Nick’s predictions
What’s the fun of following an entire 82 game schedule in the NHL without at least making some predictions about how it will all unfold? Here’s my take on the standings for the upcoming season:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1: Philadelphia Flyers - 49-20-13 -111 points
2: Washington Capitals - 47-23-12 - 106 points
3: Boston Bruins - 44-25-13 - 101 points
4: New York Rangers - 44-29-9 - 97 points
5: Montreal Canadiens - 42-30-10 - 94 points
6: New Jersey Devils - 44-32-6 - 93 points
7: Pittsburgh Penguins - 43-34-5 - 91 points
8: Buffalo Sabres - 41-36-5 - 91 points
To summarize: this is basically my opinion on how it will all shake down. I will be astounded if the records are anywhere close to as i see it but hey, anything can happen. A few things to note that differ from last year and recent years:
No 50 game winners. The talent throughout the league is now more widely spread than it was in years past, which will lead to closer games and more overtimes, thus lowering the win totals for each team. I just think that it will be very tight.
Close bottom 4. It’s always close as you get farther down, towards 8th spot, but the point totals here are much more diminished then they were last year or the year before. Again, more evenly matched teams contribute to this phenomenon. It used to be that you needed at least 92 points to be able to make the playoffs in the east, but this will decrease.
So, you’ve seen my predictions, and hopefully you do not agree with them. I’m interested in knowing how others see it all going down.
What are your predictions for this year’s eastern conference?
