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Two Bubble Teams + One Terrible Team Last Year That Will Make the Playoffs. |
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Vacation is over kids. Back in the saddle and ready to hockeybuzz again. Been a rough summer, not even going to get into it, cause there is no better antidote than talking hockey!
So every year a team or two make the playoffs that didn’t the year before…
Usually some of them just missed the year before and find themselves now inside the bubble…
But there is almost always a team like New Jersey was last year….A team that makes a major leap and improves by tens of points…
Who are these teams this year?
Two Bubble Teams….
1. Vancouver Canucks.
They couldn’t get out of their own way last year….after losing so many one goal games early. They still battled and at times Vancouver looked every bit good enough to be in the playoffs. The talent is there and they have two flat-out stars in Pettersson and Hughes. If Demko is healthy (I truly believe in him) they are immediately dangerous. They simply MUST get out of the gates strong, but if they can get over that hurdle they will be in the playoffs …pretty comfortably in my opinion….
2. Buffalo Sabres.
Debating between the Sabres and Penguins for sure, but I feel Buffalo is truly are closer…Its about windows here…The Penguins are looking at a long open window, and they did a really bold move in an attempt to keep their window open. Meanwhile the Sabres have been living with a window which has been painted shut for a decade or more…But the Sabres are ready to slam that window open…
The Out-of-Nowhere Team….
The Columbus Blue Jackets have every opportunity to do what the Devils did last season.
Considering all the injuries they had they had it was somewhat amazing how hard they STILL were to play against…even late in the season. I am a big believer in Jarmo and this team’s ability to draft talent.. I love Werenski. He is everything to them. Gaudreau managed to put up far more points than he should have considering his line mates. Sillinger had a sophomore slump type of year, and Elvis is the type of goalie that is better when the level of intensity increases…there were too many games where the Jackets were just overmatched with their emergency call-up line-up…
If they can fix half those issues…Enter Fantilli…I love this kid. He is the best draft pick this team has EVER had. Sorry Rick Nash…but he is.
I can see the Jackets being a huge problem for many, many teams…
So Buzzards….
Out of our slumber!!!
Give me your two bubble teams and one out-of-nowhere team that could make the playoffs….