My 2005 NHL Preview
Now answer me this - would you rather be reading the hockey opinions of a sports writer in Canada? Or the hockey opinions of an animation writer from Los Angeles? I hope you chose the latter, because I'm about to subject you to (cue Rock n Roll Part 1) my 2005 Hockey Preview.
We'll see next year how close I am. Go Kings.
Western Conference
1. Detroit
- Every year is the one that I think Detroit is finally going to come back down to earth. This isn't the year.
2. Calgary
- I keep waiting for Mikko Kiprusoff to remember that he's Mikko Kiprusoff, but he's the real deal.
3. San Jose
- They didn't do squat about improving their team. Either they're shiftless and lazy... or they know they're already stacked.
4. Colorado
- See Detroit above. Losing Forsberg and Foote hurts, but the Avs are still loaded.
5. Vancouver
- Great team. But Dan Cloutier is no Steve Weekes.
6. Edmonton
- Pronger, Peca, and Todd McFarlane. Scary.
7. Dallas
- If Modano bounces back, this is a great team. If Modano is over, so are the Stars.
8. Los Angeles
- Is Garon the man? Because if he's the next Jamie Storr, this team misses the playoffs.
9. Anaheim
- [Insert flying v-wing joke here].
10. Phoenix
- No playoffs, unless Gretzky suits up for them.
11. Nashville
- I don't think the Preds have enough scoring firepower.
12. Columbus
- Nash and company are still one year away.
13. St. Louis
- After a zillion straight years in the playoffs, the Blues fall and fall hard.
14. Minnesota
- Like San Jose, they did nothing in the off-season. Unlike San Jose, this team is not stacked.
15. Chicago
- You sportswriters praising the Blackhawks DO realize that the team is still owned by Bill Wirtz, right?
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia
- Best team in the East even before they added the best player in the league, Forsberg.
2. Ottawa
- Assuming Hasek doesn't go weird on them, this team has so much talent it's scary.
3. Tampa Bay
- Losing Khabibulin hurts, but in the weak Southeast division, they could probably pull the goalie and still win.
4. Pittsburgh
- How long til every sportswriter in the Western Hemisphere is going to the "March of the Penguins" headline? I bet after their first pre-season win.
5. Boston
- When will people learn that Brad Isbister will never be "the next Todd Bertuzzi"?
6. Toronto
- I wanna see Lindros and Allison skate on the same line. It'll be a beautiful thing.
7. New Jersey
- I've never been sold on Larry Robinson as a head coach over a full season. We'll see if I'm wrong.
8. Montreal
- [Insert still-bitter-about-1993 joke here].
9. Atlanta
- Almost the playoffs. Maybe next year.
10. NY Islanders
- Yashin and Satan together will be fun to watch.
11. Buffalo
- Like San Jose and Minnesota, they didn't do anything to improve the team. But they're not quite as good as San Jose, not quite as bad as Minnesota.
12. Florida
- Still a few years away. Hope Nieuwendyk and Roberts can stick around long enough for it to happen.
13. Carolina
- Remember when they went to the finals a few years ago? Neither do I.
14. NY Rangers
- Glen Sather will never ever EVER live down his complaints when he was with the Oilers that the NY Rangers could buy their way to a championship.
15. Washington
- Have you looked at this roster?
My prediction:
Western Conference champs: San Jose Sharks
Eastern Conference champs: Philadelphia Flyers
Stanley Cup champs: Philadelphia Flyers
We'll see next year how close I am. Go Kings.
Western Conference
1. Detroit
- Every year is the one that I think Detroit is finally going to come back down to earth. This isn't the year.
2. Calgary
- I keep waiting for Mikko Kiprusoff to remember that he's Mikko Kiprusoff, but he's the real deal.
3. San Jose
- They didn't do squat about improving their team. Either they're shiftless and lazy... or they know they're already stacked.
4. Colorado
- See Detroit above. Losing Forsberg and Foote hurts, but the Avs are still loaded.
5. Vancouver
- Great team. But Dan Cloutier is no Steve Weekes.
6. Edmonton
- Pronger, Peca, and Todd McFarlane. Scary.
7. Dallas
- If Modano bounces back, this is a great team. If Modano is over, so are the Stars.
8. Los Angeles
- Is Garon the man? Because if he's the next Jamie Storr, this team misses the playoffs.
9. Anaheim
- [Insert flying v-wing joke here].
10. Phoenix
- No playoffs, unless Gretzky suits up for them.
11. Nashville
- I don't think the Preds have enough scoring firepower.
12. Columbus
- Nash and company are still one year away.
13. St. Louis
- After a zillion straight years in the playoffs, the Blues fall and fall hard.
14. Minnesota
- Like San Jose, they did nothing in the off-season. Unlike San Jose, this team is not stacked.
15. Chicago
- You sportswriters praising the Blackhawks DO realize that the team is still owned by Bill Wirtz, right?
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia
- Best team in the East even before they added the best player in the league, Forsberg.
2. Ottawa
- Assuming Hasek doesn't go weird on them, this team has so much talent it's scary.
3. Tampa Bay
- Losing Khabibulin hurts, but in the weak Southeast division, they could probably pull the goalie and still win.
4. Pittsburgh
- How long til every sportswriter in the Western Hemisphere is going to the "March of the Penguins" headline? I bet after their first pre-season win.
5. Boston
- When will people learn that Brad Isbister will never be "the next Todd Bertuzzi"?
6. Toronto
- I wanna see Lindros and Allison skate on the same line. It'll be a beautiful thing.
7. New Jersey
- I've never been sold on Larry Robinson as a head coach over a full season. We'll see if I'm wrong.
8. Montreal
- [Insert still-bitter-about-1993 joke here].
9. Atlanta
- Almost the playoffs. Maybe next year.
10. NY Islanders
- Yashin and Satan together will be fun to watch.
11. Buffalo
- Like San Jose and Minnesota, they didn't do anything to improve the team. But they're not quite as good as San Jose, not quite as bad as Minnesota.
12. Florida
- Still a few years away. Hope Nieuwendyk and Roberts can stick around long enough for it to happen.
13. Carolina
- Remember when they went to the finals a few years ago? Neither do I.
14. NY Rangers
- Glen Sather will never ever EVER live down his complaints when he was with the Oilers that the NY Rangers could buy their way to a championship.
15. Washington
- Have you looked at this roster?
My prediction:
Western Conference champs: San Jose Sharks
Eastern Conference champs: Philadelphia Flyers
Stanley Cup champs: Philadelphia Flyers
posted by Eugene at 8:10 PM
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