The Stanley Cup Playoffs, to me, are the most compelling of all professional sports playoffs in the U.S. The schedule is grueling, the physical play more intense than ever and the passion nearly unparalleled. And the first round of the playoffs is the best one to watch. Here's why:
1. The players are fresher. Yes, they've just completed an 82-game schedule, but it hasn't included the level of physical play that takes place in the playoffs. After a round or two, virtually every player on every team is nursing some form of injury.
2. Less time to prepare. Many playoff matchups were not set until the final days of the season, and it was harder for teams to scout opponents for certain.
3. No intradivisional matchups. The NHL's current schedule format pits intradivision foes against each other eight times. None of those matchups exist this year, meaning playoff foes met just four times during the regular season.
4. Stars are made. Players such as Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo are making their first playoff appearances.
5. Last calls. Great players nearing the end of illustrious careers include: Dallas' Mike Modano, Anaheim's Teemu Selanne, New York's Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr, Nashville's Peter Forsberg and Pittsburgh's Gary Roberts. Catch them while you can.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
The NFC free agency mystery
One month into free agency and the activity has cooled considerably. Here's my take on what NFC teams have done thus far:
HIGH TURNOVER:
ATLANTA: It makes sense. The Falcons have a new coach and an increasingly impatient owner. If WR Joe Horn is healthy, he addresses a gigantic weakness. Losing DE Patrick Kerney via free agency and trading backup QB Matt Schaub are risks, so the Falcons must make the most of the picks they got for Schaub from Houston.
DETROIT: Another offseason of massive turnover, some of which makes sense. The additions of RBs Tatum Bell and TJ Duckett means they don't expect Kevin Jones to recover from injury this season. Shoring up the offensive line with T George Foster, Gs Edwin Mulitalo and Zach Piller won't hurt either. DE Dewayne White will help the defense, but they overpaid for him. ... DE James Hall and CB Dre Bly are the biggest losses.
SAN FRANCISCO: The youth movement continues. Adding CB Nate Clements and S Michael Lewis immediately upgrades the secondary several notches. ... Among the departed: C Jeremy Newberry, WR Antonio Bryant and TE Eric Johnson.
ST. LOUIS: The De-Martz-ification of this offense continues. Smurf-like speedsters Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald are gone, and in their place are 6-4 WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael.
WASHINGTON: Of course the Redskins signed a lot of players, and of course they said good bye to just as many. That's been a way of life under owner Dan Snyder. Among veteran OL Jason Fabini, Todd Wade and Ross Tucker, the hope is one or two of them can help. LB London Fletcher shows no signs of slowing and should help the defense for the next year or two. Re-obtaining CB Fred Smoot seems a bit of a risk, but he played well for the Redskins in his first stint with them.
TAKING A HIT:
PHILADELPHIA: Adding LB Takeo Spikes, WR Kevin Curtis and DT Montae Reagor will help offset the losses of LB Shawn Barber, WR Donte' Stallworth and DT Darwin Walker. But the Eagles' secondary was further decimated with the departures of CB Roderick Hood and S Michael Lewis.
MAKING SOME SENSE:
DALLAS: Maybe returning to Texas will be the motivator OL Leonard Davis needs. No one doubts the massive lineman's gifts. Adding QB Brad Johnson was an excellent hedge vs. Tony Romo hitting a slump in his second season as a starter. Also like the addition of S Ken Hamlin, but like Davis, they probably overpaid for him.
ARIZONA: The Cardinals addressed two need areas, letting Davis leave and replacing him with C Al Johnson and OL Mike Gandy for less money. They also took steps to shore up their secondary by signing CB Rod Hood from the Eagles and S Terrence Holt from the Lions.
MINNESOTA: The Vikings might regret letting QB Brad Johnson leave. CB Fred Smoot underachieved in Minnesota, and his off-the-field problems didn't help. ... Two signings I really like: S Mike Doss and TE Visanthe Shiancoe.
NEW ORLEANS: The Sants are building some momentum, and I really like their additions of LB Brian Simmons, TE Eric Johnson and S Kevin Kaesvlharn. ... The emergence of Terrance Copper and Marcus Colston made WR Joe Horn expendable on the surface, but the Saints did not play as well without him as they did with him last season.
NY GIANTS: The youth movement is on as numerous veterans were shown the door (LBs Lavar Arrington and Carlos Emmons, Ts Luke Petitgout and Bob Whitfield to name a few). RB Reuben Droughns and LB Kawika Mitchell were solid signings that addressed need areas.
SEATTLE: The Seahawks again focused on defense in free agency, adding Ss Deon Grant and Brian Russell, and DE Patrick Kerney. And they needed to with Hamlin's departure and the uncertain future of DE Grant Wistrom.
TAMPA BAY: Adding QB Jeff Garcia was smart if Chris Simms isn't 100 percent. It's stupid if it retards Simms' development. The Bucs added LBs Cato June and Patrick Chukwurah via free agency to infuse some youth into their aging defense.
ALL'S CALM
CAROLINA: One of last season's biggest underachievers let go of a lot of players who have yet to be signed and have added a few role players. Pivotal year for this franchis coming up.
CHICAGO: Yes, the Bears traded RB Thomas Jones, but their only other notable loss was DT Alphonso Boone, and they signed promising Anthony Adams to fill his spot. If Tank Johnson stays out of trouble and Tommie Harris regains his health, neither transaction matters much anyway.
GREEN BAY: The Packers lost RB Ahman Green, but they weren't committed to him longterm at this stage of his career. They've added a potential nickel back in Frank Walker, but that's it. With their massive cap space, the talk of acquring WR Randy Moss won't go away.
HIGH TURNOVER:
ATLANTA: It makes sense. The Falcons have a new coach and an increasingly impatient owner. If WR Joe Horn is healthy, he addresses a gigantic weakness. Losing DE Patrick Kerney via free agency and trading backup QB Matt Schaub are risks, so the Falcons must make the most of the picks they got for Schaub from Houston.
DETROIT: Another offseason of massive turnover, some of which makes sense. The additions of RBs Tatum Bell and TJ Duckett means they don't expect Kevin Jones to recover from injury this season. Shoring up the offensive line with T George Foster, Gs Edwin Mulitalo and Zach Piller won't hurt either. DE Dewayne White will help the defense, but they overpaid for him. ... DE James Hall and CB Dre Bly are the biggest losses.
SAN FRANCISCO: The youth movement continues. Adding CB Nate Clements and S Michael Lewis immediately upgrades the secondary several notches. ... Among the departed: C Jeremy Newberry, WR Antonio Bryant and TE Eric Johnson.
ST. LOUIS: The De-Martz-ification of this offense continues. Smurf-like speedsters Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald are gone, and in their place are 6-4 WR Drew Bennett and TE Randy McMichael.
WASHINGTON: Of course the Redskins signed a lot of players, and of course they said good bye to just as many. That's been a way of life under owner Dan Snyder. Among veteran OL Jason Fabini, Todd Wade and Ross Tucker, the hope is one or two of them can help. LB London Fletcher shows no signs of slowing and should help the defense for the next year or two. Re-obtaining CB Fred Smoot seems a bit of a risk, but he played well for the Redskins in his first stint with them.
TAKING A HIT:
PHILADELPHIA: Adding LB Takeo Spikes, WR Kevin Curtis and DT Montae Reagor will help offset the losses of LB Shawn Barber, WR Donte' Stallworth and DT Darwin Walker. But the Eagles' secondary was further decimated with the departures of CB Roderick Hood and S Michael Lewis.
MAKING SOME SENSE:
DALLAS: Maybe returning to Texas will be the motivator OL Leonard Davis needs. No one doubts the massive lineman's gifts. Adding QB Brad Johnson was an excellent hedge vs. Tony Romo hitting a slump in his second season as a starter. Also like the addition of S Ken Hamlin, but like Davis, they probably overpaid for him.
ARIZONA: The Cardinals addressed two need areas, letting Davis leave and replacing him with C Al Johnson and OL Mike Gandy for less money. They also took steps to shore up their secondary by signing CB Rod Hood from the Eagles and S Terrence Holt from the Lions.
MINNESOTA: The Vikings might regret letting QB Brad Johnson leave. CB Fred Smoot underachieved in Minnesota, and his off-the-field problems didn't help. ... Two signings I really like: S Mike Doss and TE Visanthe Shiancoe.
NEW ORLEANS: The Sants are building some momentum, and I really like their additions of LB Brian Simmons, TE Eric Johnson and S Kevin Kaesvlharn. ... The emergence of Terrance Copper and Marcus Colston made WR Joe Horn expendable on the surface, but the Saints did not play as well without him as they did with him last season.
NY GIANTS: The youth movement is on as numerous veterans were shown the door (LBs Lavar Arrington and Carlos Emmons, Ts Luke Petitgout and Bob Whitfield to name a few). RB Reuben Droughns and LB Kawika Mitchell were solid signings that addressed need areas.
SEATTLE: The Seahawks again focused on defense in free agency, adding Ss Deon Grant and Brian Russell, and DE Patrick Kerney. And they needed to with Hamlin's departure and the uncertain future of DE Grant Wistrom.
TAMPA BAY: Adding QB Jeff Garcia was smart if Chris Simms isn't 100 percent. It's stupid if it retards Simms' development. The Bucs added LBs Cato June and Patrick Chukwurah via free agency to infuse some youth into their aging defense.
ALL'S CALM
CAROLINA: One of last season's biggest underachievers let go of a lot of players who have yet to be signed and have added a few role players. Pivotal year for this franchis coming up.
CHICAGO: Yes, the Bears traded RB Thomas Jones, but their only other notable loss was DT Alphonso Boone, and they signed promising Anthony Adams to fill his spot. If Tank Johnson stays out of trouble and Tommie Harris regains his health, neither transaction matters much anyway.
GREEN BAY: The Packers lost RB Ahman Green, but they weren't committed to him longterm at this stage of his career. They've added a potential nickel back in Frank Walker, but that's it. With their massive cap space, the talk of acquring WR Randy Moss won't go away.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
The AFC free agency mystery
One month into the NFL free agency period things have cooled off considerably.
Several teams have been very active, and nearly as many have been content to (or forced to because of salary-cap contraints) to sit on the sidelines while the big dollars were doled out.
SOLID MOVES:
BALTIMORE: Losing LB Adalius Thomas to the Patroits will hurt, but they still have Ray Lewis and Bart Scott at the position and Scott appears to have at least as high of an upside and is several years younger. Adding Willis McGahee and subtracting Jamal Lewis at this stage of their careers was brilliant.
CLEVELAND: Signing OL Eric Steinback and Seth McKinney were good moves. Lewis probably has some miles left, and he's the type of back who could thrive in Cleveland's offense. Adding LB Antwan Peek from Houston was very underrated in my opinion. The Browns will miss FB Terrelle Smith.
KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs again addressed a glaring weakness - the front seven of their defense, adding LBs Donnie Edwards (for a second tour in KC) and Napoleon Harris as well as DT Alfonso Boone. They still need a receiver, and this is a good draft to select one.
MIAMI: The Dolphins' signing of LB Joey Porter will turn out to be the best one of free agency. Given Miami's 3-4 scheme and the other talent around him, plus the even larger chip on Porter's shoulder after the Steelers released him, look out! ... Miami also lost a lot of players, but the ones they'll miss are WR Wes Welker, DE Kevin Carter, and OLs Jeno James, Damion McIntosh and Seth McKinney. Miami clearly got tired of TE Randy McMichael's inconsistency, and losing RBs Sammy Morris and Travis Minor clears space for a return of Ricky Williams.
NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots have been more active than virtually anyone, and their top-end signings of Thomas, WRs Donte' Stallworth, Kelley Washington and Welker offer immediate upgrades. Many of the rest of the signings are specials and/or role players. Letting RB Corey Dillon go might hurt a little, but his role was shrinking the second half of 2006. TE Daniel Graham's blocking will be replaced by Kyle Brady.
HIGH TURNOVER:
DENVER: The Broncos' failure to reach the playoffs is not without consequences in a city used to the postseason. Gone are QB Jake Plummer, RB Tatum Bell, OT George Foster and promising young CB Darrent Williams, who was shot to death after the season. In are TE Daniel Graham, CB Dre Bly, RB Travis Henry, QB Patrick Ramsey, WR Brandon Stokley. It's tough to say if this is an improvement or not. Most of their additions puzzle me at this point because they have far better players already in place at those positions already.
HOUSTON: The big additions are RB Ahman Green, who is tough but has struggled with injuries the past three seasons, and QB Matt Schaub, who was generally regarded as the best QB not starting in the NFL during the 2006 season. Out are QB David Carr and RB Domanick Williams (the rusher formerly known as Davis).
NY JETS: The Jets signed or resigned four defensive ends, but the big catch was RB Thomas Jones. QB Patrick Ramsey wasn't considered a future prospect any longer and was allowed to walk, and the team showed little interest in RBs Kevan Barlow and Derrick Blaylock (the once-considered Curtis Martin replacement).
TENNESSEE: Adding CB Nick Harper will help, losing WR Drew Bennett and RBs Travis Henry and Chris Brown won't. G Zach Piller's defection to Detroit also will be felt.
TAKING A HIT:
BUFFALO: The Bills are a team that annually seems to lose players during the spring signing period, but this year is incredible by even their standards. Gone are: CB Nate Clements, LBs Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher, franchise running back Willis McGahee (traded) and three starting offensive linemen. This leaves the Bills QB JP Losman and WR Lee Evans, and not much else.
CINCINNATI: The Bengals lost perhaps their best offensive lineman (Eric Steinbach), their No. 3 receiver (Kelley Washington) and their best linebacker (Brian Simmons).
INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts had to win the Super Bowl. Their salary cap situation was a mess and they had a load of upcoming unrestricted free agents (RB Dominic Rhodes, LB Cato June, CB Nick Harper, DT Montae Reagor and Stokley among others). All of the aforementioned are gone.
TOUGH TO FIGURE
JACKSONVILLE: They signed a bunch of fill-in players while losing starting TE Kyle Brady and S Deon Grant. Brady is mainly a blocker at this stage, but Grant's loss will hurt.
OAKLAND: They signed a lot of players, Rhodes and injury-laden C Jeremy Newberry being the most prominent, and they decided they'd had enough of the Aaron Brooks and Marcus Tuiasosopo experiments at QB.
ON THE SIDELINES:
PITTSBURGH: Replacing Porter won't be easy, but this team is used to it.
SAN DIEGO: All of the departees (including S Terrence Kiel, WR Keenan McCardell, LB Steve Foley and Edwards) won't be missed because the Bolts have better, younger and cheaper players behind them. The real intrigue with the Chargers is will they trade backup running back Micheal Turner, who is coveted by at least a half dozen teams.
Several teams have been very active, and nearly as many have been content to (or forced to because of salary-cap contraints) to sit on the sidelines while the big dollars were doled out.
SOLID MOVES:
BALTIMORE: Losing LB Adalius Thomas to the Patroits will hurt, but they still have Ray Lewis and Bart Scott at the position and Scott appears to have at least as high of an upside and is several years younger. Adding Willis McGahee and subtracting Jamal Lewis at this stage of their careers was brilliant.
CLEVELAND: Signing OL Eric Steinback and Seth McKinney were good moves. Lewis probably has some miles left, and he's the type of back who could thrive in Cleveland's offense. Adding LB Antwan Peek from Houston was very underrated in my opinion. The Browns will miss FB Terrelle Smith.
KANSAS CITY: The Chiefs again addressed a glaring weakness - the front seven of their defense, adding LBs Donnie Edwards (for a second tour in KC) and Napoleon Harris as well as DT Alfonso Boone. They still need a receiver, and this is a good draft to select one.
MIAMI: The Dolphins' signing of LB Joey Porter will turn out to be the best one of free agency. Given Miami's 3-4 scheme and the other talent around him, plus the even larger chip on Porter's shoulder after the Steelers released him, look out! ... Miami also lost a lot of players, but the ones they'll miss are WR Wes Welker, DE Kevin Carter, and OLs Jeno James, Damion McIntosh and Seth McKinney. Miami clearly got tired of TE Randy McMichael's inconsistency, and losing RBs Sammy Morris and Travis Minor clears space for a return of Ricky Williams.
NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots have been more active than virtually anyone, and their top-end signings of Thomas, WRs Donte' Stallworth, Kelley Washington and Welker offer immediate upgrades. Many of the rest of the signings are specials and/or role players. Letting RB Corey Dillon go might hurt a little, but his role was shrinking the second half of 2006. TE Daniel Graham's blocking will be replaced by Kyle Brady.
HIGH TURNOVER:
DENVER: The Broncos' failure to reach the playoffs is not without consequences in a city used to the postseason. Gone are QB Jake Plummer, RB Tatum Bell, OT George Foster and promising young CB Darrent Williams, who was shot to death after the season. In are TE Daniel Graham, CB Dre Bly, RB Travis Henry, QB Patrick Ramsey, WR Brandon Stokley. It's tough to say if this is an improvement or not. Most of their additions puzzle me at this point because they have far better players already in place at those positions already.
HOUSTON: The big additions are RB Ahman Green, who is tough but has struggled with injuries the past three seasons, and QB Matt Schaub, who was generally regarded as the best QB not starting in the NFL during the 2006 season. Out are QB David Carr and RB Domanick Williams (the rusher formerly known as Davis).
NY JETS: The Jets signed or resigned four defensive ends, but the big catch was RB Thomas Jones. QB Patrick Ramsey wasn't considered a future prospect any longer and was allowed to walk, and the team showed little interest in RBs Kevan Barlow and Derrick Blaylock (the once-considered Curtis Martin replacement).
TENNESSEE: Adding CB Nick Harper will help, losing WR Drew Bennett and RBs Travis Henry and Chris Brown won't. G Zach Piller's defection to Detroit also will be felt.
TAKING A HIT:
BUFFALO: The Bills are a team that annually seems to lose players during the spring signing period, but this year is incredible by even their standards. Gone are: CB Nate Clements, LBs Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher, franchise running back Willis McGahee (traded) and three starting offensive linemen. This leaves the Bills QB JP Losman and WR Lee Evans, and not much else.
CINCINNATI: The Bengals lost perhaps their best offensive lineman (Eric Steinbach), their No. 3 receiver (Kelley Washington) and their best linebacker (Brian Simmons).
INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts had to win the Super Bowl. Their salary cap situation was a mess and they had a load of upcoming unrestricted free agents (RB Dominic Rhodes, LB Cato June, CB Nick Harper, DT Montae Reagor and Stokley among others). All of the aforementioned are gone.
TOUGH TO FIGURE
JACKSONVILLE: They signed a bunch of fill-in players while losing starting TE Kyle Brady and S Deon Grant. Brady is mainly a blocker at this stage, but Grant's loss will hurt.
OAKLAND: They signed a lot of players, Rhodes and injury-laden C Jeremy Newberry being the most prominent, and they decided they'd had enough of the Aaron Brooks and Marcus Tuiasosopo experiments at QB.
ON THE SIDELINES:
PITTSBURGH: Replacing Porter won't be easy, but this team is used to it.
SAN DIEGO: All of the departees (including S Terrence Kiel, WR Keenan McCardell, LB Steve Foley and Edwards) won't be missed because the Bolts have better, younger and cheaper players behind them. The real intrigue with the Chargers is will they trade backup running back Micheal Turner, who is coveted by at least a half dozen teams.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Five teams to like in the Western Conference
The Western Conference playoff field is essentially set, but there will be some jockeying for position between now and the end of the season.
1. ANAHEIM. If D Chris Pronger returns to health and their young forwards score, the Ducks have enough to build on last season's run to the Western Conference finals. Goalie J.S. Giguere has found his game, and the Ducks are nearly unbeatable at home.
2. NASHVILLE. In a dogfight with Detroit for the Central Division lead and the top spot in the Conference (with Anaheim right on both of their heels, the Predators will discover C Peter Forsberg's real value in the playoffs. This team skates very well and has two excellent goaltenders.
3. VANCOUVER. The Canucks added a top-six forward (Bryan Smolinski) and a top-four defenseman (Brent Sopel) at the trade deadline without surrendering any player of significance off their roster. Goalie Roberto Luongo has been magnificent, as has the team's underrated defense.
4. SAN JOSE. A puzzling team because they have the firepower, defense and goaltending to have a better record than they do. G Evgeni Nabokov is establishing himself as the team's go-to man in net, and the Sharks have responded. The problem San Jose faces is if it plays much better it gets the fifth seed and has to face either Detroit or Nashville in the first round. If the Sharks stay in sixth, it gets either Vancouver or Minnesota, which is arguably an easier draw.
5. DETROIT. Is this the year the Red Wings make it out of the first round? Seems strange to write that about Hockeytown's inhabitants, but the Wings have struggled in the postseason over the past five years. If Dominik Hasek stays healthy and trade-acquisition Todd Bertuzzi can give them anything, this version of the Wings is built a bit more for the playoffs than recent past editions.
The temptation was to include Dallas in here, but until goalie Marty Turco wins a postseason series, it's tough to see the Stars shinining beyond April.
1. ANAHEIM. If D Chris Pronger returns to health and their young forwards score, the Ducks have enough to build on last season's run to the Western Conference finals. Goalie J.S. Giguere has found his game, and the Ducks are nearly unbeatable at home.
2. NASHVILLE. In a dogfight with Detroit for the Central Division lead and the top spot in the Conference (with Anaheim right on both of their heels, the Predators will discover C Peter Forsberg's real value in the playoffs. This team skates very well and has two excellent goaltenders.
3. VANCOUVER. The Canucks added a top-six forward (Bryan Smolinski) and a top-four defenseman (Brent Sopel) at the trade deadline without surrendering any player of significance off their roster. Goalie Roberto Luongo has been magnificent, as has the team's underrated defense.
4. SAN JOSE. A puzzling team because they have the firepower, defense and goaltending to have a better record than they do. G Evgeni Nabokov is establishing himself as the team's go-to man in net, and the Sharks have responded. The problem San Jose faces is if it plays much better it gets the fifth seed and has to face either Detroit or Nashville in the first round. If the Sharks stay in sixth, it gets either Vancouver or Minnesota, which is arguably an easier draw.
5. DETROIT. Is this the year the Red Wings make it out of the first round? Seems strange to write that about Hockeytown's inhabitants, but the Wings have struggled in the postseason over the past five years. If Dominik Hasek stays healthy and trade-acquisition Todd Bertuzzi can give them anything, this version of the Wings is built a bit more for the playoffs than recent past editions.
The temptation was to include Dallas in here, but until goalie Marty Turco wins a postseason series, it's tough to see the Stars shinining beyond April.
Five teams to like in the Eastern Conference
As the NHL season heads toward the finish line, here are five Eastern Conference teams I like going into the playoffs:
1. OTTAWA. No, the Senators won't supplant Buffalo atop the Northwest Division and the Conference standings, but they've played very well in 2007, and they match up well against most of the conference's top teams, especially Buffalo. Their offense remains strong, but their scoring is more balanced. The real difference this season has been their defense (third-fewest goals allowed in the East) and the goaltending of Ray Emery.
2. NEW JERSEY. The Devils just won't go away, thanks to a stingy defense that is backstopped by Martin Brodeur. They've allowed the fewest goals in the East by far, but they also don't score much. There is no real difference between their home and road records, meaning home ice might not be as big of a deal to this experienced club as it is to others, so it might be wise to give Brodeur some rest down in the next few weeks.
3. TAMPA BAY. The Lightning is another team that has put it together after a slow start. What stands out to me is just how well Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis are playing, the team's playoff experience and that it is an excellent road team. The Lightning has to outscore teams most nights to win, but it has the weapons to do so.
4. BUFFALO. If the Sabres are healthy, look out. But they're not right now (F Chris Drury, F Max Afinogenov, D Jaroslav Spacek all out). Goalie Ryan Miller is showing signs of fatigue, but can the Sabres afford to rest him too much with New Jersey right on its tail for the conference lead and home-ice in the playoffs? Balanced scoring, great skating and a very good, puck-moving defense, as well as Miller's emergence make Buffalo one of the teams to beat.
5. N.Y. RANGERS. Right now, the Rangers would not make the playoffs, but they are part of a pack of five teams separated by two points for the final two spots. If goalie Henrik Lundqvist steps up and they can make the postseason, I would not bet against a team with players such as Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr in their lineup. These are playoff-savy veterans who can make a difference in a seven-game series.
1. OTTAWA. No, the Senators won't supplant Buffalo atop the Northwest Division and the Conference standings, but they've played very well in 2007, and they match up well against most of the conference's top teams, especially Buffalo. Their offense remains strong, but their scoring is more balanced. The real difference this season has been their defense (third-fewest goals allowed in the East) and the goaltending of Ray Emery.
2. NEW JERSEY. The Devils just won't go away, thanks to a stingy defense that is backstopped by Martin Brodeur. They've allowed the fewest goals in the East by far, but they also don't score much. There is no real difference between their home and road records, meaning home ice might not be as big of a deal to this experienced club as it is to others, so it might be wise to give Brodeur some rest down in the next few weeks.
3. TAMPA BAY. The Lightning is another team that has put it together after a slow start. What stands out to me is just how well Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis are playing, the team's playoff experience and that it is an excellent road team. The Lightning has to outscore teams most nights to win, but it has the weapons to do so.
4. BUFFALO. If the Sabres are healthy, look out. But they're not right now (F Chris Drury, F Max Afinogenov, D Jaroslav Spacek all out). Goalie Ryan Miller is showing signs of fatigue, but can the Sabres afford to rest him too much with New Jersey right on its tail for the conference lead and home-ice in the playoffs? Balanced scoring, great skating and a very good, puck-moving defense, as well as Miller's emergence make Buffalo one of the teams to beat.
5. N.Y. RANGERS. Right now, the Rangers would not make the playoffs, but they are part of a pack of five teams separated by two points for the final two spots. If goalie Henrik Lundqvist steps up and they can make the postseason, I would not bet against a team with players such as Brendan Shanahan and Jaromir Jagr in their lineup. These are playoff-savy veterans who can make a difference in a seven-game series.
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