Central division talk

[Brightwing]

We're going to be facing each of our division rivals eight times this season so I thought I'd start a thread to talk about what's happening with our division rivals.

The Central Division this year: The Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning will compete in the Central Division.

Click to read more...

 

[Brightwing]

 

[Mrfenn92]

Tampa still has to make a trade or two

 

[Brightwing]

Dallas also will be missing a couple of key players to start. From the Athletic:

The regular season is scheduled to conclude on May 8. This is mostly significant to the Stars for what it means for two of their best players: Tyler Seguin (hip) and Ben Bishop (knee), who are in the midst of lengthy rehabs from offseason surgeries. Both should be returning to action sometime around the end of March or beginning of April, if all goes smoothly. That would give them about a month to a month-and-a-half to get some regular-season action under their belts and prepare for a postseason run.

 

[Styles]

Head to head last year.

Team	Record	GF	GA
Carolina	0-2-0	2	8
Columbus	2-0-0	6	4
Dallas	1-1-1	5	4
Detroit	1-1-0	5	4
Florida	1-1-0	6	6
Nashville	2-2-0	11	11
Tampa	1-1-0	7	6
	8-8-1	42	43

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks Head-to-Head Results | Hockey-Reference.com

 

[Drumman44]

Head to head last year.

Team	Record	GF	GA
Carolina	0-2-0	2	8
Columbus	2-0-0	6	4
Dallas	1-1-1	5	4
Detroit	1-1-0	5	4
Florida	1-1-0	6	6
Nashville	2-2-0	11	11
Tampa	1-1-0	7	6
	8-8-1	42	43

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks Head-to-Head Results | Hockey-Reference.com

Huh. Better than I would have thought

 

[Mrfenn92]

We are going to destroy this sissy division

 

[Brightwing]

Huh. Better than I would have thought

The only team we really seemed to struggle against was Carolina. But who knows how this season will go. If we even get replacement-level goaltending and improve our team defense a little, I don't think we are going to be as bad as some of the predictions.

 

[LordKOTL]

Head to head last year.

Team	Record	GF	GA
Carolina	0-2-0	2	8
Columbus	2-0-0	6	4
Dallas	1-1-1	5	4
Detroit	1-1-0	5	4
Florida	1-1-0	6	6
Nashville	2-2-0	11	11
Tampa	1-1-0	7	6
	8-8-1	42	43

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

2019-20 Chicago Blackhawks Head-to-Head Results | Hockey-Reference.com

We had goaltending last season: Lehner and Crawford are each .918 on the career with over 300 games each: (301 for Lehner, 488 for Crawford) at the close of last season. Delia's a .906 with 18 games to his credit, and Subban is a .899 with 66 games to his credit. Couple that with a team D that has barely improved in the off-season (if at all) and the 'hawks are likely going to be lit up like Clark W Griswold's house during the holidays. Unless Toews, Kane, Kubalik, Dach, and Debrincat all have career offensive seasons I think this season is going to be painful. Even if individual players take steps forward I wouldn't be surprised with a 2006-esque result.

 

[Pez68]

We had goaltending last season: Lehner and Crawford are each .918 on the career with over 300 games each: (301 for Lehner, 488 for Crawford) at the close of last season. Delia's a .906 with 18 games to his credit, and Subban is a .899 with 66 games to his credit. Couple that with a team D that has barely improved in the off-season (if at all) and the 'hawks are likely going to be lit up like Clark W Griswold's house during the holidays. Unless Toews, Kane, Kubalik, Dach, and Debrincat all have career offensive seasons I think this season is going to be painful. Even if individual players take steps forward I wouldn't be surprised with a 2006-esque result.

Yeah. Sure. A Blackhawks team with Toews, Kane, DeBrincat, Keith, Boqvist, Kubalik, Dach, Murphy, DeHaan, Zadorov, Janmark, Wallmark is going to be as bad as a team with a drunken washed up Khabibulin, and completely devoid of any offensive talent. A team that featured the ABC line, and whose leading scorer had 59 points...

 

[Brightwing]

Added a playoff poll for fun. Be warned, you cannot change your answers. It closes Jan. 13.

 

[Drumman44]

If we even get replacement-level goaltending ....

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I'm going to say Bolts, Stars, Jackets, and Panthers, but Canes/Panthers/Jackets will be in a tight race for the third and fourth seeds. Us and Detroit will miss, and Preds need some positive surprises for them and negative surprises for at least two of the earlier teams for me to think they'll get in.

 

[Crow]

Looks like most of us are on the same page so far.

except @Mrfenn92

Looks like he has been hitting the holiday nog a little too hard.

 

[Crow]

Actually I take that back. He didn’t even vote for the hawks. Must be sarcasm.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Actually I take that back. He didn’t even vote for the hawks. Must be sarcasm.

Hedged my bet. Don’t want anyone else on my million dollar winner

 

[Mrfenn92]

From the main board thought it was funny

 

[Hattrick Kane]

A bit off topic but I’m honestly looking more forward to the Canadian division than this one.

The salt is going to be at an all time high. It’s already started and we’re still weeks away from playing.

 

[x Tame Impala]

A bit off topic but I’m honestly looking more forward to the Canadian division than this one.

The salt is going to be at an all time high. It’s already started and we’re still weeks away from playing.

It'll be amusing for sure. World's Tallest Midget sort of thing.

 

[Hawkey]

It looks like a pretty weak division. I’d like to see the Hawks tank this short season for a blue chip prospect but it will be hard with the caliber of this division. The big question is whether the Hawks tending will be as bad as it looks on paper.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

The only team we really seemed to struggle against was Carolina. But who knows how this season will go. If we even get replacement-level goaltending and improve our team defense a little, I don't think we are going to be as bad as some of the predictions.

I’ll be mildly surprised if we get replacement level goaltending.

 

[Dr Salt]

Tampa, Dallas, Carolina, Columbus, Florida will look to knock one off. Maybe Nashville could do something but they are a longshot.

 

[goldenbladz1]

I have
Tampa
Carolina
Dallas (despite the injuries to Seguin and Bishop)
Columbus
Chicago
Nashville
Florida
Detroit

 

[IU Hawks fan]

It looks like a pretty weak division. I’d like to see the Hawks tank this short season for a blue chip prospect but it will be hard with the caliber of this division. The big question is whether the Hawks tending will be as bad as it looks on paper.

How? It has the 4th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th, & 16th teams ranked on point percentage, 4 & 10 being both Cup Finalists. It's stacked beside Detroit.

I'm surprised everyone has taken Columbus over Nashville. What am I missing here?

 

[Brightwing]

How? It has the 4th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th, & 16th teams ranked on point percentage, 4 & 10 being both Cup Finalists. It's stacked beside Detroit.

I'm surprised everyone has taken Columbus over Nashville. What am I missing here?

They looked bad in the bubble. Unmotivated.