Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Halfway home, CPHL midseason report Gretzky

Sylvanfan · 12-27-2007, 12:41 PM

9.)Sabres

Well once again the Sabres find themselves battling for the 8th playoff spot in the Gretzky (They're the Oilers of the CPHL!). With a 6-2-1 record in their last 9 they've made a charge at the Flyers, Nords, and Sens and are tied in points with Philly, and 1 back of the Sens and Nords.

Wolski and Chunks Penner lead the attack with 37 points each. Smyth has also surpassed 30 points. The attack is forward driven as the top 9 scorers are all forwards with Beauchemin being the only rear guard among the teams top 12 scorers. Giguere has given the team good goal tending with a 2.76 GAA and .900 Sv %. His backups combined are 3-6-1 with a 4.10 and .858 Sv.%. That indicates Gigueres importance to this team.

The Sabres should be a cusp team to the end as they should be able to chase down the Sens and Nords. But can the hold off the Pens and Rangers? It will be another nerve racking finish for the Sabres as the Gretzky could have as many as 14 teams bidding for a playoff spot.

10.)Rangers
Well for the first time since he's been GM Flambers Rangers are in danger of missing the post season. Although the Rangers still have half a season to figure out how to make up the 2 points they need to vault them into the picture. But a medicore 3-4-3 last 10 has allowed them to keep pace with the pack in front...but now make up ground.

Brunette is the Rangers leading with 24 goals and 49 points thus far. The always enigmatic Naslund is at 40 and Malone, Pisani, Jason Williams, have all passed 30 points. Mara, Skoula, and Backman all have 20+ points on the backend. The duo of Gerber and Osgood haven't quite matched their NHL likeness' as Osgood is only 5-6 with a GAA just under 4.

The Rangers are another team who'll be in for an exciting finish. they'll certainly be in the top 10 and can they find a way to get into the coveted top 8? Flambers teams generally play better in the second half, so I wouldn't bet against him getting in. In fact...if the past is used as an indicator he might get them into the top half by game 86.

11.)Penguins
Last years Gretzky Champs are probably the most confusing CPHL team to date. Despite a plethora of talent, the team has spun it's wheels all year long. Winning streaks followed by losing skids and no signs of consistency have the highly touted Pens 3 points on the outside.

Joe Thornton has been great with 62 points and a CPHL record 6 goal game to his credit. Olli Jokinen, Spezza, and Hemsky have all contributed 40 plus points on offence. But Scott Gomez is underachieving and the teams goaltending has been suspect. Luongo and Garon both were terrible before being sent out of town and Lehtonen and Niittymaki haven't been good enough to pull the team back in to it.

The Pens still seem too talented to miss out on the playoffs while teams like Quebec and Ottawa get in. But the problem here is that Buffalo and the Rangers are still ahead of them too. Talent wise the Pens should be in it, but they can't get it together. They've even been active trying to get things going, but so far coming up empty. No doubt GM Goffie will prod this group till the bitter end trying to get the into the top 8.

12.)Islanders
GM Noobs quest to finally get the Isles into the playoffs isn't looking so good at midseason. A recent 3-7 skid has seen the Isles fall out of the top 8. Grouped with some tough competition the Islanders are in a dog fight that should go for another 40+ games.

Demitra leads the group with 48 points, while Jagr with 43 and Semin at 40 also contribute offensively. Nik Lidstrom has put up 18 points in 21 games on the Island but is well behind his usual point pace to date. Former Sim God Samsonov has caught a case of my NHL self suck's-itis and has come back to earth a bit (although way ahead of his NHL self..) with only 29 points and a -15. Cam Ward has had to carry the load and after a strong start has leveled off. Backup Johan Hedberg has sucked when played.

The Islanders are looking like it could be 4 straight years out of the playoffs. The team is improved but the rest of the conference is still pretty strong. The Isles will need their key guys to keep performing and their goaltending to improve if they want to get to the dance.

13.)Canadiens
At 43 points in 43 games the Habs are a .500 squad. In the Gretzky, that puts you 13th in the conference! They continue to stay close, but just can't seem to get going to move up, and make up any ground.

Uberstar Ovechkin leads this group with 45 points and Matt Lombardi's 19 goals set the pace in that department. Lehtonen, Plekanic, and Fedorov also have 30 or more points. Ehrhoff has 11 goals from the backend, and Martin, and Jason Smith both have 20+ points too. In nets Raycroft and Bryzgalov have given the team below average goaltending and Bryzgalov in particular hasn't been good enough as the second half of the tandem.

The Habs are behind the 8 ball and are playing catch up. With their goaltending they'll be in tough to put together the winning streaks required to make up ground on this many teams.

14.)Hurricanes
After a tough offseason that saw a lot of change the Canes have been forced into rebuild mode. After some deals the team found itself still contending for the 8th spot, but a recent swoon has left them 6 points back and in a tough spot.

To no ones surprise Heatley leads this grop with 18 goals and 39 points. He's the only season long Cane to put up more than 10 goals and 30 points. Weiss who recently came over has 15 goals and 34 points. Madden, Hill, and Boyes all have 26-28 points. Pascal Lecaire has performed admirably with a 2.9 GAA and .893 Sv% in 19 games since being acquired. Craig Anderson too has been good in limited action with a 5-1-1 record 2.51 GAA and .907 Sv%.

The Canes are rebuilding and will be in tough to improve their current standing. The team gives a good effort, but needs some time for a few of the younger guys to grow and bring the Canes back into the playoff picture. They likely won't be their this year, but they'll be back sooner than later with a lot of good pieces in place.

15.)Devils
After a promising start things have become pretty tough for the Devils. Mired in a bit of a slump the team is 10 points out of the playoffs and 4 back of the closest team in front of them. Recent moves suggest that the team is looking to get the pieces in place to get into the playoff mix next year.

Veterans Weight and Stumpel lead the offence with 37 points while young contributors Kesler, Wellwood, and Stastny all sit on 29 points. Top scoring defenceman Ohlund was just traded to San Jose leavig Sean O'Donnel as the top scoring rear guard. In net the recently moved Ed Belfour gave a valliant effort but was unable to keep the team in the picture. Peter Budaj and Josh Harding now look to be the tandem for the forseeable future, although one may be used as trade bait come offseason.

The Devils are still suffering from a few years of bad management and multiple GM turn over. There is some good pieces in place but GM Antithesis will need to make a few moves to mould them into a playoff calibre squad.

16.)Lightning
Well after going from last in the conference to making the playoffs and giving the Panthers a 7 game scare the Lightning are back in the basement. Trying to beef up for a playoff run left GM Droopy in a position where he opted to start the rebuild before the season began. The Lightning are 3 points up on the Jets in the basement battle and are on pace to tie the CPHL futility record of the 03-04 Panthers.

Things are bad when Pavel Vorobiev and his 22 points lead you in scoring half way through the year. Boyd Gordon and Gleason have hit 20 points and the next guy is O'Sullivan at 15. It's hard to judge Marc Denis and Mike Smith's numbers due to the team in front but Denis is likely not going to be in the Lightning cage next year.

Being 18 points back of the Devils and 10 points back of the closest team in front of them pretty much seasl the Lightning to be 31 or 32 in the OV standings. The Lightnings future will depend on the offseason. The team has several young inexpensive players on the upswing and should have 35 million or so for upgrades. Things are bleak today, but they're positioned to make a fast comeback.

12-27-2007, 12:41 PM	#2
Sylvanfan Appealing my suspension Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Just outside Enemy Lines Exp:	9.)Sabres Well once again the Sabres find themselves battling for the 8th playoff spot in the Gretzky (They're the Oilers of the CPHL!). With a 6-2-1 record in their last 9 they've made a charge at the Flyers, Nords, and Sens and are tied in points with Philly, and 1 back of the Sens and Nords. Wolski and Chunks Penner lead the attack with 37 points each. Smyth has also surpassed 30 points. The attack is forward driven as the top 9 scorers are all forwards with Beauchemin being the only rear guard among the teams top 12 scorers. Giguere has given the team good goal tending with a 2.76 GAA and .900 Sv %. His backups combined are 3-6-1 with a 4.10 and .858 Sv.%. That indicates Gigueres importance to this team. The Sabres should be a cusp team to the end as they should be able to chase down the Sens and Nords. But can the hold off the Pens and Rangers? It will be another nerve racking finish for the Sabres as the Gretzky could have as many as 14 teams bidding for a playoff spot. 10.)Rangers Well for the first time since he's been GM Flambers Rangers are in danger of missing the post season. Although the Rangers still have half a season to figure out how to make up the 2 points they need to vault them into the picture. But a medicore 3-4-3 last 10 has allowed them to keep pace with the pack in front...but now make up ground. Brunette is the Rangers leading with 24 goals and 49 points thus far. The always enigmatic Naslund is at 40 and Malone, Pisani, Jason Williams, have all passed 30 points. Mara, Skoula, and Backman all have 20+ points on the backend. The duo of Gerber and Osgood haven't quite matched their NHL likeness' as Osgood is only 5-6 with a GAA just under 4. The Rangers are another team who'll be in for an exciting finish. they'll certainly be in the top 10 and can they find a way to get into the coveted top 8? Flambers teams generally play better in the second half, so I wouldn't bet against him getting in. In fact...if the past is used as an indicator he might get them into the top half by game 86. 11.)Penguins Last years Gretzky Champs are probably the most confusing CPHL team to date. Despite a plethora of talent, the team has spun it's wheels all year long. Winning streaks followed by losing skids and no signs of consistency have the highly touted Pens 3 points on the outside. Joe Thornton has been great with 62 points and a CPHL record 6 goal game to his credit. Olli Jokinen, Spezza, and Hemsky have all contributed 40 plus points on offence. But Scott Gomez is underachieving and the teams goaltending has been suspect. Luongo and Garon both were terrible before being sent out of town and Lehtonen and Niittymaki haven't been good enough to pull the team back in to it. The Pens still seem too talented to miss out on the playoffs while teams like Quebec and Ottawa get in. But the problem here is that Buffalo and the Rangers are still ahead of them too. Talent wise the Pens should be in it, but they can't get it together. They've even been active trying to get things going, but so far coming up empty. No doubt GM Goffie will prod this group till the bitter end trying to get the into the top 8. 12.)Islanders GM Noobs quest to finally get the Isles into the playoffs isn't looking so good at midseason. A recent 3-7 skid has seen the Isles fall out of the top 8. Grouped with some tough competition the Islanders are in a dog fight that should go for another 40+ games. Demitra leads the group with 48 points, while Jagr with 43 and Semin at 40 also contribute offensively. Nik Lidstrom has put up 18 points in 21 games on the Island but is well behind his usual point pace to date. Former Sim God Samsonov has caught a case of my NHL self suck's-itis and has come back to earth a bit (although way ahead of his NHL self..) with only 29 points and a -15. Cam Ward has had to carry the load and after a strong start has leveled off. Backup Johan Hedberg has sucked when played. The Islanders are looking like it could be 4 straight years out of the playoffs. The team is improved but the rest of the conference is still pretty strong. The Isles will need their key guys to keep performing and their goaltending to improve if they want to get to the dance. 13.)Canadiens At 43 points in 43 games the Habs are a .500 squad. In the Gretzky, that puts you 13th in the conference! They continue to stay close, but just can't seem to get going to move up, and make up any ground. Uberstar Ovechkin leads this group with 45 points and Matt Lombardi's 19 goals set the pace in that department. Lehtonen, Plekanic, and Fedorov also have 30 or more points. Ehrhoff has 11 goals from the backend, and Martin, and Jason Smith both have 20+ points too. In nets Raycroft and Bryzgalov have given the team below average goaltending and Bryzgalov in particular hasn't been good enough as the second half of the tandem. The Habs are behind the 8 ball and are playing catch up. With their goaltending they'll be in tough to put together the winning streaks required to make up ground on this many teams. 14.)Hurricanes After a tough offseason that saw a lot of change the Canes have been forced into rebuild mode. After some deals the team found itself still contending for the 8th spot, but a recent swoon has left them 6 points back and in a tough spot. To no ones surprise Heatley leads this grop with 18 goals and 39 points. He's the only season long Cane to put up more than 10 goals and 30 points. Weiss who recently came over has 15 goals and 34 points. Madden, Hill, and Boyes all have 26-28 points. Pascal Lecaire has performed admirably with a 2.9 GAA and .893 Sv% in 19 games since being acquired. Craig Anderson too has been good in limited action with a 5-1-1 record 2.51 GAA and .907 Sv%. The Canes are rebuilding and will be in tough to improve their current standing. The team gives a good effort, but needs some time for a few of the younger guys to grow and bring the Canes back into the playoff picture. They likely won't be their this year, but they'll be back sooner than later with a lot of good pieces in place. 15.)Devils After a promising start things have become pretty tough for the Devils. Mired in a bit of a slump the team is 10 points out of the playoffs and 4 back of the closest team in front of them. Recent moves suggest that the team is looking to get the pieces in place to get into the playoff mix next year. Veterans Weight and Stumpel lead the offence with 37 points while young contributors Kesler, Wellwood, and Stastny all sit on 29 points. Top scoring defenceman Ohlund was just traded to San Jose leavig Sean O'Donnel as the top scoring rear guard. In net the recently moved Ed Belfour gave a valliant effort but was unable to keep the team in the picture. Peter Budaj and Josh Harding now look to be the tandem for the forseeable future, although one may be used as trade bait come offseason. The Devils are still suffering from a few years of bad management and multiple GM turn over. There is some good pieces in place but GM Antithesis will need to make a few moves to mould them into a playoff calibre squad. 16.)Lightning Well after going from last in the conference to making the playoffs and giving the Panthers a 7 game scare the Lightning are back in the basement. Trying to beef up for a playoff run left GM Droopy in a position where he opted to start the rebuild before the season began. The Lightning are 3 points up on the Jets in the basement battle and are on pace to tie the CPHL futility record of the 03-04 Panthers. Things are bad when Pavel Vorobiev and his 22 points lead you in scoring half way through the year. Boyd Gordon and Gleason have hit 20 points and the next guy is O'Sullivan at 15. It's hard to judge Marc Denis and Mike Smith's numbers due to the team in front but Denis is likely not going to be in the Lightning cage next year. Being 18 points back of the Devils and 10 points back of the closest team in front of them pretty much seasl the Lightning to be 31 or 32 in the OV standings. The Lightnings future will depend on the offseason. The team has several young inexpensive players on the upswing and should have 35 million or so for upgrades. Things are bleak today, but they're positioned to make a fast comeback. Last edited by Sylvanfan; 12-27-2007 at 01:43 PM.