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.
Tuesday,
I took a look at the Atlantic Division. Wednesday,
I focused on the Central Division. Thursday, it was
all about the Northeast Division. Friday,
I took a look at the Northwest Division . Monday,
it was time for the Southeast Division and today, I wrap things up with the Pacific Division…
Anaheim Ducks:
Lots of turnover in the Ducks locker room this year, but Teemu Selanne isn't one of them - something all hockey fans can rejoice in as the 43-year-old committed to at least one more year - and, at least for now, the Ryan-Perry-Getzlaf line is still intact. The latter is subject to change as head coach Bruce Boudreau likes to tinker with his lines, but chances are he'll be too busy piecing together the various options they have in the bottom six that it might take him a a couple weeks to toy with the rest of the lineup. The good news is that they have plenty of options.
Dallas Stars:
Individually, this roster is pretty interesting, but collectively it's one giant question mark. They're definitely a better team now than they were in April, at least on paper, but how do they all fit together? With adding so much veteran talent with the likes of Jaromir Jagr, Ray Whitney and Derek Roy, is there room for younger guys like Reilly Smith and Cody Eakin to not only be on the roster, but be used in a way that plays to their strengths and puts them in a position for success? Lots of if this than that's surrounding the Stars, but that's why they'll be an intriguing team to watch.
Los Angeles Kings:
The boys are back in Tinsel Town and with the delay in the start to the season, there should be zero evidence of a Cup hangover. Hard to explain that a team that finished 8th in the conference last year with no major changes is a good bet as Stanley Cup champs this year, but we all know the struggles they had throughout the season and how they improved at the trade deadline and how most of those issues are non-factors this time around. Now, it's just a matter of not getting hurt and recreating the magic they had last March, April, May and June.
Phoenix Coyotes:
They outperformed expectations last season making it to the Western Conference Final, but they've had some significant losses in their lineup this off season. The good news is that GM Don Maloney knows how to work a shoestring budget and head coach Dave Tippett knows how to get the most from those players and find team success with some hard-nosed, defensive hockey. They might not win every game, but they will make opponents earn every point, which makes them one of my favorite teams to watch.
San Jose Sharks:
The clock is ticking for this group and it will get louder and louder with each passing game. This is a team built for success and while they've won a lot of hockey games including some that matter, they've not been able to jump the final hurdle to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Is this the year they finally put it all together? That is really the only question facing this team right now. What I like most about their off-season additions is that they're rooted in grit and stability and while they might not statistically add to the offense, their presence will most certainly be felt and have a positive ripple effect throughout the lineup.
Tomorrow, I'll take a look at some of the rookies with college experience that are poised to make an impact this season.
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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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