Power Up: NHL midseason report
By @Peej__
As we hit the unofficial hockey mid-season mark, there’s still plenty of jockeying left to be done for 16 post season births. Here’s how we see the chase for Lord Stanley playing out the rest of the way
30: Columbus Blue Jackets
One word to describe them: DREADFUL – On the bright side the Buckeyes are only 218 days away from the start of their season and the beginning of the Urban Era. At least there will be talent on the ice next year wearing home sweaters…in the 2013 All-Star game
29: Carolina Hurricanes
They’re only 10 pts out of a playoff spot but having to jump 7 teams to get into the tournament is absolutely unheard of in the NHL. Carolina’s biggest problem? Only one player on the roster has compiled more than 30 pts this year.
28: Edmonton Oilers
The young talent in Edmonton is starting to bloom and the PP is among the league’s best. The problem? Youth will hold them back until this team gets more seasoning and veteran leadership. The future looks bright for the Oilers, it just won’t be realized in 2012.
27: Tampa Bay Lightning
All the talent to make a run for the playoffs with the league’s premier goal scorer in Steven Stamkos however something seems to be lacking in Tampa this year – desire? Maybe, but a league worst 165 goals allowed is more to blame for their current place in the standings
26: Montreal Canadiens
If they expect to make the playoffs they will have to stiffen up at home. Montreal’s goal differential of -4 says they’re capable of making a run if they get timely scoring and get a few bounces the 2nd half of the year although I think they’ll come up just short.
25: Islanders
The Isles have a surplus of young talent that will turn the franchise in the right direction but they’re still not playoff bound in 2012. Rick Dipietro? Yep that was a great contract for the future of the organization that continues to haunt them.
24: Buffalo Sabres
A change is needed in western New York and for once it has nothing to do with the Bills starting QB. Darcy Regier needs to start shouldering the blame for an underachieving side while Lindy Ruff might also be on the chopping block unless this team experiences a resurgence over the back half of the schedule.
23: Phoenix Coyotes
Sure the ‘Yotes are only 3 pts out of a playoff spot yet we can only pray they make the playoffs so every hockey fan doesn’t have to hear about the uncertain future of the franchise. Like the girl who can’t make up her mind to stay or go, Phoenix either needs to get a level of commitment from the city or start fresh somewhere north of the border.
22: Toronto MapleLeafs
Improving as the year goes and tied for 7th place in the East, look for the Leafs to just miss the playoffs and send all of metro-Toronto into another postseason panic. The Leafs are still a handful players away from being considered actual contenders in the east.
21: Winnipeg Jets
Amazing how much a change of scenery has done to reverse the fates of the once maligned Thrasher organization. I’m pretty sure it helps to play in front of actual fans in one of the league’s most electric buildings. The last remaining question? can they squeak into the playoffs but that still remains a 50/50 proposition.
20: Anaheim Mighty Ducks
The talent has finally woken up in Anaheim after a horrific start to the season. Considering Perry, Getzlaf, and Ryan are a combined -27 this year, Anaheim is lucky to be where they’re at right now. If the Ducks can continue the solid play that led them to an 8-1-1 finish before the break they could become a legitimate longshot worthy of postseason consideration.
19: Dallas Stars
Injuries to Ribeiro and Benn are killing their shot at making the playoffs. The one good thing about being a member of a hockey franchise in Dallas? You’re safe from media scrutiny until Tony Romo decides to put on a black sweater and man the point on the powerplay.
18: Calgary Flames
If anyone remembers how Calgary has finished the regular season each of the last few years this campaign appears headed down the same path: valiant team effort and late playoff push only to miss out on the postseason by a few precious points
17: Los Angeles Kings
Eveyone’s trendy darkhorse to compete for hockey’s holy grail after some key off-season acquisitions. Jonathan Quick appears to have matured between the pipes however the problem remains the Kings anemic power play. While there’s no pro football in LA for the time being, the Kings could prepare fans by declining penalties and playing their opponents 5 on 5 at all times.
16: Florida Panthers
The team’s playoff dreams rest on the back of Jose Theodore….umm. Good thing if he fails as backbone for the Panthers there will only be 43 fans impacted by no postseason hockey in south Florida.
15: Minnesota Wild
The Wild started the year on absolute fire but the problem now is that the clock is about to strike midnight for Cinderella. Don’t fret puck nuts in the twin cities, take solace in the resurgent Gopher hockey program and meaningful hockey in the collegiate ranks if the Wild’s free fall takes them right out of the playoff race.
14: Colorado Avalanche
This is hockey’s version of the And1 Mix tour given their undefeated record in the shootout this year. I can’t see it continuing myself but then again the run they’ve been on clearly defies probability and maybe the team just executes best when it matters most.
13: Ottawa Senators
I’m not sure how they’re doing this with the talent they have on their roster yet saying its all a smoke and mirrors routine would make me sound like I’m completely oblivious to what’s going on in Canada’s capital city.
12: New Jersey Devils
Martin Brodeur is the question and the answer for this team. He is the catalyst that makes this team go and as long as the ageless wonder continues to visit the fountain of youth, they remain a scary out in the Eastern conference.
11: Nashville Predators
The Preds are a well balanced team and seem to be improving every week. They aren’t going to be the cupcakes hockey has grown accustomed to in the first round, not with Pekka Rinne playing like a legitimate Vezina candidate this year.
10: Washington Capitals
Bruce Boudreau is gone so the players have no excuse this season. Win or lose, blame falls squarely on their shoulders and a team with as much talent as the Caps have no excuse for another early playoff exit.
9: San Jose Sharks
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. You can’t win the cup by only beating the bottom feeders in the league. The powerplay is still a liability and I just don’t get the feeling this is the year the Sharks break through the West.
8: Pittsburgh Penguins
Pens are finally holding their own without Sid the Kid especially on their special teams units. It looks like the mid-season swoon is well behind them and if Marc Andre Fleury continues to impress, there isn’t a team in the east who wants to draw the Penguins in the postseason.
7: St Louis Blues
What a difference a coach can make in getting a team to play to their potential. If the Blues can petition the league to play all of their remaining games at home they become my pick to win the Stanley Cup but until they can translate the 21-3-4 home record to a mediocre 8-10-3 record on the highway, this team can’t be considered truly elite.
6: Vancouver Canucks
After shaking the early season Cup hangover, Vancouver has become formidable again. The Canucks continue to shut down teams in the 3rd compiling a 21 – 0 record when leading after 2 periods even without an elite closer like Mariano Rivera to shut the door.
5: Philadelphia Flyers
Losing leaders like Briere and Pronger never bodes well for a deep playoff run. Ilya Bryzgalov was expected to be the missing link between the pipes however he hasn’t lived up to lofty expectations. Season success is determined by championships in the city of Brotherly Love so anything less than the Cup will be considered a disappointment.
4: New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist is an absolute beast. With the Richards addition this offseason, the Rangers added the offensive punch they desperately lacked in years past. Look for the Rangers to be a force when the playoffs roll around since what you’re seeing from MSG is definitely not a fluke.
3: Chicago Blackhawks
There isn’t a team with more talent on their roster than the Blackhawks. However, talent alone isnt good enough to win 16 games in the postseason so unless the penalty kill improves and they get reliable play between the pipes, Chicago remains ripe for the picking in the playoffs.
2: Boston Bruins
With the talent and depth the Bruins put on the ice every night it’s impossible not to forecast a deep playoff run. The most amazing stat for the defending Cup champs? Boston is +69 in goal differential while the 2nd best mark in that category is the Redwings, 26 notches down the list at +43.
1: Detroit Redwings
Have the Wings peaked too early? Can Howard continue to be the brick wall he’s become during the regular season? If the answers are no and yes respectively Hockeytown USA could be home to NHL champions yet again.
