like Price, Patches, Subban, Eller, Galchenyuk, Gallagher ?
come on now, we're talking about a goalie with a SV% of 0.940 or something with a GAA of +/- 1.7... be serious for a sec...
and while Anderson's save % should come down, I'd bet on him remaining above average.
I wish that to be true but I believe its wishful thinking to lump toronto into the bottom grouping. Can it happen? Sure. Is it likely? No. I see them being in the middle of the division with montreal.
Detroit will have a problem with NE type hockey, even Montréal is full of goons now, and playing Boston, Toronto and Ottawa all the time will wear them down.
1st or 2nd
Ottawa, Detroit or Toronto doesn't scare me. They are very beatable.
Toronto lacks solid goaltending plus have a very suspect blue line. Ottawa are just unproven, Detroit is aging and we usually do well against them. We are more complete than Detroit right now IMO.
Boston is a bit better but i'm i dreaming or did we finish in front of them last year?
The habs just don't have any respect anymore, good seasons are fluke whereas a bad season is normal. Guess what with this young core of Tinordi, Galchenyuk, Collberg, Gallagher, Beaulieu, Hudon... we won't be having a lot of bad seasons anymore. There is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.
IMHO, I think it's far more likely they'll exploit the Atlantic's foolish fascination with goons and beat them with skill, like they have in the West.
The Habs can win the division. Three scoring lines, the best defenceman in the league, and the potential for a superstar in net.
I'm already getting tired of the Red Wings and the way everyone considers them such an automatic juggernaut. **** you and your 80 year old Alfredsson, and congrats on picking up a 55 point centre from the mighty Florida Panthers. CP31 over Jimmy Howard eight days a week.
The Leafs are going nowhere, Bozak and Kadri at the top of the lineup down the middle and an oaf in Phaneuf holding up the back end. Come on.
Boston has a great top six, good defenceman, and a great goalie. Hate them, but respect them, they'll be there battling with the Habs.
And Kanata is barely deserving of an NHL team, though I respect the skill in the lineup, gotta agree with Prust's assessment of their coach. Useless franchise that will go down in history with donuts in the Cup wins column.
This is one of most biased opinions I have seen.
I wouldn't include Price, Patches and Eller in that group.
Not sure if you understood my post. If Anderson's save % falls to .920 and Ottawa's shooting % improves to 9 (approx league average), their PDO remains the same.
This is one of most biased opinions I have seen.
they're in their 20's, still very young with many years ahead of them... only reason you wouldnt include them -> they dont fit your argument.
The number of good years ahead of them is irrelevant in the context of this argument. Dramatic improvement in one season is very possible with Galchenyuk (19), Gallagher (21), Zibanejad (20), Wiercioch (22), Pageau (20), Cowen (22) and Lehner (22).
Despite the brave talk, I think everyone knows it will be tough going for the Habs this season. They're not the worst team in the East but neither are they the best.