on skill, this team would be candidate number one. At least Gretz still has his records (at least until Cindy breaks them).

Northwest (Brooks Division): This will probably be the most competitive division this year. Every team has improved. But, because they all have gotten better, the battles they will go through will probably run them all ragged so it will be that much harder to get through to the Finals.
1. Vancouver Canucks: They have Roberto Luongo, and let's face it, he is all they need. If he ever wins in the playoffs, I think he could go down as one of the best goaltenders in history - Roy, Sawchuck, etc. In front of him, Kevin Bieksa was great last year and I look forward to see him do it again. I also want Markus Naslund to return to form because he blew last year (screwing me in fantasy!).
2. Calgary Flames: "Hey Keenan! You suck!" Yelling that from the sixth row, next to my embarrassed dad, in the Garden was one of my favourite moments in my life. Call me lame, whatever, I don't care, it was awesome. He will either make the Flames winners, or he will burn out real quick and what a meltdown that will be on the Red Mile.
3. Minnesota Wild: I love their third jerseys and now they are adopting them as primary (but tweaking them for RBK, whatever). I have heard that their home games are incredible experiences and hope to enjoy one soon. Plus Marian Gaborik is awesome to watch as long as his groin is in good shape.
4. Colorado Avalanche: Peter Budaj is one of the most religious players in the league so he better pray to Jesus that he can hold up his part of the bargain because expectations are sky high. Scott Hannan and Ryan Smyth were fantastic pick ups (and I hope rumours prove to be true) and Peter Forsberg may return to their team to give Joe Sakic one last great chance to get the Cup.
5. Edmonton Oilers: Dustin Penner really didn't deserve all that money. Kevin Lowe probably assured the league of another lockout in two years with the offer sheet he foolheartedly gave the Duckling. Thanks, dick.

Central (Norris Division) As it was for the last 10 years, this division belongs to the Wings. Year after year, Ken Holland builds a winner. They are just too good. The Blues and the Hawks are on the upswing, and that can only be good for the NHL. Nashville should not exist.
1. Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman, Joey Kocur ... how could you not love them? And they aren't even on the ice! As for the guys who are, watching Nick Lidstrom is a clinic in how to play defense. And watching Dom Hasek is a car wreck where there are cars flying everywhere but zero damage done ... totally awe-inspiring and insane.
2. St. Louis Blues: I miss John Davidson on MSG doing colour commentary but I guess he made a good decision because he is doing a helluva job with the Blues. Here is our tribute to him last year when the Blues came to town. As long as poor lil Manny Legace can stay healthy, they will return to pre-MacInnis-retirement form. However, I do not buy into the hype around top draft pick Erik Johnson, I don't think he will be all that good. We shall see ...
3. Chicago Blackhawks: I also don't think Pat Kane will be anything special, at least not for a few years (and 30 pounds). Maybe its an American thing ... Brian Lawton showed that top American picks aren't the best decisions (DP can kiss my ass). I do think that Jonathan Toews and Jack Skille will be good and with Marty Havlat and Robert Lang the offense should pick up. As long as Haaaaaaaaa-B-boolin is ok, the Hawks will begin to return to early 90's form.
4. Nashville Predators: What a colossal clusterf--k. If the league was smart they would have let the team move to Hamilton and the Preds would be in second. Instead these idiots stayed in f--king Nashville and had to break down an exciting team. Chris Mason was good last year but he isn't Vokoun. I hope they enjoy losing in an empty building.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets: Dude, seriously ... they blow. Even Ken Hitchcock won't be able to make this mess of a roster win anytime soon. I still like Manny Malhotra though!

Check back later (or tomorrow) for the East!