EASTERN DIVISION PREDICTIONS SURE TO BE WRONG

[yave1964]

final division, saved the best for last.

 

This is simply a BRUTAL division as it is filled with some of the leagues best teams. Even the bad clubs, Rangers, Sabres and Devils arent really bad.

 

8) DEVILS. poor Devils, they truly might contend for a bottom playoff spot in the Central as could any team in this division who misses the playoffs. here they are dead last.

 

7) ISLANDERS They more or less stood pat other than losing Devon Toews and Greiss. Good club but again so is everyone else here.

 

6) BRUINS. Yep I have them on the outside, New England sports )Bruins/Patriots/Red Sox) finally on a downturn. Too many aging stars and injuries.

 

5) SABRES barely miss the final spot. added depth on every line, ready to make some noise.

 

4) PENGUINS aging and traded or let go of a lot of key players. Just enough to limp in. Maybe.

 

3) RANGERS I believe i rated them higher than anywhere i have seen, Kakko and Lafrenierre added to the other top six frowards, Trouba fights for the Norris, two brilliant young goalies. They will be right in the mix. Rebuild is complete.

 

2) CAPITALS. Deep talented aging roster added some depth, enough to stay near the top.

 

1) FLYERS not saying this because it is a Flyer dominated board, saying it because this is arguably the deepest most talented team in the game, right there with Tampa and maybe Colorado. Literally no weaknesses. In the leagues best Division this is the best team.

 

FLYERS OVER THE PENGUINS

CAPITALS OVER THE RANGERS

 

FLYERS OVER THE CAPITALS in six games.

[mojo1917]

I wonder about the Caps. 

That roster has a lot of veteran talent, and Lavy knows his way around motivating those kind of guys.

Adding Chara to the squad will make them tougher to play.

I think they're going to experience a dead cat bounce and will finish towards the top of the division.

I don't think the Pens are done yet- won't bet against Crosby, but I don't see the 3rd line center they need for their recipe to work.

The Islanders are a good team that didn't really lose anyone, but the Bruins did, we'll see about them Like you @yave1964 I think Krug and Chara are too much to replace with questions and don't know how the aging forward corps will be.

The Sabers have a lot of talent, the Rangers have a lot of young talent, I hate the Devils so I don't know what they have, but I'm sure I'll grow to hate them more this season. 

I don't know where to expect my boys to finish, there are questions that with the right answers makes them the chalk and a threat for a deep playoff run. If Patty doesn't play and Oscar is a shell of himself, if the D-corps rotation gets jangly the Flyers could finish in the bottom half of the division. 

I think they'll make the tournament, and then we'll see what's up.

[yave1964]

37 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

I wonder about the Caps. 

That roster has a lot of veteran talent, and Lavy knows his way around motivating those kind of guys.

Adding Chara to the squad will make them tougher to play.

I think they're going to experience a dead cat bounce and will finish towards the top of the division.

I don't think the Pens are done yet- won't bet against Crosby, but I don't see the 3rd line center they need for their recipe to work.

The Islanders are a good team that didn't really lose anyone, but the Bruins did, we'll see about them Like you @yave1964 I think Krug and Chara are too much to replace with questions and don't know how the aging forward corps will be.

The Sabers have a lot of talent, the Rangers have a lot of young talent, I hate the Devils so I don't know what they have, but I'm sure I'll grow to hate them more this season. 

I don't know where to expect my boys to finish, there are questions that with the right answers makes them the chalk and a threat for a deep playoff run. If Patty doesn't play and Oscar is a shell of himself, if the D-corps rotation gets jangly the Flyers could finish in the bottom half of the division. 

I think they'll make the tournament, and then we'll see what's up.

I actually have the Flyers winning the Cup against...the Leafs. Seriously, two Eastern Conference teams due to the fluky way the schedule is designed. I picked them because of their depth and lack of a glaring weakness, although losing Pitlick hurts a bit he can be replaced by a plug and play guy or even break Frost in gently in a small role. The Flyers are just too deep and I think that between the sprint to the finish regular season and the grueling playoff schedule, the deepest teams will be left standing. 

[Podein25]

On 12/31/2020 at 10:00 AM, yave1964 said:

 

1) FLYERS

 

Nothing good can come from this, surely you know this? Do better. 

 

Lol

[Mad Dog]

I wouldn't write off the Bruins just yet.  Their first line may be the ONLY line they have, but it's a damn good one.  And Rask is still one of the better goalies in the game.  

 

I do like the way the Flyers look this year, though.  Deep, disciplined, committed and... most importantly, finally, FINALLY.... having a premiere netminder.  We'll see.  

[yave1964]

34 minutes ago, Mad Dog said:

I wouldn't write off the Bruins just yet.  Their first line may be the ONLY line they have, but it's a damn good one.  And Rask is still one of the better goalies in the game.  

 

I do like the way the Flyers look this year, though.  Deep, disciplined, committed and... most importantly, finally, FINALLY.... having a premiere netminder.  We'll see.  

Rask leaving the bubble last year may be a bigger deal than a lot of people are letting on, then losing Krug/Chara and literally replacing the with nobody, Pastrnak to miss time to start the year, Marchand going to be brought along slow because of a sports hernia surgery, Bergeron and Krejci another year older. I know they are the Bruins but there is an awful lot here not to like.

[musky]

Flyers number 1 really com on now.

[Podein25]

3 hours ago, musky said:

really com

 

really dot com is one of my favorite web sites. Its contents include video evidence of a famous off-side goal that allowed the Islanders to illegitimately win the Stanley Cup in 1980.

 

Really. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

With some rosters still in turmoil and Covid still wreaking havoc everywhere including the sports world, it really is hard to say who will do what.

That said, and just looking at what teams have NOW, I will break this division into a top half and a bottom half.

In the top half, I still do like the Capitals and Islanders. Caps still have lots of talent up and down that lineup with enough veterans who I think would like to win another Cup in Washington before all is said n done.
The Isles were NO fluke last season. They are coming into their own and even with Barzal out with some silly contract dispute/holdout, they still have enough toughness, grittiness and offense to pull out wins. Add in Barzal a bit later on, and they become that much more dangerous.

Right beneath those, I have the Penguins and Flyers.
Pens because, like the Caps, they have talent that can get it done along with still-motivated veterans that wanna win another one badly enough to where they give everything they have each and every night.
I really don't think the Pens miss a beat not having Murray in net.... the combo of Jarry and DeSmith could be enough, especially if they maintain their offense.

The Flyers look pretty good, but I worry about that team's depth.
Looking at their lineup, seems to me that, if they suffer a key injury here or there, the entire lineup could be thrown out of wack to where guys will then be played over their heads. 
Injury bug hits a guy like Provorov or Meyers and all of a sudden, they will need to have 2nd and 3rd pair guys face the other team's top lines.

Same up front with, say, Sean Couturier or a Travic Konecny, who the Flyres absolutely need to be healthy and productive.
And heaven help them if Carter Hart goes down with injury as it will be the Brian Elliot Frights After Dark show from then on.

The Fly stay healthy, they got as good a chance as anyone in the top 4 to win the division, if not.......................

Bottom half we have Buffalo and the Bruins. 
Buffalo is up n coming, and if their goalies finally play consistently, and someone from the top 4 falter, they just may have enough to sneak into a playoff spot.
Bruins SEEM to be on the decline, but then, people have been saying that for years. I'm not ready to write them off just yet.
Sure, I don't think they fare better than the top 4 I mentioned, but like Buffalo, they got a chance to sneak into the top 4 if someone falters....and they STILL boast one of the better goalie tandems in the league to go along with their still very good top line and always tough defense, which, IMO, has become more mobile with the removal of Chara.

Near the bottom, but with a chance to surprise are the Rangers and Devils.
Both are filled with young players in all areas, but both have lots to prove that they can win on a consistent basis night in, night out....even when things don't go their way.

Tough for young players to win in this league under even the best conditions, but with the challenges facing all teams, I think veteran teams may have an edge....thus NY and NJ may still flounder near the bottom while their young players continue to figure things out.

Both have excellent talent that I still think needs another season or so to really start making noise