The most surprising team at the quarter mark...who is it?

[kevsh]

Easy pick: TB being out of a playoff spot was not foreseen by anyone.

Personally though, I had Jersey winning their division. A real long-shot that I didn't actually expect to happen, but hey, bold predictions look great when you're right. Pretty stunned they are fighting the Kings, Wild and Wings for the top lottery pick.

Rangers I expected to be significantly better as well.

 

[Lt Dan]

The Islanders and I couldn't be happier for their long suffering fans

 

[Beville]

Ottawa.

Not that it’s going to last.

 

[bobholly39]

Ill say Islanders. Didnt expect them that good

Tampa/Tor not that crazy. You saw signs of that in playoffs last year. Coaching change will help in Tor and Tampa will be fine just not blowing it out yet.

Oilers i figured would do good finally too with McDrai.

Another good one would have been SJ - didnt expect them to start so poorly. But they've stabilized a bit since

 

[Kamiccolo]

I don't think there are any surprises. It's 1/4 of the season. It happens every year but the standings will start to level out to where teams should be.

Panthers are one of the worst teams defensively in the league and are fighting back being down a lot of games. Not sustainable hockey and expect them to slowly fall down the standings.

Islanders have good horses but you won't play that style for 82 games straight and playoffs. The wheels will come off, they are not a team like Tampa who was historically good.

Leafs have been terrible but made a coaching change, expect to see them be considerably better.

Tampa is not a non playoff team and will be back in.

Oilers had a real hot start but have more or less been .500 since. They are riding the ever loving god out of their top line of Drai and McD and they will run out of gas down the stretch like they normally do.

We'll see how all of these things go. For reference if you look at the top 10 teams in PDO, nearly all of them have over achieved thus far. Meanwhile the bottom 10 has several key teams down there that are under achieving. Canes, Leafs, Flames, Knights, Sharks should all be playoff teams.

 

[klozge]

Dallas for me and Edmonton. There are a few negative surprises but I don't think this is what this thread is about.

 

[VanCity Millionaires]

We all knew Calgary over-achieved last year, but I didn't think the regression would be so harsh.

 

[MajorLeafsFan]

Dallas for me and Edmonton. There are a few negative surprises but I don't think this is what this thread is about.

It's just whatever has been surprising team wise. For me the most surprising is either Tampa or Vegas. Both bad ones.

 

[Axel574]

There is no reason for that Isles roster to be 16-3-1. Its absurd.

Ahh... another advanced stat person I presume. The Islanders roster is a thing of beauty and trending to get even better. The deepest team in the league my Kraut-Mc friend.

 

[Lt Dan]

Ahh... another advanced stat person I presume. The Islanders roster is a thing of beauty and trending to get even better. The deepest team in the league my Kraut-Mc friend.

Indeed
Plus they have one hell of a coach

 

[I am not exposed]

Nashville

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Oilers and Sens.. much better than expected.

Flames, Preds, Lightning, Leafs.. much worse than expected.

 

[Axel574]

I don't think there are any surprises. It's 1/4 of the season. It happens every year but the standings will start to level out to where teams should be.

Panthers are one of the worst teams defensively in the league and are fighting back being down a lot of games. Not sustainable hockey and expect them to slowly fall down the standings.

Islanders have good horses but you won't play that style for 82 games straight and playoffs. The wheels will come off, they are not a team like Tampa who was historically good.

Leafs have been terrible but made a coaching change, expect to see them be considerably better.

Tampa is not a non playoff team and will be back in.

Oilers had a real hot start but have more or less been .500 since. They are riding the ever loving god out of their top line of Drai and McD and they will run out of gas down the stretch like they normally do.

We'll see how all of these things go. For reference if you look at the top 10 teams in PDO, nearly all of them have over achieved thus far. Meanwhile the bottom 10 has several key teams down there that are under achieving. Canes, Leafs, Flames, Knights, Sharks should all be playoff teams.

So you're telling us they might lose in regulation one of these days? Fascinating take.

 

[Rebels57]

Ahh... another advanced stat person I presume. The Islanders roster is a thing of beauty and trending to get even better. The deepest team in the league my Kraut-Mc friend.

I'm not anti-advanced stats but I don't obsess over them either.

On paper, the Isles are not a 16-3-1 team. If you think so, you are extremely biased. They have exceeded expectations by a wide margin so far. There's nothing wrong with that, but they WILL come back down to Earth at some point. They remind me of the Blue Jackets from a few years back where they just shit on the league the first 3 months then regressed to their expected mean.

 

[Rebels57]

Indeed
Plus they have one hell of a coach

I will not dispute how great their coach is, but calling their roster "a thing of beauty" and expecting them to keep this up is laughable and will only result in future dissapointment for whoever holds that opinion.

 

[bukwas]

Nashville for me. Thought they, along with the Blues would separate themselves from the rest of the Central. Still could i suppose but it's not looking real good atm.

 

[jetsforever]

Probably Islanders for me
Tampa, Toronto, Edmonton up there as well

 

[ThePhoenixx]

So you're telling us they might lose in regulation one of these days? Fascinating take.

All the teams he listed are really going to suck except for the Leafs who are apparently going on a run baby! lol

 

[Governor]

Ottawa and Toronto.

 

[Axel574]

I'm not anti-advanced stats but I don't obsess over them either.

On paper, the Isles are not a 16-3-1 team. If you think so, you are extremely biased. They have exceeded expectations by a wide margin so far. There's nothing wrong with that, but they WILL come back down to Earth at some point. They remind me of the Blue Jackets from a few years back where they just **** on the league the first 3 months then regressed to their expected mean.

Nobody is 16-3-1 on paper. 110+ games... still waiting for the regression. Be patient. Someday you will be right.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

Tampa and Edmonton for me

 

[CraigsList]

Alberta flip-flopping has been hilarious.

 

[Macch]

I'm not anti-advanced stats but I don't obsess over them either.

On paper, the Isles are not a 16-3-1 team. If you think so, you are extremely biased. They have exceeded expectations by a wide margin so far. There's nothing wrong with that, but they WILL come back down to Earth at some point. They remind me of the Blue Jackets from a few years back where they just **** on the league the first 3 months then regressed to their expected mean.

Yeah i suppose they'll settle in to a more normal 100+ point season pace at some point like last season

 

[13th Floor]

I'm not anti-advanced stats but I don't obsess over them either.

On paper, the Isles are not a 16-3-1 team. If you think so, you are extremely biased. They have exceeded expectations by a wide margin so far. There's nothing wrong with that, but they WILL come back down to Earth at some point. They remind me of the Blue Jackets from a few years back where they just **** on the league the first 3 months then regressed to their expected mean.

This is just empty garbage until you provide some numbers. Of course they will regress. They're 15-0-1 in their last 16 games lol.

The key is... when and to what.

 

[Rebels57]

Yeah i suppose they'll settle in to a more normal 100+ point season pace at some point like last season

Probably.