Predict the Atlantic Standings

[pb1300]

Come on dude it's been 5 games

So there is no reason to worry about Toronto then?

 

[BB88]

I'd usually go all homer but the Atlantic doesn't seem to have a lot of wiggle room after the elite teams.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (They are the champs until proven otherwise.)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (Deep team, they should easily make the playoffs.)
3. Florida Panthers (Well coached, balanced team on the rise.)
4. Boston Bruins (Their Cup window is closing but they should still gut out some wins.)
5. Ottawa Senators (Youth will be served; unspectacular roster will kill with speed and structure.)
6. Buffalo Sabres (Not deep enough for the playoffs, but will be a bear to handle with their skill and a Craig Anderson resurgence.)
7. Montreal Canadiens (Bergevin's last contract year will be his last as Habs GM. Too many big pieces to replace.
8. Detroit Red Wings (Not a complete washout of a year, but roster isn't convincing enough to see playoff contention.)
---
Not sure we will see many surprises. I am expecting Boston and Montreal regressions, Ottawa and Buffalo causing some surprises and the Red Wings slowly growing up. Top 3 seem set in stone unless one of the lesser lights goes on a crazy "Hamburglar Run".

Why is Toronto a deep team?
They are extremely top heavy.

Florida likely has the deepest F group in the league so they should be money on regular season.

Boston/Toronto will decide the 3rd and 4th place finishes and both make the playoffs.

Florida
Tampa
Boston
Toronto

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I suspected Boston wouldn't be as bad, as some may have thought. They have a strong winning culture there, we will see how far it carries them this season. Florida has been terrific, not surprised there. And you have to think TB will get going again soon once they gear up for the playoffs.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

Buffalo being Buffalo at the start of every year. Impressive win against a mortal TB team.

Florida is getting a nice little cushion on both TOR and TB but BOS will never die it seems. If FLA can get 3 of 4pts against BOS, they'll be in the driver seat if they want it.

 

[libertarian]

Looking at the standing this morning and I realised that all 3 Canadian teams in the Atlantic are currently in the 3 bottom positions in the Division. This is not a good look.

 

[Gizmo Tkachuk]

Looking at the standing this morning and I realised that all 3 Canadian teams in the Atlantic are currently in the 3 bottom positions in the Division. This is not a good look.

Toronto is the only surprise there. I think most people expected Ottawa and Montreal (sans Weber, Danault, KK and Price) to be at the bottom half of the Atlantic.

 

[Beezeral]

Toronto is the only surprise there. I think most people expected Ottawa and Montreal (sans Weber, Danault, KK and Price) to be at the bottom half of the Atlantic.

They were expected to be on the outside of the playoffs, but most didn't expect Montreal and Ottawa to look completely incompetent.

 

[WF19]

How bout those Wings, Sabers and Leafs lol

 

[pb1300]

Toronto needs to pick it up. I don’t expect them to miss, but they can’t fall too far behind. You know that all too well if your a Panthers fan. Florida always started seasons out slow, and the constant uphill battle to try and just get back in to the race, was exhausting. Plus, it’s not guaranteed that a WC spot will come out of the Atlantic, because the Metro has some good teams as well.

 

[letsgrowcactus]

How bout those Wings, Sabers and Leafs lol

I wouldn't bet on the Wings or the Sabers to make it, but imagine what if. Like, literally nobody predicted them. This is part of why pre-season predictions are both fun and meaningless - there's always at least 1-2 teams who come "out of nowhere" and surprise, while "favorites" fall completely flat.

Right now, I'd predict Panthers-Boston-Tampa to get in and five teams from the Metro, but what do we know...

 

[WF19]

I wouldn't bet on the Wings or the Sabers to make it, but imagine what if. Like, literally nobody predicted them. This is part of why pre-season predictions are both fun and meaningless - there's always at least 1-2 teams who come "out of nowhere" and surprise, while "favorites" fall completely flat.

Right now, I'd predict Panthers-Boston-Tampa to get in and five teams from the Metro, but what do we know...

The difference for the Wings is its looking like they added 2 potential future elite players in Seider and Raymond. Leddy has been playing great. Larkin is looking like his old self and Bert has been unreal. Bert, Larkin, Raymond line has some nice chemistry. Veleno is still capable of a call up and Vrana in the new year. Homer fan i know but this is a different team. Tons of new guys as well as Tanguay instead of disco dan

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Surprises

The Good - Detroit, Buffalo (though they seem to start hot year after year before collapsing)

The Bad - Montréal

The Unfortunate - Ottawa, completely ravaged by injury/covid

They are what we thought they were -

Florida, Tampa, Toronto, Boston

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Looking at the standing this morning and I realised that all 3 Canadian teams in the Atlantic are currently in the 3 bottom positions in the Division. This is not a good look.

Meh, Toronto will get out ahead of Buffalo and Detroit soon and enough and everyone (except the Habs themselves) knew the other two would be bad.

As a Wings fan, I can say exciting rookies and top line aside, we are realistically nowhere close to a playoff team and will finish with a bottom 12 or so pick. Possibly worse

 

[Auston Marlander]

Looking at the standing this morning and I realised that all 3 Canadian teams in the Atlantic are currently in the 3 bottom positions in the Division. This is not a good look.

And 20 days later....

There's your proof that the smaller the sample size the less relevant it is.

 

[Blowfish]

And 20 days later....

View attachment 481090


There's your proof that the smaller the sample size the less relevant it is.

Wow Boston and Tampa have a number of games on hand....with Boston not playing again until Saturday.

Crazy schedule to say the least.

 

[kerrabria]

With Barkov and Q gones, I no longer think the Panthers are a dominant team.
Without Kuch and without the depth forwards stepping up, I no longer think the Lightning are a dominant team.
I have no idea what's going on with the Bruins and why they aren't doing better.
I thought Ottawa would be better than they are this year.

No idea what the standings will look like, but even if they finish 1st, the Leafs will still lose in the first round.

 

[holy]

Habs #1 in GP. Feels so good to be on top.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

With Barkov and Q gones, I no longer think the Panthers are a dominant team.
Without Kuch and without the depth forwards stepping up, I no longer think the Lightning are a dominant team.
I have no idea what's going on with the Bruins and why they aren't doing better.
I thought Ottawa would be better than they are this year.

No idea what the standings will look like, but even if they finish 1st, the Leafs will still lose in the first round.

The Barkov will be baaaackkkk

 

[Auston Marlander]

Wow Boston and Tampa have a number of games on hand....with Boston not playing again until Saturday.

Crazy schedule to say the least.

I can't figure out why Boston has played so few games, very strange indeed.

 

[Mitchy]

This is funny too.

Yup, your posts indeed are funny. Leafs now 9-1 in their last 10

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yup, your posts indeed are funny. Leafs now 9-1 in their last 10

That 7-1 Pens win seems to have sent both teams spiraling in opposite directions. I kind of wish the Pens had lost 7-1 instead, so they could have had their "Come to Jesus" moment.

 

[T REX]

Another poster asked to find a thread from earlier in the season...

ATL predictions.

Kinda cool to look back on.

 

[BostonBob]

I think you're a Habs fan so are you saying that Montreal has more Forward depth then Boston does ????

Maybe not up the middle but at wing..

25 goal or 50 pt wingers:

Gallagher
Anderson
Toffoli
Droin
Hoffman
Caufield (imo)

three more solid 3rd line wingers in

Armia
Byron
Lehkonen

then Perreault and Paquette.

Thats six lines worth of solid wingers lol.
Bruins top guys are better but that's pretty deep if nothing else!

 

[Beezeral]

Yes - i posted publicly on the main forums on the internet because i wanted no one to notice. Good catch.

Habs won 3 more playoff rounds in the past 3 months than Panthers have in the past 25 years.

 

[bobholly39]

Your team is having a pretty great season - and mine, a historically bad one. If you want to rub it in, go for it, why not? You probably deserve to this year.

But did you really have to wait till March 26th to do so? Us Hab fans have known we were out of playoffs since November.

ps - the rest of my statement won't change. Habs will have won more playoff rounds in the last 12 months then you guys will have 26 years later after cup is awarded this year