Ice Hockey: Stanley Cup 2006

Lets here some predictions for the cup final this year, Its pretty early to tell but I'm going to say, Philly beats Pittsburgh in 7; Calgary rolls through everyone. Flyers vs. Flames in the Finals!
Richards, carter, forsberg put Philly over the top; while amonte, mccarty and phaneuf as additions make them a powerhouse.
Flames in 6 games over Philly, Bold predicitons.. Lets here some more.

oilers - islanders in the finals, islanders will win it in 7. should be a very interesting year, anything could happen! it's starting to feel like football, i like it, i just need to get used to who is playing for who...

Ooo, let the fun begin!!

Lets start with the East:

Philly looks good, even with the loss of Roenick and LeClair. Forsberg is a force, if he stays healthy. Having Hatcher on the blue line will not hurt one bit.

Nashville had a good season in 03-04, with the addition of Kariya, and Vokoun's play between the pipes, expect them to be solid again.

Tampa Bay will not be as dominate without the Boulin Wall, but Lecavalier, Modin, Richards, and St. Louis should be able to skate all over the opposition.

Atlanta is interesting. Ilya Kovalchuk has decided to stay in Russia for the time being, that is a big blow. If Atlanta can convince him to come back and play, watch out. Mellanby, Hossa, and Bondra provide some potent offensive potential, but can Dunham keep pace between the pipes?

Toronto is always good. Their staff is unbelievable. Of course with Sundin and Belfour, they are going to be tough again this year.

Ottawa looks good, if Hasek actually plays a full year. With Chara on the blue line, and some great wingers in Heatley, Alfredsson, and Havlat, expect Ottawa to not be far from the top.

Montreal looks good with the return of Theodore in the net with a new contract and what could be one of the best lines in the league: Kovalev, Saku Koivu, and Zednik.

Sleepers out of the East:

Pittsburgh - can the kid propel them to the top?
Washington - remember this guy? Ovechkin.

Next time, we are going to look at the West.

[Edited on 9/28/2005 by crayon]

Originally posted by crayon
Tampa Bay will not be as dominate without the Boulin Wall, but Lecavalier, Modin, Richards, and St. Louis should be able to skate all over the opposition.

Which is the key in the NEW NHL. If the officials continue all year with the new obstruction rules, TB will do well.

Toronto is always good. Their staff is unbelievable. Of course with Sundin and Belfour, they are going to be tough again this year.

I disagree for the same reason. If the rules don't tail off, the slow Leafs will be taking a TON of penalties, which they won't be able to kill off effectively.

Ottawa looks good, if Hasek actually plays a full year. With Chara on the blue line, and some great wingers in Heatley, Alfredsson, and Havlat, expect Ottawa to not be far from the top.

Look out for this team, they're built for this new system.

Montreal looks good with the return of Theodore in the net with a new contract and what could be one of the best lines in the league: Kovalev, Saku Koivu, and Zednik.

Agreed, watch out for these guys too.

yeah philly is probably going to be very good this year. it's hard to say who could emerge out of the west, will calgary be strong again? anaheim fell off even after gigere was established, and i'm afraid the same might happen with kiprusof

Are you people crazy??
Calgary will win the cup in 4 strait.

I agree. Montreal looks really good this year. Really good names like, Zednik, Koivu, Kovalev, Bonk, Ribeiro, Ryder, Dandenault. And this new young guy Latendresse is awesome, indeed a future allstar. Its all up to Theodore, because for sure the Habs will have one of the best offences in hockey. I predict Canadiens finish 4th in the east, a very close 2nd to Ottawa in the Northeast. And look for them to go deep into the playoffs for many years to come. I can also forsee a really great Ottawa Montreal rivalry igniting (now that toronto will not be strong for many seasons). Overall, watch out for Les Canadiens, very strong team.

Bah, Final four will be Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay for the East of which Tampa is favored in 6 games and on the west it will be Calgary vs. Vancouver with Calgary favored in 7 games, in a Calgary vs. Tampa final it's too close to call IMHO. The biggest wildcard this year will be the Penguins and Crosby.

crosby will be good, but even if he makes the all star team, there will be a better rookie this year, i guarantee it, someone else will emerge like a dewayne wade and crosby will be overshadowed

Originally posted by sardion2000
Bah, Final four will be Ottawa vs. Tampa Bay for the East of which Tampa is favored in 6 games and on the west it will be Calgary vs. Vancouver with Calgary favored in 7 games, in a Calgary vs. Tampa final it's too close to call IMHO. The biggest wildcard this year will be the Penguins and Crosby.

Nothing personal, but why is everybody so hyped up for Calgary? Is it simply because sports illustrated thinks they are good?? Yes, the are a solid team, but final 4??????? C'mon. THey lost Gelinas, a great play maker, and Commodore. Two crucial aspects of their fluke success last year. They add McCarty, ok , I admit, good pick up. They also add Amonte. Amonte will start strong , but he is too old and simply not good enough anymore to help this team go far. Calgary is a decent team , but let's be realistic, they will not go deep in the playoffs. Even though I think its ridiculous to make playoff matchup prediction at this point in the year, for the fun of it I will.
Eastern Conference Final will be Ottawa vs Montreal
Western Conference Final will be San Jose vs Vancouver.......(notice no Flames!)
I am sticking with Montreal as the big shocker of the year. They are really solid.

OK, Time for the Western Conference!! Go Wild!! :bounce:

Detroit is scary with Datsyuk finally signing and Zetterberg on the wing. Both are highly skilled and will enjoy the open ice. With Chelios (the man who will not die) and Lidstrom on the blue line, they are once again going to be solid, unless of course old Chelios has lost a step. Oh, and how well will the left-wing-lock really work? Goaltending will be an issue though.

Nashville seems to have been discussed in the Eastern conference for some reason. Nashville had a good season in 03-04, with the addition of Kariya, and Vokoun's play between the pipes, expect them to be solid again.

I hate Vancouver, but, they are a tough team. Linden, Morrison, Sedin, Sedin, Naslund, Bertuzzi.... argh, what a force. They are going to put up some sick numbers this year. If Cloutier can keep it out of the net, Vancouver should have a great chance of winning the division.

Calgary may have lost a couple players, but the addition of Hamrlik and keeping Kiprusoff between the pipes is huge. McCarty and Amonte are huge additions to the front lines, possibly giving Iginla some extra open ice. They are going to be hard pressed to take the division though.

San Jose should continue to be a force in the West. If not at least annoying the crap out of everybody. The key is Nabokov, if he can get back into his stellar form from a few years ago, this team could have a few upsets and should be a strong candidate for the playoffs.

Dallas should be OK. With Madano finally able to have some open ice to skate, he should be fun to watch, if he is not too old. Turco should be solid once again. Having Zubov and Skoula on the blue line will help shore up the D, but is the D fast enough? I Expect Dallas to have fun with the faster moving games.

LA Kings are looking good, or is that just pretty boy Jeremy Roenick? If he can survive his latest concussion, Roenick, Robitaille, Demitra, and V. Bure should have some open ice and be able to drop a few pucks into the net. The biggest question is the netminder, I will let you tell me who it is.

But, with all of that being said, watch out for Pheonix with the Great One at the helm, Chicago with the Boulin wall, and that crafty, hard working team, the Minnesota Wild who are fast fast fast. (OK, so I am biased towards the Wild...)

The missing team from the East:
The Devils. 2 words: Martin Brodeur. The loss of Stevens and Niedermayer is going to hurt, but they are still going to be solid.

Originally posted by shaunc7
THey lost Gelinas, a great play maker, and Commodore. Two crucial aspects of their fluke success last year. They add McCarty, ok , I admit, good pick up. They also add Amonte. Amonte will start strong , but he is too old and simply not good enough anymore to help this team go far.

I think your logic is a little flawed here. Amonte is actually 2 months younger than Gelinas. A good tit-for-tat imo. Calgary will go deep with the new rules, they're fast, fast, fast. As with all sports, it depends on injuries but barring that they should do very well this year. Ya gotta love Jerome, a throw back to another time type of player.

Final four predictions
West: Vancouver vs Calgary
East: Ottawa vs Philly
Final: Vancouver vs Ottawa
Winner: tough to call, but a Canadian team will finally hoist the cup after too long of a drought

The X-factor for the Nucks is no doubt in net. Cloutier has the talent, but does he have the mental toughness to sustain a top level of performance for an entire playoff run.

If the league sticks with the new rule changes for the duration of the season and playoff the Canucks are one of a handfull of teams to benefit. Last season the Flames no doubt lived and breathed by hard work, but they also relied heavily on the clutching & grabbing. If any of you've seen the Carter + Twins line this pre-season you'll know that they are flying and will flourish under the new rules. In the new look NHL if may be a matter of the best offense winning the cup as opposed to the best D (of course it will play a huge factor still), and the Canucks are built for offense. I predict them being the top scoring team this season....hopefully that potancy will make up for a few soft goals by Cloutier.

Here's to a great season and great rivalries!

Originally posted by westcoast
a Canadian team will finally hoist the cup after too long of a drought

The X-factor for the Nucks is no doubt in net. Cloutier has the talent, but does he have the mental toughness to sustain a top level of performance for an entire playoff run.

You mean since the Oilers of 90, right? Or do you include Les Habs?

You are right about Cloutier, I see this as an Achilles heal on this team. In net is NOT a good place for a weakness.

Originally posted by shaunc7
Nothing personal, but why is everybody so hyped up for Calgary? Is it simply because sports illustrated thinks they are good?? Yes, the are a solid team, but final 4???????

I've been following Calgary for years and have been predicting their eventual emergance as a Western power. They have Speed, Skill and Speed perfect for today's NHL.

Originally posted by crayon
OK, Time for the Western Conference!! Go Wild!! :bounce:

Detroit is scary

Detroit is geriatric like the Leafs.

The missing team from the East:
The Devils. 2 words: Martin Brodeur. The loss of Stevens and Niedermayer is going to hurt, but they are still going to be solid.

Brodeur is no longer the Third defenceman he was in the past, he can only handle the puck behind the net now and that will take allot from his game, now instead of being a stellar goalie he's just a great one.

[Edited on 10/3/05 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by sardion2000
Detroit is geriatric like the Leafs.

The missing team from the East:
The Devils. 2 words: Martin Brodeur. The loss of Stevens and Niedermayer is going to hurt, but they are still going to be solid.

Brodeur is no longer the Third defenceman he was in the past, he can only handle the puck behind the net now and that will take allot from his game, now instead of being a stellar goalie he's just a great one.

Da man knows hockey! Can't disagree.

Of course time will tell, but I am sticking to my claim that Calgary will not be dominant in the west this season. They are good, but far from being an "emerging power." They have one good line (Iginla's). Other than that, there other lines are equal to or slightly worse than those of Vancouver, Edmonton, or Anaheim. Their defence is average. Hamrlik was a good pickup, but their defence pairings are far from being superior to any other western team. They do have a great goaltender, way better than Cloutier. But I don't think Iginla and Kipper can carry the Flames through a deep playoff run. 2004 was a fluke. A very entertaining fluke and I congratulate them on a great season, but I do not think that they will repeat that success, they simply are not good enough.
The reason I write this is because it is obvious that within this thread of postings, there have been several opinions expressed that demonstrate great hockey knowledge. However, everyone seems to automatically think Calgary will do well. In other stuff I read I tend to see a more modest, thought-out and reasonable estimation on Calgary this year. Perhaps these posts are all from diehard Flames fans?? So what's the deal?
Yes, Calgary is good, but final 4??? I say again...c'mon!

Nope I'm a Leafs fan through and through

I'm realistic when I say they will be a top 4 team, they may not have the brute force of Vancouver or the Finesse of Edmonton they have something better. Work Ethic, Young fast and talent players with a really good Goalie(which is more important then ever) and a good Coach behind the bench. It will be close to be sure the west is a very competitive conference but I'll stick to my guns and give Calagary as one of the top teams in the West if not THE top team. We'll know more in a month or so.

Of course one year off could play havoc with any and all of our predictions, for all I know the Leafs will pull out a top 4 finish out of their ass for no apparent reason or maybe the Wings will dominate like they did in the past but I highly doubt it on both accounts. Also to anyone who thinks Philly will do well this year you're in for a disappointment, they are even bigger, slower and older then the Leafs don't expect much from them this year.

Agreed, anything can happen. I just find the inconsistency in our posts really interesting. All this talk about Calgary being so good I wonder why nobody in this thread has mentioned Montreal too much. They perhaps have one of the top lines in all of hockey with Zednik, Koivu and Kovalev. On the other lines they have solid players like Ryder, Bonk, Ribeiro and Sundstrom. That is a really solid offence. Their defence is great too. Souray, Rivet and Dandenault worth some mentioning. And this new Swiss guy Streit looks really good. If Theodore has a good year the Habs will give Ottawa a good run at it. I doubt that they will finish ahead of Ottawa, but definitely a close 2nd in the division. Does anybody else see this potential in the Canadiens? Talk about "emerging powers", Montreal is 'it' in the East.

I think Ottawa and Tampa are gonna dominate the East this year. Montreal is good on paper like they have always been.