It is funny how this board and even experts work when it comes to predictions.
Have one **** year, you are a bottom 5 team. Have one good year, you are a playoff team.
Then most people use the term "on paper" when it comes to making predictions. Um, when was the last time the game was played on paper? Never.
You can see all of this when you look at how these boards and even experts are overrating the lightning and even the Islanders are now becoming overrated. Just because the Islanders traded for 2 defenseman does not make them a playoff team. They are still a bubble team. Did they improve? Yes, but on paper and once again, the game is not played on paper. I mean Islanders fans are sure going overboard by saying that they are for sure a playoff team when they aren't.
This is how i view things:
Locks for playoffs: Bruins and Penguins
Bubble team: Sens, Islanders, Rangers, Habs, Devils, Capitals, Flyers, Panthers, Red Wings, Blue Jackets, Leafs, Lightning
Bottom Dwellers: Hurricanes, Sabres
Every one of those teams in the bubble category have legit questions marks on either there defense, goaltending or offense.
