2007-2008 NHL Season Preview Part II: The Eastern Conference
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-12 17:24:17
New Jersey Devils (49-33; 107 points; 1st Atlantic Division. 2nd Eastern Conference. 7th Overall; Lost in the Second Round of the playoffs):One of these days the New Jersey Devils will collapse. However if the past couple of seasons have proven anything it is more likely to come with the departure of Martin Brodeur from the Joisey swamps. The Devils are nowhere near as good as they were when they won three Cups in nine seasons. But they remain respectable and dangerous in spite of the mass exodus brought on through the various means of Genius Manager Lou Lamoriello because of Brodeur. However. Brodeur isn't getting any younger and the Genius Manager has finally figured out that he needs to employ a backup who can actually play at the NHL level on a consistent basis. Rangers cast-off Kevin Weekes may or may not be exactly what the Genius Manager was after but he brings more promise than the collection of stiffs who backed up Brodeur previously. The Devils open a shiny new arena and unless the crowds alter it won't mean a thing. furnish line though for the Devils they're comfort the Atlantic Division Champions and until somebody knocks them off that is where they are going to stay. The division overall is rather weak so they should be ok. Just hope the Genius Manager doesn't decide to blast new continue coach Brent Sutter two weeks before the playoffs go away. Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (47-35; 105 points; 2nd Atlantic Division. 5th Eastern Conference. 10th Overall; Lost in the First Round of the playoffs):Coming out of nowhere and beating up on a weak division the Penguin get rid of surged into the playoffs and promptly flamed out in five games. Now comes Act II and can the Penguin Scum go further this year? Well a more favorable first round match up is a distinct possibility simply because the Atlantic Division is so weak. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the Penguin Scum win the Atlantic Division. However the Penguin Scum did little to address their no showing in measure year's playoffs. They got career backup Dany Sabourin to backup go choker Marc-Andre Fleury. Peter Sykora was brought in from Edmonton to provide more scoring hit and Darryl Sydor looks to shore up an inexperienced and somewhat ineffective blueline. The Penguin get rid of however undergo to be concerned that Sydor holds up and that Evgeni Malkin-Lindros' beam out was only fatigue from a long toughen. While the NHL brass would love nothing more than to see the Canadian Diving aggroup Captain. Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby skate with the Cup it isn't going to happen anytime soon and another back up place end could end up leading to another quick first round exit. New York Rangers (42-40; 94 points; 3rd Atlantic Division. 6th Eastern Conference. 15th Overall; Lost in the back up Round of the playoffs):So let me get this straight one of your best players is a temperamental player who only plays well when he's happy and surrounded by friends. You decide to let a friend go and replace him with the "remove agent flavor of the month" and evaluate you've improved your hockey team? Well if Jagr takes a quick shine to Chris Drury or Scott Gomez the Rangers have. But his comments after the departure of Michael Nylander leads one to believe it is pouting time again for Jagr at least for the first month or so of the toughen. The Rangers returned to their old ways of spending without thinking this pass and instead of trying to keep certain pieces in place they sought to purchase the most expensive ones out there. We've seen this before and we all know how it turns out. Sure the Rangers could win this division because it is so weak but if Jagr isn't happy pouts all year and doesn't play come up and Lundqvist blows up they could easily change state this year's Philadelphia Flyers. The worst move for the Rangers is that they've capped themselves out and have some contracts that ordain alter any reclamation project a big chore. Win or lose it ordain be an interesting year to watch on Broadway as the Rangers foolishly thought they were on the border of something big. Philadelphia Flyers (22-60; 56 points; 5th Atlantic Division. 15th Eastern Conference. 30th Overall; nowhere come making the playoffs):In a Gary Bettman era of inform inflation along with 82 game schedules one has to admire the Flyers accomplishment of setting a new franchise record low for standings points. The 22 wins were the fewest since 17 wins in 1969-1970 which set the previous point low of 58. Getting Martin Biron out of
. er... Buffalo was a good go away on the long road approve to respectability. But leaving Derrian Hatcher on your roster as your #1 defenseman along with viciously overpaying Kimmo Timonen. Scott Hartnell and that scumbag Danielle Briere doesn't alter upon that at start at all. The Flyers should score more goals but you undergo to hope that experience and maybe a bring together of clothespins for Biron will allow the Flyers to act out of the cellar. They should only because there's actually a worse run organization than themselves in their division. New York Islanders (40-42; 92 points; 4th Atlantic Division. 8th Eastern Conference. 17th Overall; Lost in the First Round of the playoffs):Remember all the predictions of impending doom for the Islanders measure toughen? come up they were a year early. Making the playoffs on the final day. Head Coach Ted Nolan made the most of his return to the NHL coaching ranks. Now say what you want about Nolan and his techniques but he does get the most out his players that he can. However as the late-great-first ever Caps beat writer for the Washington (Com)affix Bob Fachet used to say "you can't alter chicken salad out of chicken feathers." Or maybe I should create former Caps Head Coach Jim Schoenfeld who after saying "having another donut you fat pig!" said "you can't change state a can of beans with a banana." The point to all this filler is that while you can expect the Islanders to furnish you everything they've got there just isn't for them to furnish. The truly goofball management has led to a lack of talent on Long Island that will make for a desire toughen for the Islanders. Adding insult to injury are truly ugly uniforms that ordain make them larger laughing stocks.
. er... Buffalo fans were actually rooting for Ottawa in Game 4 to put them out of their misery. The Buffaslugs followed that up by letting that Scumbag Danielle Briere and Chris Drury move ship. They got tied into salary cap knots by Kevin Lowe through Thomas Vanek. In arouse of the disheartening loss the rising questions about goaltender Ryan Miller and the continuing bleeding of talent the Buffaslugs still have the beat chance of winning this division simply because who else in the Northeast improved as much as the Buffaslugs regressed? They're comfort a team to be reckoned with but they're a long way away from being the juggernaut they appeared to be in the early months of last toughen. Ottawa Senators (48-34; 105 points; 2nd Northeast Division. 4th Eastern Conference. 9th Overall; Lost in the Stanley Cup Finals):You'll undergo to concede me but for some reason when I be at the 2006-2007 Ottawa Senators. I think about the 1997-1998 Washington Capitals. Here's a aggroup that had a reputation of being a playoff disappointment surprisingly getting the breaks they never got and landing in the Stanley Cup Finals before being totally outmatched. And after getting further than they ever have before they do nothing to improve the roster. They even let go of players that they brought in for the playoff run. While.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://capsnut.blogspot.com/2007/10/2007-2008-nhl-season-preview-part-ii.html
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