I know...nobody cares...but I do...and I'll feel better just making this.
So get over yourselves and care about a sport that deserves it. I mean, what else are you going to do once football is over? The Nets suck, and no other team in the MLB has enough players to participate in the upcoming season, considering the Yankees already paid everybody to play for them.
We'll do it in order of the current standings.
Template is as follows...
(Divisonal Rank). Team (Conference Rank)
-stuff
LET'S GO!
1. Boston Bruins (1st)
-You can not give this team enough credit. They rank third in goals for per game (3.51) and first in goals against per game (2.09). Their powerplay and penalty kill both rank in the top 10. Top-line center Marc Savard not only ranks 5th in the league in points but 1st in +/-.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is their youth. Just look at the tables I've created for some of their younger players below:
David Krejci, C
| Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
| 2007-08 | 56 | 6 | 21 | 27 | -3 |
| 2008-09 | 45 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 25 |
Phil Kessel, C
| Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
| 2007-08 | 82 | 19 | 18 | 37 | -6 |
| 2008-09 | 42 | 24 | 17 | 41 | 17 |
Milan Lucic, LW
| Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- |
| 2007-08 | 77 | 8 | 19 | 27 | -2 |
| 2008-09 | 40 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 16 |
That's not to knock on the defense or anything. Skating tower Zdeno Chara (6'9", 255) is moving right along at his usual pace (26 points in 45 games), while the goaltending tandem of Tim Thomas and Manny Fernandez have maintained fantastic numbers (combined .932 save percentage and 2.04 goals against average).
Final grade? A+
2. Montreal Canadiens (4th)
-You won't see many flashy tables for this team because right now they don't deserve them. Virtually every player has been underachieving so far and it disgusts me. The only people I'm not mad at are defenseman Andrei Markov (35 points in 44 games) and goalie Carey Price (.921 save percentage, 2.30 goals against average). Since I'm nice, throw in center Saku Koivu (22 points in 28 games), who was moving along at his usual pace until he got injured. The next closest player to point per game pace is center Robert Lang (36 points in 44 games). Sure, Koivu and Alex Tanguay are hurt, but...come on. Then again, it's not like they can call this guy up from the minors:
Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting everybody to score 100 goals. But I was hoping for a little better than this. Regardless, there is hope. Guys like Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn are starting to heat up. This forward corps has the potential to be a machine; once they get it going, expect them to become a force. It's probable they'll make a blockbuster deal or two at the trade deadline. After all, it is the team's 100th anniversary; expect them to go all out to ensure the Cup finds a home in Montreal.
Oh, and Mike Komisarek is a starter at the All-Star game. Don't get me wrong, he's a great shutdown defenseman. But last year's All-Star game had a final score of 8-7. It's just not his place.
Then again, this year's game is in Montreal, so hometown favoritism all the way!
Grade: B-. Better become at least an A- by the end of the year.
3. Buffalo Sabres (7th)
-First off, I'd like to give a quick shout to Sabres goalie Ryan Miller. His Goals Against Average, which I will now refer to as GAA, has gone down from last season (2.64 to 2.50) while his Save Percentage, which I will now refer to as Sv% has gone up (.906 to .918). Prior to this season, there were a decent amount of questions as to just how good this guy really is. We knew he could react quickly: this year, he's stealing games too.
Now for the bad. There is no punishing defenseman on this blue line. The closest it gets is captain Craig Rivet, who has already missed a chunk of time with an injury. After shipping Brian Campbell at the trade deadline last year, there has been no major offensive threat. Sure, Jaroslav Spacek is putting up numbers (22 points in 45 games), but that puts him on pace for 40 points this season. Campbell is on pace for 57. Factor in that Spacek doesn't usually like to play a full season (has only played 70 games or more 4 times over 9 seasons), and you can see there's quite a dropoff.
The offense isn't much better. It's deep, but in the bad way; most of the players will put up similar numbers, and they won't be dazzling. Expect right wing Jason Pominville and center Derek Roy to heat up after the All-Star Break. Just look at last year: they put up 42 and 44 points in 34 games, respectively. Left wing Thomas Vanek is on pace for a career high of about 50 goals, and former 1st round pick Drew Stafford is heating up as of late. Otherwise...one can only hope everybody picks up their play in the second half. This isn't an offense fueled by one superstar: it's a communal effort. At the moment, though, I'm not impressed (18th in the league with 2.76 goals per game).
Grade: C+. If this team is going to make the postseason, they'll need another team that was a "lock" to, well...not be a lock anymore.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (11th)
-Let's give the Leafs some credit. This is a season for reconstruction. Their best player, Mats Sundin, left them so he could go do poker advertisements/sign an obnoxiously large contract with the Vancouver Canucks halfway through the season. However, they've shown one of the most important signings you can make is the one that puts someone behind the bench. Not including this season, Ron Wilson has a career coaching record of 1089-518-426-101 (wins-losses-ties-overtime losses). His postseason record isn't so great, but the Leafs aren't preparing for that just yet. Add that to the hiring of Brian Burke as the general manager, and this team is clearly looking for an overhaul.
Regardless this was a lost season from the start. It's likely right wing Nik Antropov will be shipped at the deadline, considering a) Burke doesn't exactly love Russians on his team, and b) he's only decent, and could be a useful addition to a team looking for size. Goalie Vesa Toskala has, to put it nicely, underperformed (3.34 GAA and .883 Sv%). Occasionally, the team excels with Wilson's system, as evidenced by their 3-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champions the Detroit Red Wings in the season opener. Most of the time, however, this team lives up to the billing. And it's not good.
Grade: B+. This isn't a season where they expect to make the playoffs. If I was Brian Burke, I'd host a fire sale and tank the season so I could go for a higher pick. Either way, this team had it's expectations set low, so let's give them a round of applause.
5. Ottawa Senators (13th)
-I will start positive. Defenseman Filip Kuba, acquired in the offseason (along with Alexandre Picard and a first round draft pick) in exchange for Andrej Meszaros, has 24 points in 35 games. That's pretty impressive for a guy with a career high of 37: he's on pace for about 50.
Now for the bad. This team has been in a slide since last season, and they can't shake it. If you told me they made the Stanley Cup Finals two seasons ago, I wouldn't believe you. This was a team that used to be known for its offense: this year they rank 28th in goals per game. Last year they were labeled as a "one line offense", with the focus being on Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, and Daniel Alfredsson. They're not even that this year. The past 3 years, Heatley has scored 50 goals twice and 41 once more. This year he will most likely not eclipse 40. Alfredsson, the team captain, is slumping in a similar fashion.
And center Jason Spezza? One of the most frustrating players to watch. He's been inconsistent at best, and has tried too hard this season to make the difficult/pretty plays. The word that best describes his play, along with the rest of the team, is probably "disinterested".
The goaltending isn't much better. Martin Gerber came into the season as the supposed starter, but that didn't last very long. Next, he was outplayed by Alex Auld, of all people. Of course, it wasn't too long until he came back to earth. Now youngster Brian Elliot currently has the job, and he hasn't been playing too bad. It's just that the team in front of him can't score.
Grade: F-. That becomes a D if they can manage to shed salary and ship a few contracts. Talk about a disappointment. Redemption for this team will not come this season.
FINAL STUFF
Don't expect these standings to change much. Each team is playing on completely different levels. Thankfully, there are some pretty intense rivalries that still exist.
and please, people, and least click the Brian Burke link.
-brett
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