Eastern Conference Predictions

[Saskatchewan]

After putting some thought into it, before the season gets too far along, my prediction for final standings in the Eastern Conference are as follows:

1. Pittsburgh
2. New Jersey
3. Boston
4. Washington
5. Carolina
6. Atlanta
7. NY Rangers
8. Ottawa
____________________

9. Buffalo
10. Montreal
11. Philadelphia
12. Toronto
13. NY islanders
14. Tampa Bay
15. Florida

My reasons for not placing the 9 through 15 teams are because:

Buffalo lacks the offence
Montreal lacks the goaltending, ditto for Phili
Toronto is a 2 man show - which sometimes works (ie. Iggy and Kipper's Stanley Cup run) But I don't believe it will work this season for the Leafs.
Islanders - I almost slotted them into Atlanta's playoff spot, but it remains to be seen how Di Pietro performs - and Taveres simply hasn't become a top league sniper (yet).
Tamp Bay - Mike Smith is a lousy goalie, Ellis is average = no play off spot.
Florida - loss of best offensive player in Horton = no playoff spot.

 

[whatwhatinthebutt]

not much of a contributor here but really????

First off the 1-3 seeds go to the top team of each division so 2 Atlantic team can't be in the top 3..... So Pittsburgh 1 Boston2 Washington3 is possible but franlkly i have trouble see one of Carolina, Atlanta and NY making the playoffs less all 3! The only way Buffalo doesn't make the playoffs is if something happens to Miller. Florida and the Islanders are probably going to be playing for the 1st overall pick next year. Tampa has a great offense ok defense and if they can get atleast adequate goaltending should be seen as a dark horse to make it. Philly is definetly making it. My Rankings are as follows

1, Washington
2. Pittsburgh
3. Boston
4. Philly
5. New Jersey
6. Buffalo
7. Ottawa
8. Tampa
9. NYR
10. Toronto
11. Atlanta
12. Montreal
13. Carolina
14. NYI
15. Florida

 

[dj1470]

1, Pittsburgh
2. Philadelphia
3. Boston
4. Washington
5. Ottawa
6. Buffalo
7. New Jersey
8. NYR
-----------------
9. Carolina
10. Montreal
11. Atlanta
12. NYI
13. Tampa Bay
14. Toronto
15. Florida

 

[mac]

once you get beyond......Pittsburgh, Washington, Jersey defintiely making the playoffs and Toronto, Altanta, Florida, and Islanders definitely not making them...all the rest is a sea of mediocrity that may make it or not....who knows this early and with so many unknowns

 

[The Oracle]

1. Pittsburgh
2.Boston
3.Philly
4.New Jersey
5.Buffalo
6.Washington
7.Ottawa
8.Montreal

 

[bollock]

Fuck............. i thought that this is a real sport (NBA) thread

 

[PornAddict]

1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Boston
4. New Jersey
5. Philadelphia
6. Buffalo
7. Montreal
8 Carolina
____________________

9. NY Rangers
10. NY islanders.
11. Atlanta
12. Tampa Bay
13. Florida
14. Ottawa
15. Toronto

 

[whatwhatinthebutt]

Wow as much as i am a die-hard i'm also a realist hence why i didn't put the buds in the playoffs in my prediction. But if the Leafs do worse than either Florida or NYI this year i'm becoming a PREDATORS FAN! The Isles will be the biggest suprise this decade if they make the playoffs or even get close (10th). Best Defenseman gone half the year, and their 2 best forwards, KO gone for a bit and Tavares just suffered a concussion how could they???? I know stranger things have happened but the odds are only a little better than an Oilers/Leafs finals!!!

Also after tonight i might just have to switch the Leafs and Sens in my prediction

 

[big.guy_13]

Fuck............. i thought that this is a real sport (NBA) thread

What, basketball a 'real' sport? Please. Have you ever actually watched that 'sport'? You breathe on someone, you get a foul. A bunch of namby-pamby rich wusses, if you ask me.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Did 21pro quit this board? I used to like reading his hockey opinions.

 

[splooge]

^got in trouble because he coaches jr A ... I guess it was an issue being associated with an adult review site and coaching 17+ year olds.

 

[Manji]

^got in trouble because he coaches jr A ... I guess it was an issue being associated with an adult review site and coaching 17+ year olds.

Seriously?
How did you find that out?

There was another TERB member who had extensive Hockey Knowledge as well....I think it was Ranger68 or something .....Wonder what happened to him?

 

[splooge]

Ranger68 is playing in the KHL now...

anyways, my pics for the east:

top 3 are easy as they are simply the leaders from each division:

PHI
WSH
TOR - can't deny being #1 on PK, #2 least shots against (best team defense) right now and what that will do for this team going forward.
then next 5 are difficult, but I'll go with:
PIT
NYI
MTL
BOS
TB

then the bottom 7
NYR
BUF
ATL
NJ
FLA
CAR
OTT

in that order... or close to it.

 

[Saskatchewan]

After putting some thought into it, before the season gets too far along, my prediction for final standings in the Eastern Conference are as follows:

1. Pittsburgh
2. New Jersey
3. Boston
4. Washington
5. Carolina
6. Atlanta
7. NY Rangers
8. Ottawa
____________________

9. Buffalo
10. Montreal
11. Philadelphia
12. Toronto
13. NY islanders
14. Tampa Bay
15. Florida

My reasons for not placing the 9 through 15 teams are because:

Buffalo lacks the offence
Montreal lacks the goaltending, ditto for Phili
Toronto is a 2 man show - which sometimes works (ie. Iggy and Kipper's Stanley Cup run) But I don't believe it will work this season for the Leafs.
Islanders - I almost slotted them into Atlanta's playoff spot, but it remains to be seen how Di Pietro performs - and Taveres simply hasn't become a top league sniper (yet).
Tamp Bay - Mike Smith is a lousy goalie, Ellis is average = no play off spot.
Florida - loss of best offensive player in Horton = no playoff spot.

Okay, so my predictions were a little off. The Devils went into an unforeseeable funk missing a playoff spot for the first time in more than a decade. Carolina came close, and Atlanta did have a spot for most of the season. Ottawa? What the fuck was I thinking to include Ottawa as a playoff team? Like everyone else I thought when Halak left it would leave the Habs without quality goaltending. Wrong again. And four of the teams I didn't peg to make the playoffs actually did. In the end though, I did puck 4 out of the 8, so a 50% prediction rate - which would be about average. No one in the thread had more than 6/8.