NHL is back!!

Hockey’s back!

NHL season starts up tonight. So here we go with my 2 cents, a few thoughts on each team, a few yays or nays to teams making the playoffs, or whatever else pops into my head. Feel free to contact with a comment.   
--Warning: I have no idea what I’m doing, so be gentle with the comments--    
Let's Do it:


Pacific Division 

Anaheim Ducks: Boom!, right out of the gate a team that could make the Cup final this year. If not win it all. This is the word on the street. Hard to argue with it. Yeah, Ducks make playoffs. 

Arizona Coyotes: Ouch, right after Anaheim the one team I am most certain won’t make the playoffs. Sorry Coyotes fans. No, genuinely I feel sorry. I understand your pain. I’m a Leafs and Oilers fan…enough said 

Calgary Flames: Flames play with heart the way you wish every team would play. If they make the playoffs it’ll be close. Unfortunately I’m leaning to the no side…Of course if they make the playoffs, and face Vancouver again they will beat them, that’s just a given. 

Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid….The Oilers have to be better this year right?....Right?!!… 2 things: 
A. If they are terrible again, the city of Edmonton will burn. This is fact. 
B. They will be better, and when they are, and you are rooting for them, and they are one of the hottest teams to watch. Remember folks like me, who’ve been there the past decade --We're easy to spot: Many still rocking in the fetal position, hugging our helmut-less Craig Mactavish dolls-- …the Oilers have to be better this year right?! 

LA Kings: I see the team bounce back, playoffs ahead. Do they make like Chicago and get a third quick cup?....The pieces are there, can they put them together again is the question. Also, Darryl Sutter Playoff game press conferences are magical, so you gotta hope they make it.

San Jose Sharks: Oh boy. If they are ever going to win a Stanley Cup with this incarnation of the team it has to be now. It won’t be…Does everyone in this organization even on the same page to want to win a Cup? 

Vancouver Canucks: Baaa! Now I just repeat myself. -- If they are ever going to win a Stanley Cup with this incarnation of the team it has to be now. It won’t be..-- I’ll add, it REALLY has to be now, and it REALLY won’t be. 


Central Division 

Chicago Blackhawks: I like Chicago. Even though they have nothing to prove, back to back Cups would be amazing. Not gonna happen though. Lots of roster changes aren’t the problem. It’s everyone else getting tougher, stronger, smarter gunning for them. Prove me wrong Chicago. 

Colorado Avalanche: Better than last year. I’ll do the opposite of the Flames. If they make it to the playoffs it’ll be close, though I’m leaning to the yes side 

Dallas Stars: Look out. If Dallas plays the way they should be able to play, they will be a site to see this year. Didn’t come together last year, it will this year. Playoffs here come the Stars. 

Minnesota Wild: Will they nab 100 points this year? No. Wish I was wrong, yep. Wild will be a good team, that JUST misses the playoffs. 

Nashville Predators: Nashville will pull a chapter out of the LA book this year. Not a great season, certainly nothing like last year. Playoffs come though, they are in, and they could go on a tear. 

--SIDE NOTE: Nearly got to end and realized I missed St. Louis, I’m back to pencil in some thoughts— 
St. Louis Blues: …Umm, actually that ^ kinda explains St. Louis doesn’t it. Always there, always in the thick of it. You don’t really think too much about them though. Come on St. Louis, get it going. You can be so much more than ‘Oh yeah them’. It’s the Stanley Cup not the Pity Cup, do it in the playoffs already. 

Winnipeg Jets: Gotta love the Jets. Gotta love Jets fans. Gotta love Paul Maurice press conferences when the stupid questions start coming. Angry Paul Maurice is fun –like a mini John Torotorella-- We’ll probably see a lot of angry Paul Maurice this year. Jets JUST make the playoffs! 


Atlantic Division 

Boston Bruins: The Bs are back! Great regular season, not so great playoffs. For Boston fans I’m truly hoping it’s not because of Montreal. Good news is the team gets their in-house sh$t straight this year. 

Buffalo Sabres: They will be better this year. Infact, it would be harder for the Sabres to be worse this year over last year, than it would be to win the Stanley Cup when you think about it. Won’t be either, No Cup, no NHL basement. And of course they dominate games VS the Leafs all season…just one of those things right. 

Detroit Red Wings: Coach is gone, older players are a year older. Detroit could really drop off this year. They won’t. They won’t finish with 100 points either. If they miss the playoffs it won’t be the coaches fault, no matter how much he’s blamed….Similar to the Randy Carlyle rule I suppose. 

Florida Panthers: What the heck is going on with the Panthers?...Doesn’t really matter, Jaromir Jagr is there, and he’s promised to grow back his mullet, anything else is inconsequential (--ding ding ding, congratulations, you just found the classiest word in this is post!, good job!)…Florida may do surprisingly well, or surprisingly bad this year. Either way they are building to something…Just not sure what yet. 

Montreal Canadiens: Congratulations Montreal fans, yep the Habs will make the playoffs, again. Carey Price will be fantastic, again. And unless they learn to score more goals, they won’t be hoisting the Cup, again…Think of it this way Montreal. Tampa is to you as you are to Boston. 

Ottawa Senators: I'm not a Sens fan, at all. Far as I'm concerned they are the Nickelback of the NHL. Anywho, they’ll be a better overall team, more consistent, than last year. Still not move much in the standings though. If they make the playoffs it will be an early exit. 

Tampa Bay Lightning: Things are looking good for Tampa. They could really tear it up this year. Probably will. Prepare to see piles of game highlights coming out of FLA this year. Good news, after last year's run, this year when they get into the playoffs their home crowds will actually know how the game is played. Always a bonus.

Toronto Maple Leafs: My team! Always have been, always will be. I've drank the Blue Kool-Aid too long to leave now anyway.
The Leafs will be better than expected this year...Or at least play better. Or at least have better press conferences. OK, at least be more consistent…in practice; something will be better than expected. 
Different than expected will be the roster come seasons end. Worst part of the season will be when they somehow finish 9th. 


Metropolitan Division: Yes, as per usual the Central Divison will be a beast, so too may this one be this year. 

Carolina Hurricanes: OK, not the most beastly team to start with…Still Carolina aren’t as bad as we think they are, or as bad as they played last year. Better yes. 30 more points better to make the playoffs? Tough to see happening…Maybe a Hartford Whalers throwback night would help! Come on, it would be sweet to see those sweaters in action again wouldn't it?!

Columbus Blue Jackets: 10 points better, to make the playoffs this year; this one I could see happening. Unlike the Leafs, a better than expected year from Columbus will see a playoff appearance. 

New Jersey Devils: Big changes in the Garden State with Lou Lamoriello gone. Lou there or not, this is gearing up to be a nasty, long, painful season in New Jersey…Nice part, at the end you can just Fuggedaboutit and look forward to next year.
Pro Tip: If it gets REAL bad watch for New Jersey hockey fans sneaking into Islanders games. Someone’s gotta get some use of that new arena. 

New York Islanders: Speak of the Devil(s)! New arena, and a team not in the toilet (arena, or skill wise). The Islanders are evolving more and more into the real deal. Playoffs, yes. Past the first round, hey why not! 

New York Rangers: Now we’re getting into the meat of the division and yet another team with a chance to go all the way. Rangers will again be silly good. Not quite, though it’s getting to do or die time for this version of the team. You’ve gotta feel for who they beat in the first round of the playoffs. It’ll go to game 7, maybe some overtime too. Then the Rangers could be off and running to the final. 

Philadelphia Flyers: Philly you frustrate me so much. Potential is there. And you’ve done it before, toilet one year, dominate the next. I’ll go against the grain and say Philly somehow –don’t know how- makes the playoffs…Besides I better say that, those folks in Philly have been know to dislike good wholesome Canadians. I remember what you did to that hitch hiking robot, dammit! 

---Was this point I remembered St. Louis, anywho, back now. Where were we-- 

Pittsburgh Penguins: Phil Kessel…It’s weird, now out of Toronto, not all fans, and rabid media eyes, will be on Phil this year. Yet, all hockey eyes likely will be. All hockey jaws might drop too when it’s all said and done. I like Phil, and in the situation he’s going into playing with Crosby and Malkin you can almost see the goals tallying up now. Good luck to him….Penguins as a whole are thinking Stanley Cup this year. Not gonna happen though. 

Washington Capitals: Last year I really thought the Capitals were set to break out in the Playoffs. This year, yep, the same. They’re doing everything right, you gotta think it’s gotta come together for them at some point. If they figure out how to finish off those 3-1 series they could go all the way. 


There’s my 2 cents heading into the season. As I said I have no idea what I’m doing; example: quick review and it looks like I’ve got far more teams to make the playoffs than actual playoff spots. Guess I’m an optimist. 

As for a Stanley Cup champ. It’s so hard going into this season. I’ll say LA. They could come back with a vengeance. An LA/Washington final perhaps. 

Anaheim or the Rangers could get over the hump too. And still, a rematch of last year works. Tampa’s strong and Chicago is, well, Chicago. Another Cup in the Windy City isn’t an insane idea at all. 

As long as the Leafs are better than expected at something, anything; and the Oilers are just flat out better -They have to be right?!- I’m good. 

I want to wear that Oilers toque and not hear boos dammit! 


-Gilmore