HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Predicting Conference Winners

Ducks and Lightning

I just don't think LA has the consistency in the regular season to finish at the top. They seem to have trouble maintaining the high level of intensity that makes them champions throughout the regular season.

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Predicting Conference Winners
- ToddCordellVAN

I love my Bolts, but I'm not sure they have enough to unseat Boston for top in the east. We will see.

As for the west.... Ducks or Blackhawks.

Blackhawks
Lightning

I hope they didn't mean Brian Boyle when saying Tampa Bay added "sandpaper" to the bottom 6. The gentle giant may have played very well in the playoffs but he gets pushed around a lot for a big guy.

Blackhawks west winner lightning east winner

Stars

Penguins

Agree with LA in the West.

East is more murky for me.

Boston still has one of the best defensive lineups, some of the best 2-way forwards and Rask is a top 5 goalie. Age is showing on some of the players (Chara most notably), but they are probably still the favorites in the East. Losing to MTL in the playoffs is hit or miss; even the last few times they met its always a toss up just due to rivalry. How many times have either team at the 8th seed upset the other at the 1 seed?

Montreal got rid of some vets, but the youngsters are faster, less injury prone and probably more talented overall. Mistakes from inexperience are the only thing that will cost them a shot at the east. Although, I am actually unsure how the loss of Gorges will cost them long term; thats a lot of 1st unit PK time lost and a lot of blocked shots that will be gone.

NYR have whom I consider the best goalie in the league, plus a good core group filling out the top end of the team. MSL provides great vet presence that still plays high end hockey and finally the team as a whole is not only fast, but they are also pretty big and physical.

TB is a great team and I feel they are on the cusp of being the East's elite, but Bishop is not Rask, Price or Lundqvist. Druin still hasnt played against top NHL talent; his maturation may still be a few years away. Defense is the biggest question on this team to me. Not just the defenders but team defense as a whole.

Edit: homer in me say MTL to take east. Relive the `93 series. Hopefully repeat!

This is too easy.......

Going to go with the Bruins in the East. I know they have a couple players getting older but I think they will remain consistent throughout the season. I was thinking Tampa but with so many Sophomores in the line up and a chance Bishop over achieved last year I don't think they make the next step quite yet. Nobody else is in the conversation IMO.

Chicago in the West. , San Jose seems to have a few morale issues (or at least they should),LA might be tuckered out, Anaheim is going with 2 rookies in net and lost 2 great leaders to retirement), Not sure if St.Louis's goaltending is as strong as last year but they are my runner up....nobody else in the conversation.

How can one draw the conclusion that Quick is overrated? Quick making "game saving" saves crushes any "product of his teams great D argument" Two Cups and a Conny that is the only metric you need to look at.

How can one draw the conclusion that Quick is overrated? Quick making "game saving" saves crushes any "product of his teams great D argument" Two Cups and a Conny that is the only metric you need to look at.
- david_watts

Quick is easily a top 5 tender. Only King Henry, Rinne ( if healthy), Price and Rask are in his league.
Don't be too surprised if Schneider gets in the mix soon tho.

Blues

Bruins

Quick is easily a top 5 tender. Only King Henry, Rinne ( if healthy), Price and Rask are in his league.
Don't be too surprised if Schneider gets in the mix soon tho.
- Jeropotato

Jonathan Quick has two (frank)ing cups in three years.... He is the (frank)ing man!

Blues

Bruins
- goavsgo10

Although LA does have the team that is capable to win the west, and I for one would love to see them play as well as they do in the post season, but something is telling me they will somehow slip a bit during the season and end up finishing behind the hawks and maybe even those duckies. But it doesn't matter to me where they finish as long as they make the playoffs and go on a tear

Although LA does have the team that is capable to win the west, and I for one would love to see them play as well as they do in the post season, but something is telling me they will somehow slip a bit during the season and end up finishing behind the hawks and maybe even those duckies. But it doesn't matter to me where they finish as long as they make the playoffs and go on a tear
- RobitailleFAN20

I'm with you on that one, they definitely have the team capable of winning in the regular season, but the system they play is designed to succeed in the playoffs, they may not score a ton in the season, but they don't give up a lot of goals either. Least goals in the league given up in the regular season. I don't even think it's about "going on a tear in the playoffs." I just feel like when the post season comes around and that "playoff hockey" comes around with it, LA's system they've been playing the whole regular season is essentially "playoff hockey."

I'm with you on that one, they definitely have the team capable of winning in the regular season, but the system they play is designed to succeed in the playoffs, they may not score a ton in the season, but they don't give up a lot of goals either. Least goals in the league given up in the regular season. I don't even think it's about "going on a tear in the playoffs." I just feel like when the post season comes around and that "playoff hockey" comes around with it, LA's system they've been playing the whole regular season is essentially "playoff hockey."
- j.boyd919

Completely agree

Ducks and Lightning

I just don't think LA has the consistency in the regular season to finish at the top. They seem to have trouble maintaining the high level of intensity that makes them champions throughout the regular season.
- RonPielep

Agreed on LA. Wait until their annual January slump hits, it's like clockwork.

Not the ducks though... The Pacific will beat the hell out of each other and Chicago will take the conference.

Habs are not gonna be at the top of the conference this year. They made some necessary changes in their line-up and it will only pay off starting next year or so. They are switching the leadership on to the young ones. Price could still carry his team to an above average season but a return to the Conference final is unlikely.

Seems like Boston could still take it but... I don't know, Chara is aging, lost some scoring with Iginla, let's see what happens.

Lightning is definitely the team to watch this year. A calder year for Drouin and a good year for Bishop, who knows how far they could go. Screw you Yzerman...


Maybe this is the year where the Caps come back as a force in the east. Trotz effect

Ottawa and Anaheim.

i really hope its LA and tampa in the final. just to laugh in the NHL's face having two southern teams battle for the cup. I still think the hawks take the conference though.

CHI
LA
ANA
STL
MIN
DAL
COL
SJ will be the way things finish in the west.

Tampa I think will win the east. Boston is old. rangers are old and have all the lightning castoffs now lol.

TB
PIT
BOS
CBJ
NYR
MTL
DET
PHI

I think will be the top 8 in the east. I think columbus is going to surprise some people. they are a total pain to play against and really should have beat the pens last year.

i really hope its LA and tampa in the final. just to laugh in the NHL's face having two southern teams battle for the cup. I still think the hawks take the conference though.

CHI
LA
ANA
STL
MIN
DAL
COL
SJ will be the way things finish in the west.

Tampa I think will win the east. Boston is old. rangers are old and have all the lightning castoffs now lol.

TB
PIT
BOS
CBJ
NYR
MTL
DET
PHI

I think will be the top 8 in the east. I think columbus is going to surprise some people. they are a total pain to play against and really should have beat the pens last year.
- boltsfan48

Wow, you Tampa fans are pretty high on your team this year. Good luck.

Wow, you Tampa fans are pretty high on your team this year. Good luck.
- Jeropotato

with bishop we would have went pretty far last year. anyone can score on lindback.

In on FWD:
boyle
drouin
morrow
connolly
callahan for the full year.

Out:
pyatt
malone
st. louis
labrie


in on D:
stralman
garrison
sustr

out:
aulie
salo
barberio i think will get sent back down.

both of those are vast improvements to a team that was already good. not to mention a healthy stamkos for a full year. and a capable backup in nabokov too. easily a 50 win team minimum. ill predict 52-24-6 record this year.

with bishop we would have went pretty far last year. anyone can score on lindback.

In on FWD:
boyle
drouin
morrow
connolly
callahan for the full year.

Out:
pyatt
malone
st. louis
labrie


in on D:
stralman
garrison
sustr

out:
aulie
salo
barberio i think will get sent back down.

both of those are vast improvements to a team that was already good. not to mention a healthy stamkos for a full year. and a capable backup in nabokov too. easily a 50 win team minimum. ill predict 52-24-6 record this year.
- boltsfan48

If anyone gets sent down it will be Sustr, he's the only one who's waiver exempt.

with bishop we would have went pretty far last year. anyone can score on lindback.

In on FWD:
boyle
drouin
morrow
connolly
callahan for the full year.

Out:
pyatt
malone
st. louis
labrie


in on D:
stralman
garrison
sustr

out:
aulie
salo
barberio i think will get sent back down.

both of those are vast improvements to a team that was already good. not to mention a healthy stamkos for a full year. and a capable backup in nabokov too. easily a 50 win team minimum. ill predict 52-24-6 record this year.
- boltsfan48

What Tampa did last season, was exactly what Ottawa did the season prior.