Normally it seems like hockey season just ended when the next one begins. For some reason that's not the case this year. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the Rangers had an early playoff exit or because I was so preoccupied this summer with Copa America then the Olympics. It feels like forever since I've watched a hockey game, though. Even though it shouldn't. The World Cup was literally two weeks ago. Although, I must admit, with that pathetic performance by the American team, I tuned out of the World Cup pretty quickly.
But, alas, here we are. The start of a new NHL season. The last one with 30 teams (I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the Vegas team). And this one seems wide open. Especially in the East. Part of that is because most of the teams in the Western Conference are simply better. Part of it is because the best teams in the East aren't really separated by much.
That's not really true in the Atlantic Division, though. Because Tampa Bay is much better than the other seven teams in that division. The Lightning were in the Final two years ago and lost to Pittsburgh in the East Final last season. There's no reason to believe they won't get back there again. It's tough to find flaws in this Lightning team, and injuries may be the only thing that derails them.
The other playoff spots in the Atlantic are completely up for grabs, though. Montreal has the best goalie on the planet at the moment, but we'll see what their team chemistry is like after that blockbuster P.K. Subban-Shea Weber trade. It probably made Nashville the Stanley Cup favorites. And it'll either help the Canadiens get back to the playoffs or sink them into a miserable season. I expect Boston to recover after missing the playoffs last year, too. Frankly, I'm not exactly sure how the Bruins haven't made it two years in a row. The talent on that team is ridiculous.
Florida won the division last season, but they're going to need to prove to me that they can do it again. They won the division a few years ago, then went right back to last place the following year, so I'm not buying that they're gonna be competitive to stay. Detroit somehow always ends up in the playoffs (they're kinda like the St. Louis Cardinals), so there's no reason to expect the Red Wings won't be hanging around come April.
I think Ottawa is a team that could surprise. The Senators have put some good pieces around franchise defenseman Erik Karlsson. They have former Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf now, as well. Speaking of the Maple Leafs, this is going to sound familiar. They're in rebuilding mode. At least this season no one will really care that they aren't good because now they have Auston Matthews, and it's their centennial season. The Sabres, meanwhile, will be better than they were last season, but they need a goalie.
Over in the Metropolitan Division, you have the defending champions and defending President's Trophy winners. However, Sidney Crosby's yearly injury has already happened (concussion), and the Capitals have proven time and again that they can't win the big one. Yes, on paper, they're still the top two teams in the division, but the gap is not as big as it was last season.
Personally, I think the team to beat in the Metropolitan Division (and it really pains me to say this), might be Team Europe (which was essentially the entire Islanders' roster minus John Tavares). Their only real glaring weakness entering the season is the loss of Kyle Okposo. If they can replace his production, the Islanders might be in for another long playoff run.
Another Met Division team that I think is going to make some serious noise this year is the Philadelphia Flyers. They snuck into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed last season, but they're really, really good. Claude Giroux is one of the best goal scorers in the league, and I don't know any team that wouldn't want Sean Coutourier and Shayne Gostisbehre (who should've been on Team USA, not Team North America in the World Cup). Give Philly a better goalie than Michal Neuvirth and they'll really be in business.
If you've done the math, you've probably realized that my top four teams in the Metropolitan Division do not include the New York Rangers. I still love my team, and they still have one of the best goalies on the planet, but would somebody please score? How long can you rely on Lundqvist to win games 2-1? Especially when you've got Mats Zuccarello, Rick Nash, Chris Kreider, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rangers make the playoffs. But I wouldn't be surprised to see them miss them either.
At the bottom of the Metropolitan Division once again will be the Devils, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes. Which says nothing about the quality of those three teams. They just aren't as good as the rest of the division. That doesn't mean they can't be this season's Panthers, though. New Jersey has the same problem as that team across the river. Columbus has a lot of young talent that I wouldn't be shocked to put something together like they did a couple years ago. My hopes for Carolina aren't nearly as high. The Hurricanes will have trouble breaking through in a crowded division. When the NHL did this realignment a few years ago, I don't know of a team that was hurt by it more than the Hurricanes.
So, my Eastern Conference playoff picks are Tampa Bay, Montreal and Boston out of the Atlantic, Pittsburgh, Washington and the Islanders out of the Metropolitan, with Philadelphia and the Rangers getting the wild cards. I know the playoffs are always crazy and the top seed never wins, but the Lightning are just too strong. Tampa Bay's the pick to come out of the East.
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