The Devils have yet to finish fourth in their
division in a very long time. If you search the record books, the last time they
missed the playoffs was the 1995-96 season. That year the Devils finished sixth
out of eight teams in their division. Historically, the divisions were split
into the Northeast and Atlantic at the time. Today, there are three divisions
in each (east and west) conference. Since that season, they have placed at
least third, a remarkable streak. Since the 1990-91 campaign, the Devils have
never placed last in their division by a significant margin. Just splendid. The
closest was eight points in 1992-1993. Could this season be that change in
placement?

Truthfully, I am devoted and loyal fan (I write
this blog from a professional perspective)of the Devils. Suffice it to see, I
was devastated when Rafalski and Gomez departed via free agency and Chris Drury
signed with the hated Rangers.

I almost lost sleep over watching players sign
left and right with other teams. Even the Flyers added some key players to
their team.

Even the lonely Penguins, who have yet to produce
consecutive winning seasons since 1997-1999, (I did not include the 00-01
season since they finished with the same amount of wins and losses) looked good
last season and in the playoffs.

Sidney Crosby is now an MVP winner, a league
leader in points, and going into his third season. He’s a scary player,
reminiscent of Wayne Gretzky for all those elder fans. Yes, I am definitely
willing to say that he reminds me of “The Great One” himself.

Who is going to win the Atlantic Division this
year? This is definitely a difficult question to answer. NHL analysts predict
the Penguins and Rangers as favorites.

Could the reason also be that analysts have historically
rooted against the Devils for their neutral zone trap and low-scoring games?
Many sports writers deemed the Devils “boring” for their successful yet
defensive style.

Reagardless, I believe that the Devils will
finish the upcoming season in first place. I am willing to go out on a limb; I
know it is a long shot if they win the division.

Instead of choosing the Penguins who are my
pick to represent the east in the finals, I am picking the underdog.

ESPN.com NHL Columnist John Buccigross predicted
Pittsburgh and the Rangers to finish ahead of the Devils (5th in conference).

But, I disagree.

I believe that the Devils offseason
transactions will boost their offensive scoring and limit odd-man rushes this
year.

I also think that the team signed a solid
backup for Martin Brodeur and an underrated head coach (Brent Sutter), who will
finish in the running for coach of the year.

1. New Jersey Devils

The Devils will end up in first place. The
three reasons that I am placing them first are veteran goaltending, coaching,
and a new arena.

Goaltending: The
Devils signed Weekes to a two-year contract worth less than 1.5 million. Early
reports expect him to spell Brodeur for 15-20 games. Brodeur started 78 out of
82 games last year, a career high for him and one game removed from Grant Fuhr’s
record.

New Blood Behind Bench: Devils Sign Brent Sutter to Coach Them

Even though I have been criticizing you for
coming to downtown Newark for some time now, I fully respect the decision. Many
critics think that you are an excellent coach who comes from an innate hockey
family. Your minor league coaching record is solid and your NHL career
consisting of 800 plus points in 1,100 career games speaks for itself. You have
my attention.

Prudential Arena. A new arena is just what the
doctor ordered for this veteran team with many hidden and talented prospects
lurking in the shadows. Mea culpa about the clichés.

Rod Pelley, David Clarkson, Barry Talackson are
just three of the skillful, young talent awaiting their chance to play full
time for the Devils team. I think that a change of venue, considering that
Continental Airlines Arena’s ice provided horrid playing conditions (only
better than that of Madison Square Garden and even that is questionable), is a
deciding factor.

Definitely not the quickest or physical bunch
over the last decade, the Devils team game has provided three Stanley Cup Trophies,
dozens of playoff appearances and first place finishes in their division and
conference.

Have you ever heard the mantra, "Defense
wins championships?" The Devils have held this saying for a long period. Three
Cups later, they still abide by its legitimacy.

2. New York Rangers

The Rangers have added significant pieces to
their puzzle. From former Devils skater and traitor Scott Gomez to former rookie
of the year Chris Drury, they have supplemented their top players with quality
veterans. This could be the first season since their 93-94 Stanley Cup-winning season
that they finish in first place.

If they find a way to upset the mighty
Penguins, my choice to finish third in the conference.

Or, the Devils who seem to have the Rangers
number for a long period in the regular season and the playoffs dating back to
the mid nineties.

I am placing them at second in the division
this year.

I believe that they are good enough to defeat
the Penguins in the eight scheduled games and will fight hard against the Devils
and Flyers as well.

However, I also feel that the Devils have added
some veterans to their team and a former player/ minor league coach in Brent
Sutter who is going to lead them to a first place finish.

Jagr and Gomez or Jagr and Drury are equally
scary combinations. From a magnificent puck handler in Gomez to one who has
scored over 600 career goals in Jagr, the Rangers are going to be a great team
this season. I am still not willing to establish them as a number one team
because they have not been there in a very long time. They have slowly climbed
into contention with consecutive playoff appearances and I believe the same to
be true this season. But, a lock as the eastern conference representative in
the finals?

A definite maybe.

I still cannot have them finishing in first
place because the Devils are coming off a 49-win season and, truthfully, when
is the last time the Rangers placed first in the Atlantic? Your guess is as
good as mine. Just kidding. It was the 93-94 cup-winning season. Over a decade
ago. The Rangers definitely do not have the luck of the Irish.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

Talent-wise, the Penguins outweigh their
opposition in the Atlantic. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are two of the most
talented young stars in the league today. The other being Alexander Ovechkin of
course. Coming off a marvelous run filled with questions surrounding their
relocation throughout the year, the Penguins earned a playoff spot before
falling to the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs.

Crosby earned MVP honors in his second full
season leading the NHL with 120 regular season points. Malkin, the Russian phenom
(who could not even legally drink this past season) earned the rookie of the
year award with 85 points, including an outstanding 40 power-play points. Let
us not forget Jordan Staal from the legendary Staal family (Eric, Marc, and
Jared are his brothers) who lit up teams with seven short-handed goals, and finished
second in voting to Malkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy. He even scored a hat
trick this past season at 18-years-old.

The team is dangerous. It has a magnificent
roster mixed and matched with veterans to complement the cocky yet dominant
young guns. But I feel that goaltending is still the biggest imperfection on
the team. Marc-Andre Fleury, a former No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft had his
first respectable season, but I would not call his 40 wins great.

He allowed 2.83 goals per game, 27th among qualified
goaltenders.

I would like to put this number in perspective
using baseball as an example.

Future Hall of famer Randy Johnson won 17 games
in 2006 with the New York Yankees, a significant amount, but his 5.00 earned
runs average was among the league’s highest. This means that he received mega run
support from his teammates. The same holds true for Fleury who won games despite
allowing three or more goals. He definitely took a step in the right direction
this past season with 5 shutouts and a career-best 65 starts in net. In the
playoffs, his team scored three goals twice, but he allowed at least three
goals in four of the five games played.

The Penguins also signed ex-Edmonton Oiler Ty
Conklin in the offseason to compete with Danny Sabourin as Fleury’s backup
goaltender. Conklin’s 61 career starts and playoff experience will assist him
in overcoming Sabourin’s inexperience (only 10 career starts in the regular
season).

My gut feeling has the Penguins finishing at
third place but they can definitely win this division. From watching them play
last season, they are my favorite to defend the Eastern Conference in the
Stanley Cup Finals. Why I am placing them third in this conference, I have no
idea.

4. Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia had a strong offseason like many
major city teams (Rangers, Islanders, Red Wings, and Blackhawks among others)
with the rise in salary cap. They acquired Nashville Predators Scott Hartnell
and Kimmo Timonen; signed Buffalo Sabres co-captain of three years Daniel
Briere (more about him in a moment) and traded for Edmonton Oiler defenseman
Jason Smith among other transactions.

These players will add much value to a team who
fired its Head Coach during the season and finished dead last in the entire NHL
in victories (22) and total points (56) and number one in regular season losses
excluding overtime losses with 48. Unlike other hockey experts who feel that
the Flyers have added enough talent to clinch at lest third in the division, I
have them finishing fourth.

Competition, Head Coaching, and team are my
reasons for this prediction. I still believe in a twofold thought that the top
three teams in this division are better balanced than the Flyers and have that
team edge. The Flyers have added four important players to their team who have
never played on the same team. Hartnell and Timonen were teammates but played offensive
and defensive positions respectively.

Briere was an expensive signing, at an
extensive length, and only had one amazing season in his veteran career, this
past year with 95 points. I think that his line mates definitely increased his
scoring production especially since he spent the last three years as a Sabre.
With a new line and a new team, it is possible that he will repeat this
all-star and MVP-caliber performance. But in every professional sport there are
players who have career years that naturally stand out in performance. Briere
is an excellent player who can lead a team; he has 35 games of playoff
experience as well. But, I just need more evidence than one season which was 30
points more than his previous NHL high.

Head Coaching is the final point that I will
make regarding the Flyers. Firing veteran Head Coach Ken Hitchcock after a
miserable 1-6-1 and having General Manager Bob Clarke simultaneously resign
definitely damaged the team’s hopes last season. They replaced Hitchcock with
John Stevens and Clarke with Paul Holmgren, two excellent choices in my
opinion. Holmgren was a 10-year NHL veteran spent mostly with the Flyer
organization (eight years). Stevens also skated in the NHL but was forced to
retire with an eye injury. He previously coached his minor league team to four
playoff appearances in six years and one Calder Cup, similar to the award for
winning Lord Stanley’s prized possession.

The Flyers may finish second of third in the
division this year. My initial prediction was fourth because of last year’s
horrible collapse after winning the division two seasons ago. I just do not see
them coming together and rising to the occasion. Briere and Hartnell are
definitely going to be hard to defend while defensemen Timonen and Smith are
well-rounded puck handlers themselves. Even though the Devils also have a new
Head Coach, they always seem to have a new Head Coach. They have also won three
Stanley Cups under, you got it, three different coaches.

5. New York Islanders

Can you say last place finish? I apologize
about the Islanders losing both Jason Blake and Ryan Smith in the off season
but you had to see that coming, right? Blake was offered a five year contract
for a player who just scored 40 goals this past season. Who is running the
Islanders headquarters? I need to come down there and straighten some things
out. He is easily your best player, no questions asked (before trading for Ryan
Smyth). You let him get away for four million a year. Just pathetic.

Whom did you sign to replace Blake and Smyth?
We are going to discuss Smyth in a second after I express myself with Blake
some more. Believe me, they are going to hear it when it comes to Smyth, do not
worry my friends. Without a first round draft pick, the Islanders signed Bill
Guerin to a 2 year, $9 million contract. He was also named captain soon after
the signing. Look, Guerin is an excellent signing who is coming off a great
year split between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks organizations. He is
however 37 years of age and has been playing in the NHL since 1991. His body
could wear out at any time and who knows how much he has left in the tank.
Blake or Guerin? I am sure that many analysts would pick Guerin over Blake even
though he is at least three years older and is a Stanley Cup winner. Either
way, letting Blake leave after spending quality time with the Islanders shows
the lack of loyalty and honor in the Islanders administration. This brings me
to Smyth.

The Islanders organization traded two talented
prospects, Robert Nilsson and Ryan O’Marra and the first round pick in the 2007
draft for Ryan Smith. He was also entering his final year before free agency.
Everyone felt that he would be an exceptional addition to the team, which he
was, especially in the playoffs and that he would certainly resign in the
off-season. His 15 points in 18 games and four in five postseason games
definitely led the Islanders team against first place Buffalo. You wanna know
why he did not resign in the off season, which was a given across the board? Rumors
were flying around that management did not offer him enough money. They were
100k off a 5 year, $31.2 million contract offered by the Colorado Avalanche.
Rumors are not always true but they generally have some truth to them. In this
case, Smyth was interviewed and the truth was slowly coming out as to his
decision to leave to the Islanders. Before, he quickly quieted down, forsaking
the question in the process.

I hold the Islanders management accountable for
their bone-headed decisions these past few years. We are not even going to
start with Rick DiPietro’s 15 year, $67.5 million contract. 15 years is longer
than that tendered to Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez’s Major League Baseball
contracts. Those two players are future hall of famers while DiPietro won 58
total games at the time of his signing. Then letting Smyth leave after trading
for him late in the season is unacceptable, especially for Islander fans.
Everyone knew that he was going to free agency and he publicly stated, “Sign me
before the deadline, or I am going to test the market.”

Enough said. Islanders, have fun in fifth place
this season. You can surely blame it on your embarrassing and ridiculous
administrations’ decision-making. I had higher expectations going into the
off-season, especially after last season. It is a shame to have to watch you
face opposing teams lacking your two top offensive players.

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