Atlantic Standings Predictions Thread

Score08

Registered User
Apr 6, 2017
4,974
5,218
That team is long gone.

The Bruins had an extremely hot start to the season but really fell off towards the end.

It's a coin flip who finishes ahead in the standings, wouldn't put much faith into either team winning the division, they'll battle it out for 2,3 possibly even wildcard spots.
The bruins finished 1 pt back from Fla for the division, on the last game of the season. That’s really falling off?
 

Blowfish

Count down ...
Jan 13, 2005
23,739
16,206
Southwestern Ontario
1. Bruins ( nice add's)
2. Sabre's ( finally will put it together)
3. Panther's ( Still solid core )
4. Lightning (tweaks will work)
5. Red Wings (done by committee )
6. Montreal (Just miss playoff's by a hair )
7. Leaf's ( a couple injuries upfront or in goal will expose paper thin roster )
8. Sen's (last with 76 points sucks)

Just about every game with these teams will be a dog fight .
Well done!
 

Gizmo Tkachuk

Registered Loser
Sep 23, 2009
20,428
18,479
Florida
The bruins finished 1 pt back from Fla for the division, on the last game of the season. That’s really falling off?

Meh, 12-8-1 in March/April compared to 13-5-8 in Jan/Feb. Not a huge drop off but OTL inflated the point totals in the middle of the season and allowed FLA to catchup at the end when they were just losses.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
47,720
16,282
Coaching and bottom half line up have greatly improved. Sprinkle in some of their many prospect stars and they will be tough this year.

There is no such thing as a "prospect star."

That's why they are prospects because what they are is unknown
 

Blowfish

Count down ...
Jan 13, 2005
23,739
16,206
Southwestern Ontario
There is no such thing as a "prospect star."

That's why they are prospects because what they are is unknown
A "prospect star" with high upside selected in the top 15 over a number of drafts that are projected and likely to impact their team in a positive manner when they make the NHL roster. Plus they can be traded to help improve their roster.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
47,720
16,282
A "prospect star" with high upside selected in the top 15 over a number of drafts that are projected and likely to impact their team in a positive manner when they make the NHL roster. Plus they can be traded to help improve their roster.

If you want to use the term prospect star it should be reserved for Matthews, Mcdavid, Berard, Eichel, Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, guys you know that unless they go out of their way to f*** it up like Laine has they are can't miss.

And I wouldn't even say Laine was a miss because he was everything the Jets wanted him to be but he has f***ed it up.
 

BostonBob

4 Ever The Greatest
Jan 26, 2004
14,815
8,190
Vancouver, BC
If you want to use the term prospect star it should be reserved for Matthews, Mcdavid, Berard, Eichel, Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, guys you know that unless they go out of their way to f*** it up like Laine has they are can't miss.
Only a Leafs fan would list Matthews first. :laugh:




And yes - I'm just yanking your chain here. ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: stanley25

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
47,720
16,282
Was watching overdrive yesterday and Noodles said that Brad Marchand had 3 different surgeries this summer and that it didn't sound like he was going to be ready to go ro start the season.

Can't help but wonder how much that will impact Boston if he misses time.

The forward core is not deep in Boston
 

Laus723

Graceful brutality
Sponsor
Jan 27, 2006
32,232
7,207
Wellington, FL
Was watching overdrive yesterday and Noodles said that Brad Marchand had 3 different surgeries this summer and that it didn't sound like he was going to be ready to go ro start the season.

Can't help but wonder how much that will impact Boston if he misses time.

The forward core is not deep in Boston
Every year people question if this is the year Boston drops out and needs to start some sort of a rebuild, and every year they're at the top of the League. They struggle in the post-season at times, but I don't think anyone needs to worry if they'll make the playoffs or not.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nikolajs Sillers

Golden_Jet

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
26,999
14,126
Was watching overdrive yesterday and Noodles said that Brad Marchand had 3 different surgeries this summer and that it didn't sound like he was going to be ready to go ro start the season.

Can't help but wonder how much that will impact Boston if he misses time.

The forward core is not deep in Boston
Maybe someone should ask Drake Batherson, how he looks, as he is Marshy’s neighbor, and skates with the group every summer.
He’s on Sens podcasts, maybe someo e will bring it up, as that’s how we found out they were neighbors.
Marshy works out at Batherson’s home gym he built.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
47,720
16,282
Every year people question if this is the year Boston drops out and needs to start some sort of a rebuild, and every year they're at the top of the League. They struggle in the post-season at times, but I don't think anyone needs to worry if they'll make the playoffs or not.

I don't think they are missing the playoffs, I don't think the top 4 in the Atlantic is changing for at least 3 more years.

However I'd be lying to you if I said they were as scary as they weren't even last season.

The safety net that was Ullmark is gone, they got Lindholm but lost Debrusk, I feel like that's a wash up front.

However I do think they got much better on defense.

As long as Swayman is healthy they should be fine.

If Swayman goes down then they might be f***ed.
 

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,767
11,619
Not sure where we will finish, but TB will be quite a bit better, IMO, unless Vasy doesn't show up.

Will they?

Stamkos out, Guentzel in
Sergachev out, McDonagh in

Not really sold that they actually improved in these swaps. What else did they do?
 

DFC

Registered User
Sep 26, 2013
48,001
24,372
NB
Will they?

Stamkos out, Guentzel in
Sergachev out, McDonagh in

Not really sold that they actually improved in these swaps. What else did they do?

I don't think the PP will lose much without Stamkos. We have seen it without him before and it's fine. Guentzel should be a big improvement 5v5.

Sergachev was just never gonna justify his contract in TB because he's mainly am offensive defenseman who couldn't get pp time. McDonagh, even declining, should be a defensive improvement. And Moser likely will be too. So it's a more solid left side.

The other thing is Vasy was pretty terrible last year. So having him back to normal, or even just average or above, should make us a better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sypher04

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,767
11,619
I don't think they are missing the playoffs, I don't think the top 4 in the Atlantic is changing for at least 3 more years.

However I'd be lying to you if I said they were as scary as they weren't even last season.

The safety net that was Ullmark is gone, they got Lindholm but lost Debrusk, I feel like that's a wash up front.

However I do think they got much better on defense.

As long as Swayman is healthy they should be fine.

If Swayman goes down then they might be f***ed.

Doesn’t feel to me like they really needed Zadorov at all. I think they would have been better off using that money to improve the forward group. Lindholm is a good pick up as like a high end 2C/low end 1C and was a positional need but losing Debrusk cancels out some of that. I think stylistically they will miss Debrusk. Ullmark to Korpisalo is also a significant downgrade.

I don't think the PP will lose much without Stamkos. We have seen it without him before and it's fine. Guentzel should be a big improvement 5v5.

Sergachev was just never gonna justify his contract in TB because he's mainly am offensive defenseman who couldn't get pp time. McDonagh, even declining, should be a defensive improvement. And Moser likely will be too. So it's a more solid left side.

The other thing is Vasy was pretty terrible last year. So having him back to normal, or even just average or above, should make us a better.

Not sure yet if I agree on the powerplay, but you’re definitely right about McDonagh being likely able to help defensively instead of Sergachev who was definitely overpaid in my eyes as well.
 

DFC

Registered User
Sep 26, 2013
48,001
24,372
NB
Doesn’t feel to me like they really needed Zadorov at all. I think they would have been better off using that money to improve the forward group. Lindholm is a good pick up as like a high end 2C/low end 1C and was a positional need but losing Debrusk cancels out some of that. I think stylistically they will miss Debrusk. Ullmark to Korpisalo is also a significant downgrade.



Not sure yet if I agree on the powerplay, but you’re definitely right about McDonagh being likely able to help defensively instead of Sergachev who was definitely overpaid in my eyes as well.
The thing is, it's not like Stamkos hasn't been injured for looong stretches in the past. The PP really doesn't suffer as much as one would think without him. Kucherov figures it out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sypher04

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
12,767
11,619
The thing is, it's not like Stamkos hasn't been injured for looong stretches in the past. The PP really doesn't suffer as much as one would think without him. Kucherov figures it out.

That’s fair, just not sure I see the fit between Kucherov and Guentzel (assuming he’s gonna be the trigger man), but that said, they are both talented players so I’m definitely not assuming they can’t make it work
 

Laus723

Graceful brutality
Sponsor
Jan 27, 2006
32,232
7,207
Wellington, FL
I don't think they are missing the playoffs, I don't think the top 4 in the Atlantic is changing for at least 3 more years.

However I'd be lying to you if I said they were as scary as they weren't even last season.

The safety net that was Ullmark is gone, they got Lindholm but lost Debrusk, I feel like that's a wash up front.

However I do think they got much better on defense.

As long as Swayman is healthy they should be fine.

If Swayman goes down then they might be f***ed.
I think they'll be a heavier hitting team than last season, but I agree about Swayman. I don't have much confidence in Korpisalo. Though, he may play better there.
 

Captain Mountain

Formerly Captain Wolverine
Jun 6, 2010
21,144
15,288
I don't think they are missing the playoffs, I don't think the top 4 in the Atlantic is changing for at least 3 more years.

However I'd be lying to you if I said they were as scary as they weren't even last season.

The safety net that was Ullmark is gone, they got Lindholm but lost Debrusk, I feel like that's a wash up front.

However I do think they got much better on defense.

As long as Swayman is healthy they should be fine.

If Swayman goes down then they might be f***ed.

I'm more certain of the top 4 changing within the next 3 years than anything else to do with the division.
 

DFC

Registered User
Sep 26, 2013
48,001
24,372
NB
That’s fair, just not sure I see the fit between Kucherov and Guentzel (assuming he’s gonna be the trigger man), but that said, they are both talented players so I’m definitely not assuming they can’t make it work

5v5, we really struggled to score last year. That's the issue Guentzel addresses.

On the PP, kucherov has had success with a variety of players in that spot, none of whom were really trigger men. In the 2020 cup run, it was Palat.

It's really about Point's zone entries and then Kucherov's ability to execute. I'm not saying the PP will be AS deadly, but i would take a Top 5 PP and a much improved 5v5 game over the #1 PP well and below average 5v5 play.

The issue with the Stamkos move was how heartless it was. (If the rumors are true he would have stayed for $4m, it's a different story...) But when you look past those emotional attachments (which is not easy), it makes a lot of sense. We were a bad 5v5 team, and one of our highest paid players was kind of atrocious 5v5 until the trade deadline. He got better after that, but it pulled his numbers up to "just okay."
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad