2006-07 NHL Predictions

[Cosmo]

DirtiasIgetolder,

I know what you mean.I quit caring for these primadonnas years ago.Now I just watch the games as they come.If they win-- yippy,if they lose,basically the same.
I watch games for the other team,sometimes.Especially offensive minded teams like Buffalo and Pittsburgh,even Ottawa and Atlanta can offer good shows.
Not only does the team average,or less,but we don't have any star players and it's been like that for years.
The last time we had an offensive star was 1994-96,Pierre Turgeon.
And they traded him for overrated underachiver Shane Corson!
I know the medias might be a burden for the players,but as far as I know they are for the NY Yankees too.And the Dallas Cowboys,and Boston Celtics,Chicago Bulls,LA Dodgers,ect....
Good players are suppose to thrive under such pressure.
The pressure argument is such a lame excuse IMHO.These guys are payed insane amount of $$$ to perform.
Mark Messier once said if a guy can't cope with the pressure that comes with beign a pro athlete,then he has no business beign a pro athlete.

cosmo

 

[picasso]

But we have to be able to go get better UFAs then Samsonov. He had 1 good year and the rest has been mediocre. He's not worth $3.5Mill and Kovalev is not worth $4.5. Even Saku isn't worth his 5Mill. He's got heart but he's just not as talented as we make him out to be. I would say we have no 100 point player but that's stating the obvious, we don't even have an 80point player. Not sure if Saku will make 80 this year.

No argument there. I've met Saku in person and he's a pleasant and calm guy and all that. But as a captain of the team he sucks. He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who can light a fire under his teammates when times are tough like now. Plus, he looks too fragile to last the whole season, or at least play productively throughout the whole season.

As far as Samsonov, word has it that he has a bum wrist so the velocity of his shots is no longer what it used to be. That's why his TOI has been consistently low. As for Kovalev, he's one of the major reasons why the offense has really sucked big time lately. The Habs front line just looks awful right now.

 

[gohabsgo]

and it gets worse

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=196358&hubname=

 

[dirtierasigetolder]

I say screw'm....I'm not spending another dime on this team until management decides to put a good product on the ice. I'm done!!!

 

[Greeker]

Les CHanadien sont fait à l'os

Beaucoup trop chèrement payés ces jeunes joueurs, je pense que les séries et la coupe stanley, ces petits enfants gâtée et immatures s'en caliss pas mal de perdre ou gagner. Beaucoup parmis eux devraient aller jouer au golf car le hockey n'est pas leur vocation.

 

[joelcairo]

Habs lost their 5th in a row last night and are barely hanging on to the last spot in the playoffs chase. Both Huet and Aebischer have been mediocre lately, offense sucks. Blue line continues to be the strength of this team but if you keep getting outshot by a whopping margin like last night in NJD, sooner or later the dam will break.

Bob, if you're reading this, we need to pick up some offensive firepower by the trading deadline. How about Simon Gagne? And if Huet is still hurt, how about Nittymakki, also from the Flyers?

Hey Pablo you've changed your tune from your earlier posts. Funny Pablo because I thought you said cynicism and defeatism were for total losers. Me? I'm singing the same song I always did but that's just because I look at things realistically instead of dreaming. If anyone rereads this entire thread from the beginning, they'll have some good laughs.

 

[picasso]

Hey Pablo you've changed your tune from your earlier posts. Funny Pablo because I thought you said cynicism and defeatism were for total losers. Me? I'm singing the same song I always did but that's just because I look at things realistically instead of dreaming. If anyone rereads this entire thread from the beginning, they'll have some good laughs.

"Change my tune"? Hardly... "Cynical and defeated" on the contrary. Obviously you have no clue what it's like to be a passionate sports fan. There is a difference between voicing displeasure at the way your team is playing and jumping off the bandwagon. The Habs are struggling right now but I still believe they'll be in the playoffs. Hockey is a game of streaks. The Habs can still turn it around and maybe what it takes is a catalyst like a late season pick up. I started this thread by saying that the Habs can go into the playoffs as high as the 4th seed if a number of things break their way. Souray and Markov have been outstanding this year, but the other two pieces, i.e. Huet and the front line of Kovalev et al. have fallen short of expectations. So fucking what? Picking winners and losers in any sports is always fun and games anyway. Even those making a living out of this have proven to be way off the mark. Ever read some of those pre-season or even in-season hockey publications and their predictions? 'Nuf said. Go Habs!

 

[joelcairo]

Good for you Pablo! You must be a Eurythmics fan (Sweet dreams are made of this, Who am I to disagree?). I prefer the real world, but hey, to each his own.

 

[joelcairo]

As the end approaches, it becomes increasingly instructive and amusing to re-read this entire thread. Perhaps the great prognosticators of the world should always revisit their past predictions before dispensing any pearls of wisdom for a new season. (I'm not referring only to hockey.)

 

[Gotsome]

My prediction

The Jets will take it all the way to the cup!

 

[z/m(Ret)]

Cup Winner, Finalist and Long Shot

Penguins - Stanley Cup Winner
Sharks - Finalist
Sabres - Long Shot

And all this will happen late in June while in shorts and sipping on pina coladas...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Penguins!

I am with Ziggy on the Penguins. Fleury is going to get hot again in the playoffs, and Malkin is going to have a playoffs that nobody will ever forget. Let the dynasty begin!

 

[EagerBeaver]

There is going to be a terrible punishment inflicted by Malkin on opposing NHL goaltenders in the playoffs. A punishment the likes of which have not been seen in a long long time. Don't underestimate the young talent on this team. It can gel at any time and when it does, watch out!

 

[5Hole]

Penguins 1st round losers

I agree with Doc,

The Penguins do not have the defence to make it beyond round #1, as it looks like they will be playing Ottawa, while so far they hve split the season series 1 and 1 I beleive in th eplaoffs they will be out hit and out muscled by Ottawa.

I think the east finalist will be Buffalo, and yes its sad but true Ottawa, both solid teams with great PP, PK and sound defence and goal tending, this wins in the playoffs.

West will be the Ducks and Canuks.

My assumption is a Buffalo Vancouver final. With a Buffalo victory!

Like my beloved Leafs I will be golfing early this year as any team I have remote interest in will be done quickly or not at all.

 

[joelcairo]

The Canadiens had the fork stuck in them and were done before the season even started.

 

[z/m(Ret)]

The Pens (9-1 last 10 home games record / 7-3 last 10 road games record) got their act together and should be the team to beat in the East. Teams like the Pens, that have come-from-behind success (no pun intended) are usually contenders (league's 2nd best win % when the 1st goal is scored by the opponent, behind Buffalo). Then there's Crosby and Malkin, a league of their own.

With the Sabres, Devils, Trashers, Penguins, Senators and Lightning, all contenders, it should be interesting.

 

[EagerBeaver]

To the guys who say the Penguins' defense is not good enough, check the stats, the Pens have only given up 9 more goals than the mighty Sabres and their supposedly great defense, and that can be explained by the Penguins having played in more OT games. These arguments are simply bullshit, that have no basis in the statistical facts.

The Penguins have just as good a chance as the Sabres of winning this thing. It's possible the Penguins are a year away, but I predict a strong and stunning run this year.

 

[gohabsgo]

I still have faith Carbo and the Habs will turn it around and make the playoffs

GO HABS GO !!!

 

[joelcairo]

I can't write music but I do know the words: "To dream the impossible dream".

 

[EagerBeaver]

I don't gamble on spectator sports. But I stand by what I say: Penguins will win.