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Speculation: Atlantic Division Predictions

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zeke said:
I don't know why we need to reserve judgment just because its the leafs.

The Leafs were better defensively than the Canes last year, and they just replaced their best dman with a no-D headcase.
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I don't agree at all that the Leafs were better than the Canes defensively last year. But the wait and see this year is about how Carolina copes with a revamped blueline with Hamilton out and DeAngelo in and how that settles relative to the Leafs, whose blueline has stayed relatively the same, minus the loss of Bogosian on the third pair.
 
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I know it "might" be a bit early, but shocking to see Tampa Bay last in the division. :laugh:
 
1. Tampa
2. Florida/Toronto
3. Toronto/Florida
4. Boston

5. Montreal
6. Ottawa
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo

Could see Ottawa and Montreal switching, tbh.
 
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Rob Brown said:
1. Tampa
2. Florida/Toronto
3. Toronto/Florida
4. Boston

5. Montreal
6. Ottawa
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo

Could see Ottawa and Montreal switching, tbh.
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Curious why Boston is so low?

Bottom portion of their roster has drastically improved. Full year Hall. Healthy goaltending (very promising prospect & Ullmark). Two new good additions on D?

I can appreciate a slow start with new players joining the team but IMO this team is good if not better than last 3-5 years.

Older Krejci hurts a little but Coyle more than able to fill the role and Bruin fans will certainly not miss Ritchie/Kase/Kuraly/Halak/.
 
Tampa
Toronto
Boston
Florida
Montreal
Ottawa
Detroit
Buffalo

I could go either way with Toronto and Boston. Don't think Florida is as good as most people seem to and I think there is a massive gap between the top 4 and the bottom 4.
 
Florida - playing solid hockey so far, no surprise.
Buffalo - Team hockey, solid effort, good coaching, undefeated... big surprise so far.
Detroit - Early Norris and Rookie candidate Mo is playing great, so is the team... big surprise so far (the team results, not Mo)
Toronto - Overall good team, who can't score very well... surprise that their weakness is scoring.
Ottawa - decent results, working hard - Record is a surprise, that they are working hard isn't.
Tampa - broke all their players, can't keep the puck out of the net... surprise that they've allowed over 4 goals against per game.
Boston - So far their story is, they've only played one game, so who knows.
Montreal - Three goals for in four games, 15 against. They've forgotten how to hockey.

Early in the season, plenty of surprises, hard work is being rewarded.
 
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Tampa might be I'm big big trouble.

Kuch's injury came too late this year - they already got rid of all their depth players to fit under the cap - so his injury doesn't help them keep anyone this time.

And it's unlikely that his injury can conveniently end right around when the playoffs start, so they can't add anyone to replace him, either.

Even worse, they're tight to the cap so he had to go on LTIR - which means they can no longer accrue in-season capspace for the deadline.

I'm not sure a forward group with only Point and Stamkos as stars, and needing a guy like Corey Perry in the top 6, is an elite group.

I've always thought their dcorps was the weakest part of their team and not elite.

So it's gonna be up to Vasi to really earn his elite salary this time without elite help for the first time - so far he's not off to a great start but we'll see what happens.
 
zeke said:
I've always thought their dcorps was the weakest part of their team and not elite.
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I highly doubt Tampa fans agree with you at all but you do you bro.

Rewatch game 7 against the Isles and tell me about how that's allegedly the weakest part of their team.
 
IPS said:
I highly doubt Tampa fans agree with you at all but you do you bro.

Rewatch game 7 against the Isles and tell me about how that's allegedly the weakest part of their team.
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Weird thing to point to one game against a weak offensive team as evidence, especially when team defense is much more than just a dcorps.
 
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IPS said:
I highly doubt Tampa fans agree with you at all but you do you bro.

Rewatch game 7 against the Isles and tell me about how that's allegedly the weakest part of their team.
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When you feel Holl is an elite defender your ability to rate the position is pretty suspect. :laugh:
 
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Blowfish said:
Curious why Boston is so low?

Bottom portion of their roster has drastically improved. Full year Hall. Healthy goaltending (very promising prospect & Ullmark). Two new good additions on D?

I can appreciate a slow start with new players joining the team but IMO this team is good if not better than last 3-5 years.

Older Krejci hurts a little but Coyle more than able to fill the role and Bruin fans will certainly not miss Ritchie/Kase/Kuraly/Halak/.
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Ullmark has looked bad, their bottom 6 is rough and Forbort is a disaster defensively. Krejci is gone and Bergeron is another year older.

They are lucky Swayman looks good as is carrying the goaltending now.
 
IPS said:
Habs-Lightning game 5.

Panthers-Lightning game 6.

Lightning vs Hurricanes game 5.

Their defense is psychotically good in elimination games. Hedman and Mcdonagh are 2 of the guys you want the most out of anyone in tight elimination games.

If you don't think that D is elite you need to get back on your meds ASAP.
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They have had elite forwards, and elite goaltending, and play a great team game.

Their defense corps itself, though, is not elite, and never has been.

We'll see what happens this year when for the first time they no longer have an elite group of forwards.
 
zeke said:
They have had elite forwards, and elite goaltending, and play a great team game.

Their defense corps itself, though, is not elite, and never has been.

We'll see what happens this year when for the first time they no longer have an elite group of forwards.
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Yeah it's such a non-elite D core that they were one of the only 2 teams who protected 4D at the expansion draft.

Do you seriously want to continue with this argument? You don't have anything going for you here buddy...
 
IPS said:
Yeah it's such a non-elite D core that they were one of the only 2 teams who protected 4D at the expansion draft.

Do you seriously want to continue with this argument? You don't have anything going for you here buddy...
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There's plenty going for me here - but you'll dismiss all the evidence I present.

It's alright to admit the lightning were not a flawless team.
 
zeke said:
There's plenty going for me here - but you'll dismiss all the evidence I present.
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Present what? That stupid chart that has Justin Holl as one of the best D in the league?
 
zeke said:
Any numbers at all that separate defense from goaltending, really.
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Oh cool another game of spin the wheel of useless blogger stats?

Which one are we gonna end up with?! The one that says Justin Holl is better than Victor Hedman, the one that says Kerfoot is better defensively than Barkov? Can't wait!

What about Dermott being "an upgrade to any team's bottom pair in the league? You know, after I showed that he's the least used/most sheltered bottom pair D/untrusted bottom pair D? I think you just went scurrying away after I brought that up.
 
IPS said:
Oh cool another game of spin the wheel of useless blogger stats?
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How about shots and goals against? Allowable?

Or are no stats allowed to contravene your infallible opinion?

Which one are we gonna end up with?! The one that says Justin Holl is better than Victor Hedman, the one that says Kerfoot is better defensively than Barkov? Can't wait!
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No stats show either of those.

What about Dermott being "an upgrade to any team's bottom pair in the league? You know, after I showed that he's the least used/most sheltered bottom pair D/untrusted bottom pair D? I think you just went scurrying away after I brought that up.
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Dermott would be an upgrade on TB's bottom pair.
 
zeke said:
How about shots and goals against? Allowable?

Or are no stats allowed to contravene your infallible opinion?
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All good there my man, can't disagree. If those prove me wrong than I shall be proven wrong.
zeke said:
No stats show either of those.
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They're stats you yourself have literally posted.


zeke said:
Dermott would be an upgrade on TB's bottom pair.
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He would with Bogosian out, yes.
 
IPS said:
All good there my man, can't disagree. If those prove me wrong than I shall be proven wrong.

They're stats you yourself have literally posted.
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No stats show holl is better than Hedman or kerfoot better than barkov. Or remotely close.
 
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