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.
Yesterday,
I took a look at the Atlantic Division. Today, I focus on the Central Division…
Chicago Blackhawks:
Pretty much nothing has changed in the Chicago dressing room and whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on how you look at it. For the most part, this is the same All-Star laden team that won the Cup just two years ago. They struggled at times last year because of injuries to key players, but if they're all healthy, they're capable of doing some significant damage. There are some holes to fill in their lineup, but with a stable of studs already playing together in Rockford, they shouldn't have any problem finding the right pieces.
Columbus Blue Jackets:
Many are expecting this team to instantaneously combust upon puck drop, but when you have a team with nothing to lose and everything to prove, you often find magic. This is a team that's pissed off for greatness and now that the players that don't want to be there are no longer there, you're left with players who want to play for each other, who want to find success together, and the power of that should not be underestimated. They may not win every night, but they will make opponents earn every single point and that makes them a very intriguing hockey club.
Detroit Red Wings:
It's been a rather significant changing of the guard this off season for the Red Wings and while they have great prospects in Grand Rapids, the shoes left behind are still too big to fill just yet. I think Jimmy Howard will be the key factor in the early going as everyone in front of him adjusts to their new roles. If he can hold the tide, I fully expect them to figure it out sooner rather than later. That is, in fact, the Detroit Way. That's why they put so much emphasis on developing their prospects…so that when they make the jump, they're ready to succeed.
Nashville Predators:
The only real off season loss is also a rather significant one as Ryan Suter signed with Minnesota this summer. He will no doubt be tough to replace, but the Predators have faced more difficult challenges and found success before, why not do it again? They have a lot of young talent that's been on the cusp that needs to take that next step and make their presence known as reliable NHLers. For me, they are the x-factor as Pekka Rinne and Barry Trotz's defense first system will give them a chance to win every night, but defense can't win games for you. It can only prevent you from losing.
St Louis Blues:
The Blues didn't really go shopping this off season and why should they after finishing second in the Western Conference? They'll look at guys like Jaden Schwartz, Vladimir Tarasenko and Ian Cole to fill holes, and with the success they were able to find after quickly buying in to Ken Hitchcock's Jack Adams Award winning defense-first system, there's no reason to think they won't find it again this year, especially since they already know what is expected of them. We've been saying for a couple years that this team is one key piece away from contending for the Stanley Cup. It's just that no one expected that piece to be a coach.
Tomorrow, the Northeast 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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