Western Conference Preview

[ajaX82]

I figured we need something do discuss, so predict how the West goes gentleman

1. Detroit (who else would i pick. Besides, in a terrible, terrible division)
2. San Jose (Oh so talented. If the young guys develop, eesh)
3. Minnesota (Backstrom should take the next step and be great. Gaborik healhy is also a plus)
4. Anaheim (If Selanne, Neidermeyer come back, switch with SJ)
5. Dallas (Turco still money in reg. season)
6. Vancouver (After Sedins and Naslund, cant score. Luongo still special)
7. Chicago (Yes, that Chicago. My upset special here. read bottom for more)
8. Calgary (Kipper good)
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9. Edmonton (I wanna put em in, i do, but jeeez, i cant. I just frickin cant)
10. Colorado (Nothing makes me happier, need a better G)
11. Columbus (I constantly overrate, but i love Rick Nash. They may overachieve)
12. St. Louis (Weight/Tkachuk/Kariya would have been sick 8 years ago, not so much now. Its like a 90's dream team, only in '08.)
13. L.A. (Some nice free agent gets (especially on D), but still, Dan Cloutier?)
14. Nashville (After the yard sale they are nothing)
15. Phoenix (God they suck)

*Notes
Chicago really, really intrigues me. Look at these possible first 2 lines:

Ruuto- Lang - Havlat/// Samsonov- Toews- Kane
They have some tough, physical D, Khabibulin is still good, they have some great grinders in Lapointe and Sharp. I mean, if Kane and Toews play, they could do well. If they dont downgrade them


Thoughts and ur ranks?

East comes soon btw

[UTMCretin]

Really disagree with the Chicago pick. Those top 2 lines are more potential than production, and the potential for injury is just as high as the potential for success. Edmonton's the more improved team and I don't pencil them in for the playoffs either. Not big on Minnesota or Dallas either, but between the two Minny's got the better chance

My tentative list in a general non-specific order:

Detroit
San Jose
Anaheim
Vancouver
Calgary
Minnesota
Colorado
Dallas

No real interesting predictions on my part. Just not sure anyone's improved enough to break the status quo. St. Louis, Edmonton and Los Angeles all have an outside chance at the bottom spots

[Griff83]

I figured we need something do discuss, so predict how the West goes gentleman

1. Detroit (who else would i pick. Besides, in a terrible, terrible division)
2. San Jose (Oh so talented. If the young guys develop, eesh)
3. Minnesota (Backstrom should take the next step and be great. Gaborik healhy is also a plus)
4. Anaheim (If Selanne, Neidermeyer come back, switch with SJ)
5. Dallas (Turco still money in reg. season)
6. Vancouver (After Sedins and Naslund, cant score. Luongo still special)
7. Chicago (Yes, that Chicago. My upset special here. read bottom for more)
8. Calgary (Kipper good)
**********************************************************
9. Edmonton (I wanna put em in, i do, but jeeez, i cant. I just frickin cant)
10. Colorado (Nothing makes me happier, need a better G)
11. Columbus (I constantly overrate, but i love Rick Nash. They may overachieve)
12. St. Louis (Weight/Tkachuk/Kariya would have been sick 8 years ago, not so much now. Its like a 90's dream team, only in '08.)
13. L.A. (Some nice free agent gets (especially on D), but still, Dan Cloutier?)
14. Nashville (After the yard sale they are nothing)
15. Phoenix (God they suck)

*Notes
Chicago really, really intrigues me. Look at these possible first 2 lines:

Ruuto- Lang - Havlat/// Samsonov- Toews- Kane
They have some tough, physical D, Khabibulin is still good, they have some great grinders in Lapointe and Sharp. I mean, if Kane and Toews play, they could do well. If they dont downgrade them


Thoughts and ur ranks?

East comes soon btw

Disagree on your Colorado seeding, Budaj is a fine enough goalie to get them into the playoffs when you have the talent up front that they do. Also dont see the Kings finishing that low and not sure if youve been paying attention but the Kings put Cloutier on waivers which pretty much means he wont be there starter this season.

San Jose
Detroit
Calgary
Anaheim
Colorado
Vancouver
Minnesota
St. Louis (my sleeper team)

[WEFFPIM]

Pretty sure once Toews is done with his injury he's gonna be in the AHL to start. But man do the Blackhawks need to win.

[timd1218]

1. San Jose
2. Detroit
3. Vancouver
4. Anaheim
5. Minnesota
6. Dallas
7. Calgary
8. Colorado

I wanted to put St. Louis at number 8, but with Colorado adding Smyth and Hannon, I couldn't pass them up. St. Louis is in it till the end. Legace will have a bounce back year.

Also, Cloutier has been sent to the minors.

[ajaX82]

My bad on Cloutier everyone, i forgot. LA still sucks

[Griff83]

My bad on Cloutier everyone, i forgot. LA still sucks

I dont see it.

There offense looks real good (Kopitar, Frolov, Cammelari, Handzus, Nagy, Brown, Osullivan) and they will have one of the better top 6 defences in the league (Blake, Visnovsky, Preissing, Stuart, Modry, Jack Johnson). Goalie is a big question mark and it looks like they are going to give Bernier at least a few games to start the season to see what he can do, but I dont see this team sucking.

[MAS]

I have my eastern conference article coming up soon... so be prepared to bash.

I'm gonna start working on my western one soon

[ajaX82]

I have my eastern conference article coming up soon... so be prepared to bash.

I'm gonna start working on my western one soon

sorry to steal your thunder adam. I guess ill wait for you to put out the East one instead of making my own

[MAS]

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sorry to steal your thunder adam. I guess ill wait for you to put out the East one instead of making my own

No don't worry about that, I'm just saying that you'll see my picks there

[Swift21]

The Sharks have all on the offense in the world. There just not Cup Contenders with their current defense.

Btw Devin Setoguchi is going to be special.

[Griff83]

The Sharks have all on the offense in the world. There just not Cup Contenders with their current defense.

Btw Devin Setoguchi is going to be special.

The same defence practically that finished 5th best in the league in terms of goals against last season? I mean Hannan is a good player, but I highly doubt his absense is going to turn that team from being a good defensive team all the sudden into a bad one. All it will mean is increased roles for the young studs like Ehrhoff, Carle, Vlasic.

Ryan Clowe is going to be more special.

[Swift21]

It's an average defense, not a stanley cup contending defense and losing Hannan definitely didn't help things out.

Guys like Carle and Ehrhoff aren't great in their own end despite being solid on offense. Vlasic is barely 21 and he's already being asked to be the teams top defensemen. Rivet and Maclaren are nothing to brag about either.

Unless Wilson makes a trade for a quality Top 4 defensemen the Sharks are a boarderline Fourth seed, second round team at best.

[MAS]

The Sharks have all on the offense in the world. There just not Cup Contenders with their current defense.

Btw Devin Setoguchi is going to be special.

The problem with the Sharks is not defense... it's coaching

[Griff83]

It's an average defense, not a stanley cup contending defense and losing Hannan definitely didn't help things out.

Guys like Carle and Ehrhoff aren't great in their own end despite being solid on offense. Vlasic is barely 21 and he's already being asked to be the teams top defensemen. Rivet and Maclaren are nothing to brag about either.

Unless Wilson makes a trade for a quality Top 4 defensemen the Sharks are a boarderline Fourth seed, second round team at best.

Go look at the 2006 champs the hurricanes, they were in the lower half of teams in the regular season in terms of goals against and they won the whole thing. All you need is for your goalie to get hot in the playoffs and even with a average defence you can make a run if you have a potent offense. Rivet and McLaren are exactly what id want out of my #5-6 Defencemen.

Sharks should win there division this season which would make them a top 3 seed.

[Swift21]

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The problem with the Sharks is not defense... it's coaching

Can't disagree with that because I've never have been a big fan of Ron Wilson. He's very lucky to have a job right now.

But the Sharks defense was a problem in the playoffs, especially not have a reliable shot from the point on the PP from none of our defensemen which has hurt us these last two years in the playoffs.

[Swift21]

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Go look at the 2006 champs the hurricanes, they were in the lower half of teams in the regular season in terms of goals against and they won the whole thing. All you need is for your goalie to get hot in the playoffs and even with a average defence you can make a run if you have a potent offense. Rivet and McLaren are exactly what id want out of my #5-6 Defencemen.

Sharks should win there division this season which would make them a top 3 seed.

FYI Rivet is actually a top pairing defensemen right now. Not your #4th or 5th defensemen where he typically should be. That should tell you how thin we are on the blueline.

Yes I'm very aware of the Hurricane past championship success despite having some guys hurt on the blueline. But you often don't get away with winning a cup with poor defense despite possibly getting hot goaltending. That's just not way you want to rely on winning a cup.

[MAS]

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Can't disagree with that because I've never have been a big fan of Ron Wilson. He's very lucky to have a job right now.

But the Sharks defense was a problem in the playoffs, especially not have a reliable shot from the point on the PP from none of our defensemen which has hurt us these last two years in the playoffs.

Past two years, the Sharks have had the Oilers and the Red Wings by the throats... and then they let go. That isn't a skill issue or anything you can really attest to by skill or physical strength. That's coaching. It's being able to to get your team psychologically able to put your opposition away. A killer instinct if you will. That's the Sharks problem, they don't have it right now

[Griff83]

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FYI Rivet is actually a top pairing defensemen right now. Not your #4th or 5th defensemen where he typically should be. That should tell you how thin we are on the blueline.

Yes I'm very aware of the Hurricane past championship success despite having some guys hurt on the blueline. But you often don't get away with winning a cup with poor defense despite possibly getting hot goaltending. That's just not way you want to rely on winning a cup.

Thats Wilsons doing it says nothing about the others because there are better players then him playing further down the depth chart if infact he is in the top pairing. There defence might not be elite like Det or Ottawa but its certainly enough considering the firepower up front they have.

[Swift21]

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Past two years, the Sharks have had the Oilers and the Red Wings by the throats... and then they let go. That isn't a skill issue or anything you can really attest to by skill or physical strength. That's coaching. It's being able to to get your team psychologically able to put your opposition away. A killer instinct if you will. That's the Sharks problem, they don't have it right now

Yeah but executing on the PP is how you develop that killer instinct to put teams away, especially on the road. Only so much a coach can do when his PP's not executing. Even though the effort of the team could of been questioned at times under Ron Wilson because players weren't hustling enough at all times.

Sharks PP vs the Oilers two years ago in the second round was 2 for 40.

Sharks PP vs the Red Wings last season in the second round was 2 for 31.

You just can't win in the second round when your PP is playing like that other wise teams are going to take more Penalties against you and feel they can get away if you can't scoere on the PP.

Now I saw it with my own two eyes both those years. Joe Thornton is the Powerplay qb for the Sharks and teams would just overload on Joe along the half boards to get the puck out of his hands which would totally ruin the whole attack and stradegy of the PP.

Considering we didn't really get a lot of physical play around net like the Oilers did with Ryan Smyth and the Red wings did with Tomas Holmstrom on their PP's. Neither did we have a great shot from the Point like the Oilers and Wings had with Pronger and Lidstrom. If you forced the puck out of Thornton's hand on the PP you pretty much would contain the whole Sharks PP.