Root against Leafs Playoff Competition

[slapshot]

This year, more than ever I've been rooting for West Division teams playing East Division right from day one. Usually I don't scoreboard watch until down the stretch. But now I am cheering on anyone who can knock off potential Leaf playoff rivals.
When East teams meet East Teams, I'm routing for the perceived top teams over the perceived Bubble teams.

I honestly don't think all the teams in the East have improved as much as the media is going on about. Yes, Buffalo bolstered their defence. Rangers added Richards, but apart from that I'm not seeing a whole lot. Cole on the Habs is ok, but they have a pretty brittle team.

Who do you think will truly be the Leafs main competition and who will not be a threat?

 

[Kin]

At this point I wouldn't rule anyone out. Even Ottawa could surprise if Anderson repeats his season of two years ago.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

At this point I wouldn't rule anyone out. Even Ottawa could surprise if Anderson repeats his season of two years ago.

While I agree with that, I think there is some truth to what slapshot is saying about Buffalo, Montreal and to a lesser extent New York. We're in trouble if Buffalo's defense is even minimally better, as Miller was tough before he gets any help. Montreal isn't all that much better with Cole, I think he's overrated and the Rangers defense will decide what they do I think.

I don't think Carolina will compete for the playoffs. Ottawa, while they could surprise, I'm not feeling it. Florida added a lot of players, but I don't think they added any difference makers.

Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh and Tampa will be pretty good I think. New Jersey may also be very difficult to beat, but their top players will have to perform for that to happen.

 

[Kin]

While I agree with that, I think there is some truth to what slapshot is saying about Buffalo, Montreal and to a lesser extent New York. We're in trouble if Buffalo's defense is even minimally better, as Miller was tough before he gets and help. Montreal isn't all that much better with Cole, I think he's overrated and the Rangers defense will decide what they do I think.

I don't think Carolina will compete for the playoffs. Ottawa, while they could surprise, I'm not feeling it. Florida added a lot of players, but I don't think they added any difference makers.

An argument for or against just about any team can be made. The Hurricanes were a 91 point team last year and return basically the same bunch this year so I certainly don't think they can be dismissed right now. Ottawa, I think, is in roughly the same boat as the Leafs. Both teams will need stellar goaltending, although Ottawa would need their young players to step up immediately.

As for which teams in the East have improved the most I think the list has to start with Washington, include Philly, the Rangers and round out with Buffalo. After that it's probably just a bunch of teams who have improved marginally.

 

[slapshot]

At this point I wouldn't rule anyone out. Even Ottawa could surprise if Anderson repeats his season of two years ago.

While I agree with that, I think there is some truth to what slapshot is saying about Buffalo, Montreal and to a lesser extent New York. We're in trouble if Buffalo's defense is even minimally better, as Miller was tough before he gets and help. Montreal isn't all that much better with Cole, I think he's overrated and the Rangers defense will decide what they do I think.

I don't think Carolina will compete for the playoffs. Ottawa, while they could surprise, I'm not feeling it. Florida added a lot of players, but I don't think they added any difference makers.

Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh and Tampa will be pretty good I think. New Jersey may also be very difficult to beat, but their top players will have to perform for that to happen.

Good assessment

 

[slapshot]

Rangers failed to pick up extra points in 2 attempts. Leafs need to capitalize tonight. The race to the playoffs is already underway.

 

[cw]

Carolina is pretty good down the middle and in goal. They have some good puck movers on their D. They're short quality wingers who are probably the easiest thing for Rutherford to pick up. I think he's a shrewd GM and wouldn't count them out though I wouldn't predict them as one of the 8 most likely to make the playoffs.

I think the Caps, Pens, Bruins, Flyers & Sabres are very likely to be in the top eight if they don't run into serious health issues.

A healthy Tampa might deserve to be in that group but at 41, I can't bet on Roloson continuing to play at a top level or remaining healthy and they don't seem to have anyone close to his caliber to back him up. I also think their D is older and therefore, prone to injury.

I was expecting the Rangers to add a good offensive dman. Since they didn't along with Staal being out for at least a month with his concussion problems, they slip back in my expectations.

Montreal didn't replace Hamrlik. Markov & Campoli are on the IR. They risk starting off in a hole. It's up to Price and the forwards to try to carry them for a while.

I don't know which New Jersey team will show up: the one that was near the bottom of the league in the first half or the one that was near the top of the league in the second half. they'll probably be in the hunt.

Those strike me as the top teams with Ottawa, Winnipeg, Florida & the Islanders bringing up the rear looking for one of their goalies to get hot.

 

[Arn]

Caught a fair amount of the Buffalo v LA game in Berlin on TV tonight. Buffalo looked pretty good - Miller was superb and they looked dangerous enough to score a few.

I'd put them in with a good shot of the playoffs purely based on Miller.

 

[nutman]

Caught a fair amount of the Buffalo v LA game in Berlin on TV tonight. Buffalo looked pretty good - Miller was superb and they looked dangerous enough to score a few.

I'd put them in with a good shot of the playoffs purely based on Miller.

buf impresses me a quite a bit, i can see them doing some damage. as for the usual bunch that are on top i see some falling. in todays nhl, its easy to win the cup then be out then next year. philly nyr and yes even boston dont have a pass, so they will fight for there lives.
tampa and wash i would say are the two i see as sure shots at this point. the leafs imo will be somewhere in the 5-7th spot.

 

[bustaheims]

in todays nhl, its easy to win the cup then be out then next year.

If it's so easy, why are the only teams to make the Finals and then miss the playoffs the following season Carolina and Edmonton from 05-06?

 

[hockeyfan1]

Who do you think will truly be the Leafs main competition and who will not be a threat?

I don't think it's a question of whom the Leafs need to watch out for (in the standings), but, rather, how many points the Leafs can take from not only the 'low' teams they will be playing this year -- Ottawa 25 times, for instance -- and also from the 'middle-of -the road' teams such as the Carolinas, etc.

Truth be told that, the Leafs greatest competitors and threats, are, none than other, themselves, for the reasons I just mentioned above.  Their biggest threat is inconsistency over the long haul.

 

[Kessel_81]

go leafs and go western confrence lol

 

[Corn Flake]

IMO, Montreal and Philli are the two teams who have the best chance at falling out of the top 8. 

Boo'urns them!

 

[princedpw]

IMO, Montreal and Philli are the two teams who have the best chance at falling out of the top 8. 

Boo'urns them!

I think Tampa and possibly the Rangers have a better chance of falling than Philly, but I'm happy to boo Philly too!

 

[Corn Flake]

IMO, Montreal and Philli are the two teams who have the best chance at falling out of the top 8. 

Boo'urns them!

I think Tampa and possibly the Rangers have a better chance of falling than Philly, but I'm happy to boo Philly too!

Agree on the Rangers.  I think Tampa wins the East (condition being Rolson still has it) but that's just me.

Yeah its never hard to boo the two teams I submitted, either way.

 

[Pucken Chronic]

I think the Rangers, Philly, The Habs, Tampa and Boston have a chance at slipping. First three are the most obvious. Tampa, I still think are a one line team and if anything happens to St.Louis or Stamkos, they's in big doo-doo. I also think Boston will suffer from the Cup hangover and no way... NO WAY does Lil Timmy Thomas come close to last years numbers and I think Rask is a head case, incapable of a long run on an NHL team.

 

[Kin]

I really don't understand the idea that Philly will get worse. I understand that Richards and Carter were valuable players and that Jagr, Simmonds, Schenn, Couturier and Voracek isn't a clear-cut improvement but the massive difference in going from what they had in net to a Vezina candidate capable of playing in almost 70 games a year seems to dwarf that by leaps and bounds.

I get questioning their ability to play in the playoffs because Bryzgalov hasn't been great in the playoffs recently but in the regular season they seem a much better bet to improve.

 

[Erndog]

I really don't understand the idea that Philly will get worse. I understand that Richards and Carter were valuable players and that Jagr, Simmonds, Schenn, Couturier and Voracek isn't a clear-cut improvement but the massive difference in going from what they had in net to a Vezina candidate capable of playing in almost 70 games a year seems to dwarf that by leaps and bounds.

I get questioning their ability to play in the playoffs because Bryzgalov hasn't been great in the playoffs recently but in the regular season they seem a much better bet to improve.

Strictly speaking regular season here, how much of an improvement is Bryzgalov over Bobrovsky based on last season?

Bob was 28-13 last year with a 2.59 GAA, and .915 SV%.  It's not like Bryz is going to come in and completely blow those numbers away.

Basically what I'm getting at is Bryz will probably be pretty comparable to what Bob gave them during the regular season last year, but can Voracek/Jagr/Simmonds give them as much as Carter/Richards?  That's probably a tougher bet.

 

[Kin]

Strictly speaking regular season here, how much of an improvement is Bryzgalov over Bobrovsky based on last season?

Bob was 28-13 last year with a 2.59 GAA, and .915 SV%.  It's not like Bryz is going to come in and completely blow those numbers away.

I wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Bryz put up those numbers on a pretty talent poor Phoenix team. Bobrovsky put his up in front of a very good Flyers team. There's also a pretty significant difference in terms of doing it while getting 52 starts, as Bobrovsky did, and doing it in 67 starts, which is what Bryzgalov did.

 

[bustaheims]

I wouldn't necessarily rule it out. Bryz put up those numbers on a pretty talent poor Phoenix team. Bobrovsky put his up in front of a very good Flyers team. There's also a pretty significant difference in terms of doing it while getting 52 starts, as Bobrovsky did, and doing it in 67 starts, which is what Bryzgalov did.

But, at the same time, Byzgalov put up his numbers on a trap heavy team, which Philly isn't as much. That being said, the issue, to me, isn't whether or not Philly got better or worse on paper, but, rather, whether or not the new group will find enough chemistry and do so early enough in the season to keep them from slipping into the pack of playoff bubble teams. There's a lot of new forwards on that team, and the lack of familiarity between the group and the defence and among the forward group itself could certainly lead to Philly slipping back in the race.