Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's recap the season by briefly talking about each team. To make it simple, I'll organize my notes by division standings and i'll only do the Eastern conference.
Atlantic
New Jersey Devils- Despite losing arguably the best goalie since Patrick Roy for most of the season, the Devils proved that their previous success isn't just because of great goaltending. Guys like Zach Parise, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Patrick Elias really elevated their play to not only keep the Devils in the race, but in the top 3 in the entire conference. Big props to Backup Goalie Scott Clemmensen for rising to the occasion.Pittsburgh Penguins- After a strong start, the Pens slumped for nearly two months. Partly due to an inconsisstent and young goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury, and injuries to their defense, the Pens were in danger of missing the playoffs after nearly winning the cup just a year ago. But with the return of Sergei Gonchar to the blueline, and Fleury's resurgence to his stellar play, the Pens earned their spot.
Philadelphia Flyers- The Flyers were arguably the most consistent team throughout the season. They never really pushed towards the top of the conference, but they were never in danger of losing out and missing the playoffs. Despite overall consistency, the same cannot be said of their goaltending. Biron and Nittymaki both had their struggles this year, and that should give some Philly fans some cause for concern going ahead.
New York Rangers- The Rangers, much like the Pens, started out strong, but found themselves slumping throughout the middle of the season. After the firing of coach Tom Renney, and subsequent hiring of John Torterella, the Rangers turned things around to secure the 7th seed in the Playoffs. Give credit to GM Glen Sather for picking up Nik Antropov and Derrik Morris at the deadline.
New York Islanders- Not much to say here. The Isles struggled from the beginning. Goalie DiPietro continued his injury woes and prevented the isles from ever contending for the playoffs this year. Though, they have a bright future. youngsters like Okposo and Comeau are bright spots on this team. Not to mention they'll most likely get Tavares as the #1 pick in the first round of the Draft. This team will be huge in a couple of years.
NorthEast
Boston Bruins- The Bruins are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Tim Thomas can steal games from the crease, Zdeno Chara has been a strong captain and physical force all year, and forwards like Kessel, Lucic, Savard and Rookie Blake Wheeler have shown a scoring prowess unmatched by any other team in the conference. It is no wonder the B's held the top of the conference almost all year. I can't wait to see how this team plays in the playoffs. Are they the real deal?Montreal Canadiens- The Canadiens had their share of problems this year. Starting Goalie Carey Price was showing a lack of confidence throughout the year by playing inconistently and costing the Habs games throughout the season. Injuries also threatened their season with leading Goal Scorer Robert Lang slicing his achilles halfway through the season. With the resurgence of Price's top play, and Kovalev heating up, they Habs snuck into the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. Facing the top-seeded Bruins will be a tough, and highly anticipated match-up.
Buffalo Sabres- The Sabres are one of the best teams to not make the playoffs this year. Their lackluster play can be attributed to a weak defense, but most analysts would've put their money on Buffalo because of their scorers like Afinogenov, Pominville and Roy. Unfortunately for Buffalo fans, they'll have to rethink their strategy over the summer and try again next year.
Ottawa Senators- The Sens have had goalie problems for a few years now. The tandem of Auld and Gerber just wasn't a strong enough pair to keep the Eastern Conference scorers at bay. Despite their top 3 in Heatley, Spezza and Alfreddson being among the best in the league, their slumping couldn't turn it on in time to make the playoffs. That being said, the Sens were one of the best teams in the last quarter of the season. So who knows what to expect next season...
Toronto Maple Leafs- The Leafs are in trouble. I dont' see much they have to look forward to as this season ends. That doesn't mean they can't make some magic happen over the summer, but i just see big holes in all areas of this team and i'm not sure if they can all be addressed over the summer. Prove me wrong Toronto.
SouthEast
Washington Capitals- The Caps are so fun to watch. With the best all-around player in the league, Ovechkin, skating hard, hitting hard, and shooting often, it's no wonder the Caps are in the playoffs for the second time in a row. Secondary scorers like Laich, Kozlov, Semin and Backstrom really jump-started the caps to winning the SE division. Not to mention Defensman Mike Green (the green monster) breaking all kinds of records this year and being an almost sure pick for the Norris Trophy. The only question mark for the Caps going into the playoffs is their goaltending. Jose Theodore has played better than he is throughout the season, and i can't help but wonder how long that will last.
Carolina Hurricanes- For the latter half of the season, the Hurricanes really began to shine. Goalie Cam Ward led the team to a late surge that earned them a solid spot in the playoffs. Forwards like Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, and Erik Cole proved to be an offense to reckon with. Couple that with a strong defense, and you've got a formidable opponent heading into April.
Florida Panthers- Oh, the Florida Panthers. For the past 4 seasons.. so close, yet so far. This year, they tied for 8th place, but lost due to the tiebreak system. This was a team that was 5th in the conference in mid-march. But after the trade deadline, Florida lost 8 out of 10 to dig them in a hole that proved to be just too deep. With arguably the strongest goaltending tandem in the league, and possibly the strongest Defense in the conference, the panthers seemed like a force to be reckoned with. However, their lack of offense proved to be too much of a problem, and they lost out in the end. Maybe next year...
Atlanta Thrashers- The Atlanta Thrashers weren't meant to be great this year, so their wasn't much disappointment. That being said, the Thrash have much to look forward to. Bogosian and White seem to be top prospects who would make great secondary scorers to star Ilya Kovalchuk. Goaltending could be worse, but it's the Defense that they need to improve if they want to go anywhere in this conference. Look for changes there over the offseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning- The Lightning need to calm down. Over the summer they completely overhauled the team, but they did it very late into the offseason, and i felt it was too much change in too little time. Too much change can affect chemistry in the locker room and on the ice, and that was a deifnite problem this season. Marty St. Louis and #1 pick Stamkos had good years, along with Ryan Malone. Nearly every other part of the team needs serious improvement. Hopefully for TB, the GM can not be so trigger happy and do some smart and slow growth over the years to come.
So, that's that. I'm sure some people disagree with some things, but overall, i think i've given a fair asessment of the Conference.
The first round matchups for the playoffs should be announced today, so i'll post that as soon as i hear about them.
Carolina Hurricanes- For the latter half of the season, the Hurricanes really began to shine. Goalie Cam Ward led the team to a late surge that earned them a solid spot in the playoffs. Forwards like Eric Staal, Ray Whitney, and Erik Cole proved to be an offense to reckon with. Couple that with a strong defense, and you've got a formidable opponent heading into April.
Florida Panthers- Oh, the Florida Panthers. For the past 4 seasons.. so close, yet so far. This year, they tied for 8th place, but lost due to the tiebreak system. This was a team that was 5th in the conference in mid-march. But after the trade deadline, Florida lost 8 out of 10 to dig them in a hole that proved to be just too deep. With arguably the strongest goaltending tandem in the league, and possibly the strongest Defense in the conference, the panthers seemed like a force to be reckoned with. However, their lack of offense proved to be too much of a problem, and they lost out in the end. Maybe next year...
Atlanta Thrashers- The Atlanta Thrashers weren't meant to be great this year, so their wasn't much disappointment. That being said, the Thrash have much to look forward to. Bogosian and White seem to be top prospects who would make great secondary scorers to star Ilya Kovalchuk. Goaltending could be worse, but it's the Defense that they need to improve if they want to go anywhere in this conference. Look for changes there over the offseason.
Tampa Bay Lightning- The Lightning need to calm down. Over the summer they completely overhauled the team, but they did it very late into the offseason, and i felt it was too much change in too little time. Too much change can affect chemistry in the locker room and on the ice, and that was a deifnite problem this season. Marty St. Louis and #1 pick Stamkos had good years, along with Ryan Malone. Nearly every other part of the team needs serious improvement. Hopefully for TB, the GM can not be so trigger happy and do some smart and slow growth over the years to come.
So, that's that. I'm sure some people disagree with some things, but overall, i think i've given a fair asessment of the Conference.
The first round matchups for the playoffs should be announced today, so i'll post that as soon as i hear about them.
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