EB Forum

by **WallyWest78** on Mon Sep 19, 2011 4:46 pm

Pre-season opens today!!!

Be brave. Make your pre-season predictions now for bragging rights next year. Any predictions after Oct 6th (the opening of the regular season) will not be accepted to prove how awesome your hockey knowledge is. I will kick it off:

Wally's predicted final regular season standings:

East
1. Washington - SOOO much firepower here. They improved the D and they made THE goalie steal of the off-season.
2. Boston - I hate them.
3. Pittsburgh - IF Crosby is back for more than 3/4 of the season they'll edge out Philly to win the division.
4. Philly - I hated the Carter and Richards trades at the time... but in retrospect, Holmgren may have set this team up to be dominant in the East for the next several years.
5. Tampa Bay - Great core but having the oldest starting goalie in the NHL won't help.
6. Montreal - I am a Habs fan and this is optimistic but they have a lot of great young guys and if Markov plays most the season and there isn't any major injuries they'll squeak past the sabres.
7. Buffalo - They way over-spent in the off-season and Miller should be better than last year. I don't think they're as good as people think.
8. NYR - They will just barely make it. Richards does not make them an elite team. I didn't like them last year and that's not changing...
9. Toronto - So close... again... but it'll be 7 yrs and counting
10.Carolina - They could finish in 7th or 8th and it wouldn't be a shock. Teams 6-10 are almost all interchangeable.
11. NYI - They're on their way up...
12. Jets - Maybe another hot start like last year but they'll tail off and drop out of the race early.
13. New Jersey - Falling like a stone. I love Marty but his best days are done.
14. Florida - Awful team.
15. Ottawa - GO SENS GO!

coming up.... West & awards

by **WallyWest78** on Mon Sep 19, 2011 5:03 pm

West
1. Vancouver - Cruise through the regular season... bow out in the playoffs. They won't make it to the Cup this year. Bank on it.
2. LA - OK, this one only counts if Doughty signs and isn't a hold out or (gasp) traded... They're young, talented and deep.
3. Chicago - On their way back up...
4. Detroit - Old? Yep. Talented? Yep. Winners? Yep. This team never fails. They'll battle the Hawks for first.
5. SJ - See ya Heater. You suck. Have fun in Minny.
6. Anaheim - Best top line in hockey. If their goaltender is done fainting then they're solid.
7. Nashville - They always find a way.
8. St Louis - Halak will have a bounce back year (not that he was awful last year) and they'll be in.
9. Colorado - Loads of youth and talent... but the goaltending? Ouch.
10. Minnesota - They'll fight and be in the race to the end but Danny and his new team will fail to make it. That makes me happy.
11. Columbus - They'll also fight and be close... but not quite. If Mason rebounds after a couple tough years though they may bump out the Blues.
12. Calgary - They stink. I'd love to see Iginla go to a contender (LA maybe???)
13. Phoenix - The bottom 3 in the West are awful.
14. Edmonton - Tons of talent up front... and no D or golatending.
15. Dallas - They are likely better than Edmonton but I want the Oilers to not finish last for a change.

Awards
Hart - Ovechkin - 85 points last year was odd... he'll bounce back and the Caps should kill the regular season.
Norris - Chara - I hate the bruins.
Vezina - Price - Yes. I said it. Yes, I am biased as a Habs Fan.
Calder - Schenn - He'll be thrown into a top six role for the Flyers and should rack up points
Art Ross - Ovi... see above...

by **smellmysocks73** on Mon Sep 19, 2011 5:35 pm

GO HAWKS

by **WallyWest78** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:52 pm

No NHL love eh? That sucks....

How about this... I hereby offer my Stout Nihil Novi (shipping included) as a prize for whoever wins the following challenge:

You MUST predict the East & West standings. 3 points awarded for every correct spot in the final season rankings. 2 points awarded if you are within +-1. 1 point awarded if you are +-2. So, for example, if you guess Vancouver 1st and they finish first... that's 3 pts... if you guess Detroit 4th and they finish 5th... that's 2 pts.. if you guess Dallas 3rd (you're retarded) and they finish 5th... that's 1 pt.

ALL posts must be submitted before 1300 hrs on Oct 5th... the day before the reg season opens. I am eligible to win as I have posted my picks already. If anyone else wants to throw in some bonus goodies for the winner then that's cool :pint:

Let's have some damn fun people!

Don't think... Feeeeel · by **lobotomizer** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 4:53 pm

Go Nucks!

by **spunkmonkey** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:10 pm

by **WallyWest78** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:15 pm

POST YOUR PICKS!!!!!

by **dirkstainly** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:28 pm

Awwwwww...yeaaaahhh! GO WINGS!

Datsyuk will be a wizard. Zetterberg will probably get 35 goals. Howard may be a bit better in net with an extra year under his belt. It all comes down to the blue line and whether they can get their young guys like Eriksson and Kindl to step up their game. I'd love to see Helm have a breakout year and see them dump Bertuzzi. Hudler needs to to play better this year...he sucked last year after all the trouble the team went through to get him back from the Russian team.

They'll make the playoffs per usual and probably win the first round.

As much as it pains me to say it, the Sharks added a few players that may finally put them over the top.

Datsyuk for the Selke!

spunkmonkey wrote:

by **trarex** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:39 pm

Go Wings.

: Capture.PNG (79.39 KiB) Viewed 912 times

This photo always makes me smile.

by **dirkstainly** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:08 pm

Was that after Ozzie got through with him? I didn't remember Roy bleeding that much.

trarex wrote:Go Wings.
Capture.PNG

This photo always makes me smile.

by **trarex** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:42 pm

No the Vernon fight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5D7iHruPFI

: Capture.PNG (14.39 KiB) Viewed 903 times

by **dirkstainly** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:08 pm

ya, that's the one I was thinking of. I don't know how "Vernie" came out "Ozzie"...derp. Brain no function tonight.

by **trarex** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:24 pm

Osgood and Roy tangled to.
God I miss hating Colorado.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7GA-_KR ... re=related

by **dirkstainly** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:27 pm

Especially the "Turtle" Lemieux

by **liamc93** on Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:48 pm

WallyWest78 wrote:11. NYI - They're on their way up...

agreed...and as a lifelong LI resident and hockey junkie, it kills me that the franchise will be headed to another city. whether it's kansas city or somewhere else, the new home for this team should be psyched.

if you get a top 5 pick every year, eventually you're going to be good.....just ask the Detroit Lions.

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