In the grand tradition of predicting stuff, let's predict the playoff teams (and for the heartier, the division winners & seeds) for the NHL season!
MY PREDICTIONS: East 1. Flyers 2. Senators 3. Hurricanes 4. Devils 5. Leafs 6. Canadiens 7. Bruins 8. Capitals West 1. Red Wings 2. Avalanche 3. Sharks 4. Stars 5. Coyotes 6. Flames 7. Blues 8. Canucks PLAYOFFS Flyers over Capitals Sens over Bruins Canadiens over Hurricanes Devils over Leafs Wings over Canucks...again. Avalanche over Blues Flames over Sharks Stars over Coyotes
Flyers over Canadiens Devils over Senators Wings over Flames Avalanche over Stars
Flyers over Devils Avalanche over Wings
COLORADO DEF. PHILADELPHIA in FINALS
Thoughts: The Wild, Wild West is again the hardest conference to win. The Flames finally break into playoffs and win playoff series for first time in 14 years...but that's it. Avs and resurgent Forsberg win Cup.
Flames: 0-0-0-0 [Training Camp opens Sunday] Stampeders: 3-8-0-2 [Last place in CFL West Division]
I think there's a lot of dreaming going on here. Leafs should be lower, Canadiens higher, Bruins too.
Stars should be lower, Flames higher, Coyotes should fall way the hell out. And your top three will be jostled around.
There are a lot of other teams that stand a chance, and theres no way the Devils go to the finals.
Now, on the flip side, I refuse to make any actual predictions, beyond my critique, as you and I both know there is no way anything we say will come true. I'm just looking forward to good hockey with no clutch and grab (or less, anyway). If the Pens get some open ice, they WILL be this year's sleeper.
Just remember, they were counted out in '91, and all they got was their name on a rather magnificent piece of hardware.
Marty doesn't need surgery. This is a great day. I almost feel like I can say, I don't care that the Steelers lost
as I always predict at this time of year - mainly due to my blind faith - The New York Rangers will defeat the Colorado Avalanche to bring the CUP back to it's rightful home marching down Broadway.......the devils will barely attract fan attention and bow out to the salmon in Ottawa - the flyers will find some way to implode due to booby's ego and mishandling of the franchise - the fishstix out on LI will show that they are one hit wonders and skulk back to the mausoleum in shame.......as big as the payroll will be, the red wings will come up short and Joe Sakic will continue to show that he is one of the finest money players the NHL has ever seen but even he and Patrick Roy won't be enough to stop Darius Kasparaitis (my new favorite Ranger) and crew over at MSG.
Rangers get 90+ points this season. (I called this originally at the trading deadline last season.)
Caps will be much improved over last year.
Hurricanes will come back to earth. Good team, yes, but they won't make it back to the Stanley Cup finals.
Flyers collapse, implode, explode sometime during the season and Clarke will make more stupid trades(promising young player for washed up veteran). Yet somehow, they will end the season with 90 points and look horrible doing it.(I am a season ticket holder.)
Stars will be much improved out West.
100 point teams: Red Wings, Sharks, Avs, Rangers, and Islanders
Flyers lose in the first round again.
Red Wings and the Canucks in the Western Conference finals. Red Wings win the Cup over the Islanders.
These commercials are superfine because they pay for the production costs of putting CHRIS MOTHERFUCKING BENOIT on my GODDAMN TV SCREEN! I will GO GREYHOUND! I am thinking OUTSIDE THE BUN! – Dean Rasmussen 8/1/2002 Smackdown Workrate Report
Evilwaldo...your predictions were good cheap comedy.
The Canucks have crappier players than they did last year [no Cassels, and the Sedin twins are overrated].
They ain't making the Conference Finals.
And Chazerizer...Flames higher? I was being mellow and placing us sixth...and YOU think we could do better? WOW. I've made a believer out of another... That being said, if it's Flames/Red Wings in the playoffs...prepare for the yearly Playoff Upset.
Flames: 0-0-0-0 [Training Camp opens Sunday] Stampeders: 3-8-0-2 [Last place in CFL West Division]
Originally posted by Freeway420Evilwaldo...your predictions were good cheap comedy.
The Canucks have crappier players than they did last year [no Cassels, and the Sedin twins are overrated].
They ain't making the Conference Finals.
And Chazerizer...Flames higher? I was being mellow and placing us sixth...and YOU think we could do better? WOW. I've made a believer out of another... That being said, if it's Flames/Red Wings in the playoffs...prepare for the yearly Playoff Upset.
I really do think the Flames will kick it up a notch. As many other people have said, it may just be blinding optimism, but I really do think they'll pull it off.
Marty doesn't need surgery. This is a great day. I almost feel like I can say, I don't care that the Steelers lost. Again.
I like the Flames, I really do, but for them to 'kick it up a notch' really means to move up to 9th in the conference. They simply aren't deep enough up front. Craig Conroy has already had his best season ever and looks unlikely to repeat (although playing with Iggy will certainly swell his numbers beyond what he could achieve elsewhere), and the rest of the forwards, especially the ghastly Rob Niedermayer, don't have the requisite skill. If they can move Marc Savard, one of the few valuable pieces of trade bait, they may improve somewhat, but don't be expecting miracles unless Turek can steal game after game like he did at the start of last year.
BTW Freeway, with Mike (biggest 5-hole in hockey) Vernon retiring, who will be the #2 guy between the pipes? Is Brent Krahn ready for primetime?
I do agree with the comments re: the Canucks, though. They're a good young team but they've lost ground over the summer and will be hard pressed to better last year's performance.
"Emotional feedback on timeless wavelengths, bearing a gift beyond price- almost free" -- Rush
Opinions have been sanitized for your sanity... Oh yeah, the Flames goaltending tandem will be the 1997-98 JENNINGS TROPHY WINNING Roman Turek & Jamie McLennan.
Flames: 0-0-0-0 [Sept 20: vs. Canucks] Stampeders: 3-9-0-2 [Last place in CFL]
Originally posted by Freeway420Evilwaldo...your predictions were good cheap comedy.
The Canucks have crappier players than they did last year [no Cassels, and the Sedin twins are overrated].
They ain't making the Conference Finals.
And Chazerizer...Flames higher? I was being mellow and placing us sixth...and YOU think we could do better? WOW. I've made a believer out of another... That being said, if it's Flames/Red Wings in the playoffs...prepare for the yearly Playoff Upset.
Outside of the Red Wings it is a bloodbath out West. I just think that the Stars, Sharks, and Avs will beat the crap out of each other this year and someone will sneak in come playoff time.
You really like the Flyers? You have a lot more faith then I do. They have some serious problems on offense and defense.
These commercials are superfine because they pay for the production costs of putting CHRIS MOTHERFUCKING BENOIT on my GODDAMN TV SCREEN! I will GO GREYHOUND! I am thinking OUTSIDE THE BUN! – Dean Rasmussen 8/1/2002 Smackdown Workrate Report
Now that I have had a chance to think clearly. Clarke has always been an egomaniac. The Rangers make a big deal and trade for Bure so he figures that he has to upstage them. Even with two injured centers he needs to make a deal to: 1.