HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Thinking Pacific

1. Anaheim
2. San Jose
3. LA
4. Edmonton
5. Vancouver
6. Phoenix
7. Calgary

HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Thinking Pacific
- Travis.Yost

1. Anaheim
2. Los Angeles
3. Edmonton
4. San Jose
5. Vancouver
6. Calgary
7. Arizona

James Tanner us gonna kill you. Don't you know Mikael Boedker is a budding 40G scorer and OEL is gonna be nothing short of Nick Lidstrom next year? But wait, they lost their #1 C and #1 goal scorer and replaced them with Sam Gagner? Obviously a lock for the WCF

LAK will stay in the 3 or 4 seed. Their style won't rack up the points reg season. Expect ANA and SJS to finish ahead just like last year. EDM or VAN sneaks the last spot.

1. ana
2. la
3. edm
4. sj
5. van
6. arz
7. cal

1. Anaheim
2. San Jose
3. LA
4. Edmonton
5. Vancouver
6. Phoenix
7. Calgary
- jtommyt

1. ana
2. la
3. edm
4. sj
5. van
6. arz
7. cal
- bosman

I got to Edm at 3 and stopped reading.

James Tanner us gonna kill you. Don't you know Mikael Boedker is a budding 40G scorer and OEL is gonna be nothing short of Nick Lidstrom next year? But wait, they lost their #1 C and #1 goal scorer and replaced them with Sam Gagner? Obviously a lock for the WCF
- Shaundre93

This! Ain't you guys been listenin'??? Anaheim has NO shot because Kesler isn't going to work out because big player trades never work out EXCEPT for Gagner. That's going to work out great. Arizona will have 130 pts. and win the Pacific going away AND go FO-FO-FO-FO in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

good blog.
pretty much agreed.

the 3 cali teams are in.

and then van with that defence and tending are probably still the 4th strongest team but certainly aren't the same squad they once were. I wouldn't be too shocked if either of pho or edm surpassed them.

kind of a crapshoot for those 4 spots between all of em left.

sj
la
ana
Van
edm
pho
cal

James Tanner us gonna kill you. Don't you know Mikael Boedker is a budding 40G scorer and OEL is gonna be nothing short of Nick Lidstrom next year? But wait, they lost their #1 C and #1 goal scorer and replaced them with Sam Gagner? Obviously a lock for the WCF
- Shaundre93

They'll make it, I promise.

as far as the overall playoff picture, I don't see why minny gets no love.
damn good team. that got better.


there's generally someone who struggles and someone who surprises, so there's that.
but it's gonna be extremely tough for the outsiders to replace one of the top 8 from last season.

maybe Colorado?

Doesn't matter the standings of the regular season. LA will win the Cup

1. Anaheim - Kesler trade will push them ahead of the sharks who havent improved and the kings.
2. San Jose - still able to be ahead of the kings in the reg season.... praying for not another sharks kings first round match up after this years thumping. hopefully a full season from hertl too.
3. LA - way to steady to not make top three, two way play contributions is amazing and doughty is a top 3 defender in the league imo.
4. Edmonton - hoping their bottom two lines pan out, upgrade in net for a full season should help the team. defense will b the only thing keeping them back.
5. Vancouver - team is slipping in all areas imo
6. Calgary - hiller will keep them in games better but not enough to keep them from failing.
7. Phoenix - gd tending, ok defense and no scoring, this team will b bottom 5 in the league.

no disrespect, but San Jose WAS one of the best. No bias, but I think they have been moving in the wrong direction for a while now(or not moving at all), and the window is shut.

no disrespect, but San Jose WAS one of the best. No bias, but I think they have been moving in the wrong direction for a while now(or not moving at all), and the window is shut.
- Deadmau55

well, we're only a few months removed from them having the eventual champs down 3-0. with a few of those wins beat downs.
one can certainly argue some sort of mental breakdown in the playoffs, but no one can question their talent until they actually falter during the regular season.
which still hasn't happened.

an elite team in every sense of the word imo.
not getting it done doesn't really change anything imo. sometimes it just doesn't happen. but they've been a true contender for close to ten years.

well, we're only a few months removed from them having the eventual champs down 3-0. with a few of those wins beat downs.
one can certainly argue some sort of mental breakdown in the playoffs, but no one can question their talent until they actually falter during the regular season.
which still hasn't happened.

an elite team in every sense of the word imo.
not getting it done doesn't really change anything imo. sometimes it just doesn't happen. but they've been a true contender for close to ten years.
- hugefemale dog77

well with Joe and patty halfway out the door? I dont know. Maybe a little premature of a comment on my part. And I do hate them haha. But from a purely hockey standpoint I cant see them being that good this year. Maybe a change in captaincy, a locker room shake up, will get the ball rolling, but so far management has sat on their hands.

well with Joe and patty halfway out the door? I dont know. Maybe a little premature of a comment on my part. And I do hate them haha. But from a purely hockey standpoint I cant see them being that good this year. Maybe a change in captaincy, a locker room shake up, will get the ball rolling, but so far management has sat on their hands.
- Deadmau55

are they halfway out the door though?

these are both still elite players. FACT.

until theyre actually moved, it is a bit premature to write them off imo.
thornton is still one of the best pure passers in the game and patty is one the best players off the rush around. with a lethal shot.

if they get moved, im with ya. if they remain sharks, id be shocked if they missed the playoffs

LA
ana
SJ
VAN
ARZ
EDM
CGY

Top 3 can really finish in any order IMO though. A few streaks of wins/losses can really make or break any teams seasons... I'll take a cup banner over the division title any day, as any fan would...But in my bias opinion though, I chose LA to be on top.

LA
ANA
SJ
VAN
EDM
ARZ
CGY

I got to Edm at 3 and stopped reading.
- Beatle_john

Agreed. No way we have a better regular season than the Sharks.

are they halfway out the door though?

these are both still elite players. FACT.

until theyre actually moved, it is a bit premature to write them off imo.
thornton is still one of the best pure passers in the game and patty is one the best players off the rush around. with a lethal shot.

if they get moved, im with ya. if they remain sharks, id be shocked if they missed the playoffs
- hugefemale dog77

Armstrong is full of poop. Those guys go nowhere. I think he blew a spaz after the playoff's and his owner stepped in.

Armstrong is full of Sh!t. Those guys go nowhere. I think he blew a spaz after the playoff's and his owner stepped in.
- Jeropotato

Who wouldn't?

Now I have seen my share fair of 4 game sweeps ( ), but going out the way the Sharks did this past playoffs is a hell of alot more physically and mentally draining.

Agreed. No way we have a better regular season than the Sharks.
- Jeropotato

wow non-oiler fans are optimistic about their season. I'm expecting the 5 or 6 slot, but know it's possible they'll tank like this year

wow non-oiler fans are optimistic about their season. I'm expecting the 5 or 6 slot, but know it's possible they'll tank like this year
- TheNugeIsHuge

Reminds me of the lockout shortened year, non-Oiler fans loved picking them to finish 7th or 8th that year, however almost all realistic Oiler fans weren't predicting a playoff spot.