Paul McCann: Divisional Previews - The Atlantic

if the leafs do suck, it will be their D as their downfall, not their forwards.

Did the perds tweak the uni's?

if the leafs do suck, it will be their D as their downfall, not their forwards.
- clark_griswold

Imagine that top 6 if Phaneuf goes down with a major injury...

1. Ottawa*
2. Montreal*
3. Boston*
4. Detroit*
5. Toronto
6. Tampa Bay
7. Buffalo
8. Florida


This is actually a pretty decent prediction.

Bernier adds an experience factor?

if the leafs do suck, it will be their D as their downfall, not their forwards.
- clark_griswold

The goaltending should be good enough to make it into the top 3. the cap mess Nonis made by trading for Bolland when Colborne would have made a suitable centre at a better price will cause problems.

That said I just don't think other teams will be able to outscore the Leafs with 2 good goalies. If our PK performs like last year then watch out.

They no-longer fear the Bruins

They usually get good records vs OTT & MTL

we usually do ok vs TB

and DET's not exactly the powerhouse they once were either.

1. Ottawa*
2. Montreal*
3. Boston*
4. Detroit*
5. Toronto
6. Tampa Bay
7. Buffalo
8. Florida


This is actually a pretty decent prediction.
- digitalbath

MTL wouldn't have kept it up last year if it was 82 games.

Ottawa, if healthy, has the goaltending to win the divvy, but they're not the only ones.

Imagine that top 6 if Phaneuf goes down with a major injury...
- Jaciems

You'll still have to get by one our two solid tendy's

The goaltending should be good enough to make it into the top 3. the cap mess Nonis made by trading for Bolland when Colborne would have made a suitable centre at a better price will cause problems.

That said I just don't think other teams will be able to outscore the Leafs with 2 good goalies. If our PK performs like last year then watch out.

They no-longer fear the Bruins

They usually get good records vs OTT & MTL

we usually do ok vs TB

and DET's not exactly the powerhouse they once were either.
- AngryWhiteMale

none of the teams outside of boston would really be considered a "powerhouse" but with detroit boston montreal and ott in the same division thats your top 4 right there, maybe not in that order, but i cant imagine TO cracking the top 4

Boston is the best team in the division. Ottawa and Detroit are also better teams than Montréal.

Imagine that top 6 if Phaneuf goes down with a major injury...
- Jaciems

nightmare. and ppl want to get rid of phaneuf.....

nightmare. and ppl want to get rid of phaneuf.....
- clark_griswold

Franson was always a Defensive Stalwart when he was here.

MTL wouldn't have kept it up last year if it was 82 games.

Ottawa, if healthy, has the goaltending to win the divvy, but they're not the only ones.
- AngryWhiteMale

love how you guys use the "48-game" season to dress down things like Montreal's season, Kadri's success, but not Toronto's success. only legit happening of the 2013 season.

love how you guys use the "48-game" season to dress down things like Montreal's season, Kadri's success, but not Toronto's success. only legit happening of the 2013 season.
- scotch_tape

i think both habs fans and leafs fans overrate their team. And i don't get why everyone thinks ottawa is so good either. Still all 3 should make it thanks to buf, tb, and FLA being awful

1. Ottawa*
2. Montreal*
3. Boston*
4. Detroit*
5. Toronto
6. Tampa Bay
7. Buffalo
8. Florida


This is actually a pretty decent prediction.
- digitalbath

I still think Boston is the team to beat in the division. I also think Detroit should be higher up.

Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Florida

I still think Boston is the team to beat in the division. I also think Detroit should be higher up.

Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Florida
- fudd1689

I like your list the best. Boston and Detroit will battle it out for 1 and 2. Ott, Tor and Montreal will scrap for 3,4 and 5. Tampa may make a run. Buff and Fla. Not this year.

I still think Boston is the team to beat in the division. I also think Detroit should be higher up.

Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Florida
- fudd1689

Florida has it locked up

Tough division, Boston and Ottawa are playoff locks for me. Detroit, Montreal and Toronto have pretty equal talent and all have a couple question marks too. Tampa could compete for a spot but need all round improvement. Buffalo and Florida fight it out for a lotto pick.

The goaltending should be good enough to make it into the top 3.
- AngryWhiteMale

Don't know about that. Look at Boston, Montreal, Ottawa - all have superior goaltending. Howard has been playing very well in Det too. I'm not super convinced about Toronto's goaltending; I'd expect them to be decent, but not top 3 in goaltending by any means.

And i don't get why everyone thinks ottawa is so good either.
- clark_griswold

Ottawa is viewed as good this year for the following reasons:

1) Depth: deep team of young players who showed tons of grit and stones in their play last year.
2) Goaltending: Anderson was dominating before going down with an injury. While he was gone, who stepped up? Robin Lehner, who played just about as well. These two are arguably one of the best tandems in the league.
3) Defense: Erik Karlsson.
4) Offense: Erik Karlsson. Oh, and the top line is (potentially) scary with a healthy Spezza and Bobby Ryan. Work your way down the depth chart and see scoring threats on every line.
5) Certainly not least, coach of the year and mustache model Paul MacLean. He just gets it.

If Ottawa had a better owner, they could actually spend somewhere close to the cap.

I still think Boston is the team to beat in the division. I also think Detroit should be higher up.

Boston
Detroit
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Florida
- fudd1689

take back what i said earlier, this is probably the best guess

I love it when the Sabres are considered bottom-dwellers.

They very well could be, but they might also sneak up on teams, as well. They are not going to be as bad as everyone thinks.

Off with his head!

I love it when the Sabres are considered bottom-dwellers.

They very well could be, but they might also sneak up on teams, as well. They are not going to be as bad as everyone thinks.
- Powerslave

Agreed... Though the same could be said of a lot of teams in the NHL. So much rides on a few players it seems to me, you need Vanek and Miller to kill it, and for some depth guys (and Myers) to pick it up as well.

Gotta love league parity, though... You never know what to expect