I'll be shocked if the Leafs don't top the division. Their roster is more loaded than it's ever been and they've beefed up their defense. The goalie situation is still a question mark but I trust they'll simply outscore any issues on that front. Playoffs are as usual a whole different beast, but as far as the regular season goes this Toronto team will take some beating.
But that's fine. I think for the Bruins, if they do find themselves in a position to challenge for the top spot, then sure have a crack at it. But I wouldn't put too many eggs in that basket. It's simply not worth enough to worry about. If Boston's going well, then their primary priority has to be getting themselves in the best possible shape for the postseason. If they can do that while winning most games, great, but it shouldn't be the focus. Even the chase for home ice I think is largely of no consequence in this day and age. As long as they're safely in the top 3 in the division so they can avoid the wildcard fight, that will be quite enough.
Long long way to go before we really have to starting thinking about this sort of stuff, but just as a matter of principle I'm not interested in the race for regular season glory. It's well-proven to be almost meaningless.
