And They're Off!

It's an interesting contrast that while the Blue Jays seem to have little or no playoff future while playing in the American League East with the Yankees and Red Sox, the Maple Leafs are in entirely the opposite situation while skating in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

There's absolutely no excuse for them NOT to be in the post-season next spring.

While the East is, don't forget, the conference that produced the 2004 and 2006 Stanley Cup champions, it is a conference that goes into the 2006-07 season without any team that looks particularly dominating or threatening.

Few believe Carolina can repeat. Tampa's still reconfiguring. Philly get a goalie yet? Buffalo's still fighting the budget crunch. Ottawa is still, well, Ottawa, but now without the towering presence of Zdeno Chara.

In fact, you could argue that the top five favourites for the '07 Cup are all from the Western Conference. They would be:

1. Calgary . . . Beefed up scoring with the addition of Alex Tanguay, maybe the best blueline corps in the league.

2. Anaheim . . . Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger can play so much that the Ducks could go with three D-men and 15 forwards.

3. Vancouver . . . Collective team I.Q. skyrocketed over the off-season. Roberto Luongo can carry this team.

4. San Jose . . . A disappointing dismissal at the hands of Edmonton should not obscure the depth and talent on the Sharks.

5. Minnesota Wild . . . A team that has finally added payroll and star power.

Now, somebody from the east will have to emerge. It's like, in the rules.

And unless it's Ottawa, finally, it'll be a team that's as much a surprise as was Carolina a year ago.

Comments

[Charles Houle]

Damien,

I'm sure you did it on purpose.... how can you not take the Habs into consideration? Even if Huet can't handle the day to day grind over an 80 game season, they still have another bonafind number 1 in Aebisher. Having kept last year's team intact while adding Samsonov and Johnson, Montreal should challenge for top 3 consideration in the Conference.

[Mike Charlton]

Damien,
Just wondering what your rationale is for picking Vancouver 3rd in thw west.They have lost over 70 goals in Bertuzzi, Jovo and Carter. They were not high scoring last year. Yes, Luongo will improve their goaltending and Willie Mitchell will kill penalties, but the Canucks lack of firepower compared to their Western conference rivals will prove their undoing. Luongo has played in few big games, nor faced Canadian media pressure and fan expectations. Vancouver is a hard town on goalies for some reason and I just feel he is somewhat overrrated and unproven under NHL pressure. I see almost all Canuck games and to pick the Canucks ahead of Edmonton for example is laughable.

thanks.