There was this one time in high school when I watched a thrilling game between the Blues and Red Wings and was so excited to go to school the next day and talk about it with the hockey guys in my French class like we always did after good games. To my disappointment, they hadn't even watched it. I remember saying, " I thought you guys liked hockey??" and they said, " We do…the Flyers!" and in that moment I realized that you could love hockey, but not be a hockey fan. That there was a difference in loving the sport and loving a team.
I've always been the type to enjoy a game no matter who was playing. When people ask who I'm rooting for, my reply is always a great hockey game because for me that's the bottom line. I want to be entertained!
So, if after some self-reflection you realize that you have tunnel vision and only watch games "your" team plays in, I'm here to help expand your horizons. Here are some things to be excited about for each and every team now that the season is set to get under way….starting with the Atlantic Division.
New Jersey Devils:
The defending Eastern Conference Champions aren't looking so spectacular with the departures of Zach Parise and Alexi Ponikarovsky and the injury to last year's breakout player, Adam Henrique that will keep him out of the lineup for at least another month. Bobby Butler is an interesting addition, but it's going to take a serious team effort, especially in a shortened season, to find success this season. One player who should benefit greatly from a shortened season is Martin Brodeur. As long as there isn't too much rust to shake off after the lockout, a stellar Brodeur could keep the Devils in the race.
New York Islanders:
The Islanders have a boatload of young talent and I believe that, if they can find the right combinations, this might just be their time to shine. John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner, Kyle Okposo, not to mention the young guns in Bridgeport. If they can keep things together on the backend and, most importantly, in goal, it's very plausible they could be a big surprise in the East given the shortened season. Their biggest hurdle will be the number of games against divisional opponents…
New York Rangers:
There was a lot of turnover in the Rangers locker room this off-season, but there's quite a bit to be excited about highlighted by the acquisition of Rick Nash to their already well stocked arsenal of offensive weapons with Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik, Ryan Callahan, Carl Hagelin and Derek Stepan; the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist and the defense in front of him highlighted by Dan Girardi, Michael Del Zotto and Marc Staal, not to mention their up-and-comers like Chris Kreider and possibly JT Miller, who physically dominated opponents on the way to gold at the World Junior Championship. There isn't much not to like on Broadway.
Philadelphia Flyers:
There are a lot of rather significant question marks surrounding this team, but I think that's what makes them exciting to watch. Without Jagr will Giroux and Hartnell still make magic? Will the real Danny Briere make an appearance this year? How does Luke Schenn fit in on the blueline? Does Kimmo Timonen still have it? What version of Ilya Bryzgalov will show up this season? What young guys will make an impact? So. Many. Questions.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
The Penguins were a point shy from finishing first overall and only had one major departure this off season with the Jordan Staal trade to Carolina. Toss in a healthy Sidney Crosby and you've got to think they're one of the favorites this season. The real question facing the Pens this season is on the backend. We know they can score, but can they keep the puck out of their own net? Fleury can only do so much…
Tomorrow, the Central Division.
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Here's a link to my
photo album on facebook of my trip to Russia. I tweeted a lot of them, but here they are all in one place!
Julie
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