NHL Eastern Conference preview
There could be as many as five teams fighting it out for first place in the Eastern Conference going into the final week of the season, including Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins and Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals. The NHL would love that.
Here's the predicted order of finish:
1. Montreal: There's a lot to like about this team. The Canadiens' forwards might be the fastest group in the NHL, and they've added Alex Tanguay. The power play ranked first, and Carey Price is one of the game's best young goalies.
2. New York Rangers: Gone are Jagr, Shanahan, Straka and Avery, but the Rangers added winger Markus Naslund and defenseman Wade Redden. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist is among the best, and Chris Drury and Scott Gomez will rebound from down years.
3. Washington: The Capitals are the Hawks of the East: young, dynamic and full of energy. Alexander Ovechkin was the NHL's best and most exciting player last season with 65 goals and 112 points. Goalie Jose Theodore is a big question mark.
4. Philadelphia: The Flyers shaved 70 goals off defensively last season and improved from 56 to 95 points. A key is Simon Gagne's health after he played in only 25 games because of a concussion. Center Mike Richards is an emerging star.
5. Pittsburgh: The Penguins might not repeat their 102-point season. Wingers Marian Hossa and Ryan Malone left as free agents, and defensemen Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney are hurt. At least Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still around.
6. New Jersey: Goalie Martin Brodeur is now 36 but still an all-star. And he is surrounded by a pretty good team with balanced scoring led by Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta and newcomer Brian Rolston. The defense is better than average.
7. Ottawa: Let's pull for new coach Craig Hartsburg, who never got enough credit for his work with the Hawks from 1995-98. This is his first chance since then. Goalies Martin Gerber and Alex Auld hold the key for the Senators.
8. Buffalo: The Sabres will be scrappy again, so don't sell them short. They know how to win and have a very good goaltender in Ryan Miller. Offensively, the Sabres can come at you a lot of ways and are a dangerous team. They'll sneak in.
9. Tampa Bay: Will the radical makeover work? Can former ESPN talking head Barry Melrose still coach? As usual, it all will come down to goaltending for the Lightning with Mike Smith and Olaf Kolzig. Look for them to fall short.
10. Boston: The Bruins are a mystery. They could make the playoffs, or they could end up fourth or fifth if the offense comes alive. Defenseman Zdeno Chara is a beast, and goalies Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez are above average.
11. Carolina: Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the Hurricanes have missed the playoffs for two straight years, an NHL first. This will make it three. Questions abound on defense, where Glen Wesley retired and Bret Hedican left as a free agent.
12. Toronto: At long last, with the Mats Sundin era apparently over, the Maple Leafs are going young. That doesn't mean they won't be competitive under new coach Ron Wilson. The skill level is low, which means pressure for goalie Vesa Toskala.
13. Atlanta: Former Wolves coach John Anderson gets his big chance with a team that, on paper, doesn't look to measure up in the East. At least Anderson has a superstar in Ilya Kovalchuk to give himself a fighting chance every night.
14. Florida: Replacing Olli Jokinen's 34 goals won't be easy, but the Panthers needed defense after allowing an average of 33.6 shots last season, second-most in the NHL. Getting solid d-man Keith Ballard for Jokinen should help.
15. New York Islanders: Someone's got to finish last, and this is a team with little going for it. Guess you have to sign 37-year-old center Doug Weight as a free agent when your No. 1 center (Mike Comrie) led the team with just 49 points.
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