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New Jersey, NJ • United States • 28 Years Old • Male

2008-09 Predictions
Posted 6:35 PM ET | Comments 24
That’s right folks, it’s my favorite part of the summer…the part where you still have some time left before normal life resumes, yet hockey season is so close you can almost taste it. (In case you were wondering, it tastes like Cracker Jack.) And so, it is time for my 2008-09 predictions. I assure you that I purposely wrote and published this blog before so much as glancing at anyone else’s predictions, including the Hockey News 2009 Yearbook currently sitting next to me. What follows are my predictions for final division standings and playoff seedings, as well as a shot in the dark at the Cup Finals matchup and winner. (I will probably revise these around the All-Star break, since there are things which will happen between now and then that surely will make me change my mind.) Enjoy.

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
1. Pittsburgh
2. New Jersey
3. Philadelphia
4. NY Rangers
5. NY Islanders

Northeast Division
1. Montreal
2. Boston
3. Ottawa
4. Buffalo
5. Toronto

Southeast Division
1. Washington
2. Tampa Bay
3. Carolina
4. Florida
5. Atlanta

Playoff Seedings
1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Montreal
4. New Jersey
5. Tampa Bay
6. Philadelphia
7. Boston
8. NY Rangers

Western Conference

Central Division
1. Detroit
2. Chicago
3. Nashville
4. Columbus
5. St. Louis

Northwest Division
1. Edmonton
2. Calgary
3. Colorado
4. Minnesota
5. Vancouver

Pacific Division
1. Dallas
2. San Jose
3. Anaheim
4. Phoenix
5. Los Angeles

Playoff Seedings
1. Detroit
2. Dallas
3. Edmonton
4. San Jose
5. Chicago
6. Anaheim
7. Calgary
8. Colorado

2009 Stanley Cup Finals
Detroit vs. Montreal

WINNER: Montreal
Filed Under:   season   predictions   hockey   nhl  
August 15, 2008 7:39 PM ET | Delete
nice picks , espeacilly the Montreal winning the cup lol , only things i think differently on is calgary making it. Not knocking them but i see vancouver in their before them and i see phoenix making it to. As for montreal winning i would love to see it but i reserve judement on it.
August 15, 2008 9:08 PM ET | Delete
Imagine Montreal won the cup! They'll fight for a playoff spot.
August 15, 2008 9:25 PM ET | Delete
How is MTL going to get past PHI?
August 15, 2008 10:06 PM ET | Delete
Did you notice who the Stars lost this off season? Their second and third lines were decimated.
August 16, 2008 12:12 AM ET | Delete
Colorado will beat Detroit in 6 games in the first round. Hossa is gonna be injured
August 16, 2008 3:18 AM ET | Delete
I honestly don't think Detroit will make it to the finals. I know it's hard for anyone to think that especially since i'm an Avs/Leafs fan but I think Detroit has too much talent. All Star teams never work look at the yankees (UGH! :P) they're third in their division and have the best offense maybe in baseball. Lakers in basketball they have great players but lost(bad example since they were in the finals) and the Chargers in football great offense, great defense but choke in the big game. obviously hockey is a different sport all together but all sports have similarities I honestly think San Jose will make it. they got two proven vets, though yes Blake is 38, and if Joe Thorntoncan play as good in the playoffs as he does in the regular season they have probably the best shot at it.
August 16, 2008 4:07 AM ET | Delete
"Colorado will beat Detroit in 6 games in the first round. Hossa is gonna be injured" - they won the cup without him, sweeping colorado along the way... not sure this 6 game series would ever happen, especially with the avalanches "amazing" goaltending duo. And the guy after this comment, saying detroit has too much talent. that team has grown together and only added hossa and conklin. They have great chemistry and we all saw what adding hossa to a talented team like pittsburgh did. Not saying they will repeat for sure, but its more likely than any other recent championship team.
August 16, 2008 7:56 AM ET | Delete
im with ya weed. i dont think colorado even gets in
August 16, 2008 11:30 AM ET | Delete
Solid picks. Nothing too outrageous. Even as a Pitts fan I don't see them winning the conference but anything could happen. I imagine Montreal will win the conference.Heck I even think NJ will likely win the Atlantic.
August 16, 2008 12:15 PM ET | Delete
I really think MTL is overrated. I strongly believe Ottawa, and NYR are going to be the powerhouses of the east.
August 16, 2008 12:48 PM ET | Delete
What spectacular moves did NJ make this season other then Rolston?Broduers not getting any younger and without any major additions I dont see them placing higher then the Flyers nor the Rangers.
August 16, 2008 7:14 PM ET | Delete
I'm sorry, I just don't see the Rangers as anything special. Naslund and Redden are over the hill, Zherdev and Kalinin may be good pickups in the end, but the reason I don't see them going far is team chemistry. They will have to be extremely lucky for all of the new faces to mesh with the old ones around the time they did last season, which for the record was March. It may work out, but it also may end up like the Rangers teams of the late 1990s...too many seperate parts who cannot find a way to work together as a whole. You take that risk anytime you load and unload pieces en masse.
August 16, 2008 7:28 PM ET | Delete
No chance Ottawa is a powerhouse this season , maybe the rangers but thats only if they get off to a good start and thye develop some much needed chemstry.
August 17, 2008 3:03 PM ET | Delete
redden's only 31 years old...over the hill? i don't think so.
August 17, 2008 3:47 PM ET | Delete
No way that TB gets the 5th seeds, and has more points than the Flyers, Bruins, or Rangers. They will be VERY lucky to even make the playoffs over the Sabres, Canes, or Senators. I think you're vastly overrating their free agency additions. Yeah, they added some nice offensive tools, and Stamkos should eventually become a stud, but none of those free agency guys they've added are big time, sure thing scorers for all the money they spent. Malone is a nice player, but if you're going to tell me his stats weren't greatly influenced by playing in that Pittsburgh lineup you're crazy. He should come back down to about 20 goals a year. Vrbata has never-ever done anything until last seasons breakout and is a prime example of a guy who steps it up in a contract year, Prospal plays well with Vinny, but is a streaky one dimensional scorer who plays no defense, and Recchi and Roberts really should both be watching the games from a retirement community. They traded their best defensemen, and now are icing possibly one of the worst starting 6 in the league, they have a potentially good young goalie but who is far from proven and has little experience being a number 1, oh and they hired Melrose who hasn't coached a game in over a decade. Thats a lot of IF's and holes in the lineup to be the 5th seed in the East. They'll certainly be an interesting team to keep your eye on, but I don't see playoffs until the following season at the earliest once they improve the defense.
August 17, 2008 3:51 PM ET | Delete
Oh and to the guy who said Ottawa and the Rangers will be powerhouses. Are you kidding me? That Senators team is an absolute mess. They're basically the Flyers of the 90s. 1 dominating line with no secondary scoring, an average defense, and an average goalie.
August 17, 2008 4:24 PM ET | Delete
Too much talent, Pucker7? Give me a break. What about the Wings in 2002? Did they have too much talent to win it then? I'm not about to say the Wings have it in the bag already for next season but, they do have the best chance. And the addition of Hossa increases that chance. The only way the Sharks are going to win a Cup is if they can get Thornton to get it in his skull that you can't float to the Cup. He has outstanding regular seasons but, always comes up short in the P.O.'s when it really matters. Maybe new coach Todd MacClellan can get through to him and the rest of the team that it's talent and hard work, not just talent to go all the way.
August 17, 2008 5:49 PM ET | Delete
I predict that these predictions are wrong.
August 18, 2008 2:09 PM ET | Delete
The Rangers could fall but the biggest difference between the 90's Rangers and now is that ALL of the players at least have heart. That goes a long way in Feb games VS Philly and NJ. It goes a long way if( knock wood) the team gets any injury hickups. Finally it helps alot in the last playoff drive. Not to mention the injection of young players who can help and actually produced last season while the team battled to find chemistry. It was Dubinsky who was able to settle Jagr down not the other way around. I still dont know how your club will prevail not adding a legit D-man. Rolston the QB ,but what about the other 50 plus mins?
August 18, 2008 6:03 PM ET | Delete
"The Rangers could fall but the biggest difference between the 90's Rangers and now is that ALL of the players at least have heart."...do you know who you signed in the offseason? Your major addition is a stereotypical Russian that plays 1 out of every 5 shifts hard.
August 19, 2008 10:13 AM ET | Delete
ok so thats what I've been reading. But if you look at who tried to handle a young Alex Kovalev ( Iron Mike) and who will be working with Zheredev ( Renny),it's day a night . Despite the constant pressure of Keenan on Alex he managed to prevail in 94. This time Hitch grew tired of Niks up and down performances ( understandable). But lets be honest hes lacked playing with a # 1 center and still had a career year. Also he'll be playing in a NY in front of a huge eastern european community at the Garden. Plus on a 1 year deal at 23 skating with Gomez come on!
August 19, 2008 11:35 AM ET
Good predictions - I hope you're right! Oh, and to those who think Montreal is overrated, think again...they were seriously underrated last season, and now they're finally starting to get some respect after rebuilding. Our recent frustrations as Habs fans will soon pay off!
August 19, 2008 2:20 PM ET | Delete
MDLerner....at least WE have a chance to make the playoff.... But don't be mad, you will have a chance at Tavares
August 19, 2008 6:26 PM ET | Delete
I like those choices. I'd probably put the Habs over Pittsburgh now with Withney injury (it's gonna cost them some points) but it's gonna be a battle for the tittle of the conference until the last 2 games. Boston over Ottawa and Tampa Bay 5th are gutsy choices but defendable. Detroit retained most of their team and added some talent so I can see them in final. as for the Habs, with the additions they made, the little they lost and the fan support (and it should be even bigger for the Centenial) I can totally see that. It would be a heartbreaker to lose in the finals to a team as talented as Detroit though.
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