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Sylvanfan · 12-27-2007, 03:08 PM

1.)Blackhawks
Ask Hawks GM Dan Julien if he'd like that Luongo and Perry for Vanek and Miller deal back. I think he'd say no as the Hawks are currently on a CPHL high 12 game win streak that has them 2nd overall, 3 points behind Atlanta with a game in hand. More impressively they're 9 points clear of anyone else in the Howe. If the Hawks play .500 hockey in their last 44 games any Howe team on their current pace wouldn't be able to catch them.

Forsberg's 51 points leads the Hawks while Sim god Anson Carter has 44. Ribiero, Cheechoo, and Perry also have 34 or more points to date. Kim Jonsson leads the blue liners with 28. Paul Kariya rec ently came over and the Hawks hope he'll find his groove here down the stretch. The aforementioned Luongo is much improved as a Hawk and Cujo has come in and give him good backup tending.

The Hawks are taking a shot as they have a big payroll and a few vets on their last days. They're rolling and unless they collapse they won't be caught.

2.)Los Angeles Kings
After building for 4 years the Kings have arrived and are looking at a second straight playoff appearance as a top end team. After a hot start the team has been pretty mediocre of late with long winning and losing streaks.

Hartnell somehow leads this team in scoring with 25 goals and 52 points...Kovalchuk only has 19 goals and 44 points, and Briere with 12 and 35. So in the end I guess things balance out. Depth is a strength as 8 players have 28 or more points and Havlat if healthy would be in the mix too. Jarret I really am not a defenceman Stoll leads the backend while Meszaros and Liles also have passed 20 points. Phaneuf sucks...only 18 points, he should get traded. Jr. Thomas had been a work horse, but over use is starting to show and he's broke down a bit. Recently out the backups have been unable to do much to win any games.

Kings are a solid squad with a lot of good pieces, and more coming in the pipeline. GM Angelino generally will not make a deal unless it's majorly slanted in his favor so it will be interesting to see if he can find any suckers to help him improve his club down the stretch.

3.)Coyotes
The Coyotes have had a good run lately and find themselves tied in points with the Kings and well inside the playoff picture. Good special teams, team discipline and strong team defence have allowed this team to be successful to date.

Prospal leads the offence with 42 points and Rucinsky's 18 goals top the team. Handzus (NHL Kings wish) along with Langenbrunner and newly acquired Sakic have 30 points. Kuba leads the backend with 25 points and 3 other players have contributed 20 or more points. Vesa Toskala has been solid in net with a 18-12-3 record, 2.74 GAA & 903 Sv%. Yan Danis had a hot start but has come back to earth lately, still for him to have a winning record is a big bonus.

The Coyotes don't scare many on paper, but they have chemistry and not much for competition in the conference. They should make the playoffs, and could finish anywhere from 2nd to 8th. Smart money probably has them in the top 5 teams.

4.)Edmonton Oilers
After a hiatus of two plus years Icarus has returned and has his new team the Oilers in 4th spot. It's been a struggle to get the team to perform up to their potenital but the team is making progress. They've been able to move from out of the picture to a spot where they're not 7 points clear of 9th place.

Vincent Lecavalier leads a criminally talented group of forwards with 47 points. Seriously Lecavalier, Iginla, Zetterberg probably rate on anyones top 5 forwards in the NHL and are all top 10. Than add in guys like Alfredsson, Bergeron, and Gagne and it's puzzling that the Oilers aren't scoring 5 goals a game. Perhaps some of this offensive power needs to be moved for some defenceman to get them the puck. Craif Rivet's 20 points top the squad. Martin Broduer is struggling early on with a GAA around 3 and a .885 sv %. If he can get his game in form along with some others...Look out!

The Oilers as mentioned above are criminally talented, but they may need to be tweaked to get some balance between F and D. With an 86 million payroll some key pending FA's and only 3 million extra secured for next year. It's win today mode in Edmonton, the team has the talent to be able to win this conference and to win the Stanley Cup.

5.)Wild
Well GM Farhall, may not have a girlfriend yet...but he's become a workaholic so maybe that's what slowed down the Wild. Underachievers as the defending Champs the Wild still are only 2 points out of 2nd in the conference despite a sluggish offence. But 13 points in the last 10 has moved them forward and allowed them to gain on everyone but the Hawks and Coyotes.

Saku's 33 points leads what looks like a stacked roster. Sundin, Malkin, and Zhitnik have all topped the 30 point mark. But 9 other players have 20 points and Lukowich at 19 makes that 15 guys contributing offensively. Tomas Vokun has played well since coming over from Nashville, and Backstrom has decent numbers but a mediocre record. The team has 9 really talented forwards and a good defence. But like the Oilers just don't seem to be running at peak effieciency.

The Wild won't miss the playoffs. In fact it's hard to imagine them not improving. But unless they pick up the pace they won't have a top 2 seed and will face a tough road to reapeat as Cup Champs.

6.)Avanlanche
After a surprise showing last year this years Ave's are also performing at a rate the likely exceeds pre-season expectations. 6-3-1 in their past 10 has allowed them to move up and put some space between themselves and 9th place.

Sturm, Sykora, and Modin lead the team offensively with 35, 34 and 32 points. Sturm and Sykora both have 16 goals while Modina, Vrbata, and Brylin have eclipsed double digits. 8 Avanlanche players have 20 or more points and Brisebois is the only defenceman in that group with 20 so the team relies on it's goaltending to get them by. Cristobal Huet is having another great year with 18 wins, a 2.88 GAA and a .902 Sv%. His backup Bacashihua has a good GAA and Sv.% but his record is only 2-4-1. Given the minutes he plays Huet is every bit a MVP candidate.

The Aves likely would get burried in the Gretzky, but in the Howe...they're no worse than the other guy. So it's very likley they can still make the playoffs. From 6 to 11 or 12 this conference could end up very cluttered.

7.)Flames
Early on Miikka Kiprusoff looked super human with a GAA just above 2 and Sv.% way above his counterparts. The Flames lead their division and were top 3 in the conference. But a recent skid or perhaps dose of reality has seen them go 2-6 in their last 8 and fall down to 7th, 2 points up on 9th.

Glen Murray isn't the Sim god he once was, but 18 goals and 45 points has him leading the Flames. Kovalev, Geurin and the up and coming Sharp also have 30 or more points. 9 players have 20 or more points. Kiprusoff still is among the leaders in GAA and Sv% and his 17-9-3 record is fantastic. But his backup is now Justin Pogge who is lowly rated, and highly inexperienced. The Flames will need him to grossly overachieve or figure out how to get someone else to give Kiprusoff a rest. The Sim won't let him play 80 games like Mike Keenan will.

The Flames rely on their top guys to carry the mail. Their depth is suspect and they're not exactly young or oozing talent. But they've hung in there so far and have likley outperformed preseason expectations. Theres enough guys here that if they keep playing well and Kiprusoff can duplicate his first half they'll stay in the mix and could finish in the top 8.

8.)Blues
Only in the Howe could a 4-5-1 recod in your last 10 move you back into playoff position and let you catch another team in front of you. Pretty much the same story in St.Louis as the past 2 years where the team could be really good, but is fighting to be a bottom level playoff team.

Crosby is having an okay year with 43 points but by his standards that has to be disappointing. Kessel has been solid with 35 points and a +17 rating. Eaves, Tucker, and Rolston also have 30+ points while Rozsival and Arnason sit on 29. Sugar Ray Emery has not really delivered in goal as his 15-17-1 record and .881 sv % don't cut it. Especially since he was the main piece coming back in a deal where Ovechkin was sent out of town.

The Blues are another beneficiary of a mediocre Howe Conference. They can make the playoffs here as they've played far from their best hockey but are still in the picture. But they always seem to be the team that gets outdone at the deadline and ends up just on the outside. Can they reverse that trend this year and get on the right side of the top 8.

12-27-2007, 03:08 PM	#1
Sylvanfan Appealing my suspension Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Just outside Enemy Lines Exp:	Howe Midseason Report 1.)Blackhawks Ask Hawks GM Dan Julien if he'd like that Luongo and Perry for Vanek and Miller deal back. I think he'd say no as the Hawks are currently on a CPHL high 12 game win streak that has them 2nd overall, 3 points behind Atlanta with a game in hand. More impressively they're 9 points clear of anyone else in the Howe. If the Hawks play .500 hockey in their last 44 games any Howe team on their current pace wouldn't be able to catch them. Forsberg's 51 points leads the Hawks while Sim god Anson Carter has 44. Ribiero, Cheechoo, and Perry also have 34 or more points to date. Kim Jonsson leads the blue liners with 28. Paul Kariya rec ently came over and the Hawks hope he'll find his groove here down the stretch. The aforementioned Luongo is much improved as a Hawk and Cujo has come in and give him good backup tending. The Hawks are taking a shot as they have a big payroll and a few vets on their last days. They're rolling and unless they collapse they won't be caught. 2.)Los Angeles Kings After building for 4 years the Kings have arrived and are looking at a second straight playoff appearance as a top end team. After a hot start the team has been pretty mediocre of late with long winning and losing streaks. Hartnell somehow leads this team in scoring with 25 goals and 52 points...Kovalchuk only has 19 goals and 44 points, and Briere with 12 and 35. So in the end I guess things balance out. Depth is a strength as 8 players have 28 or more points and Havlat if healthy would be in the mix too. Jarret I really am not a defenceman Stoll leads the backend while Meszaros and Liles also have passed 20 points. Phaneuf sucks...only 18 points, he should get traded. Jr. Thomas had been a work horse, but over use is starting to show and he's broke down a bit. Recently out the backups have been unable to do much to win any games. Kings are a solid squad with a lot of good pieces, and more coming in the pipeline. GM Angelino generally will not make a deal unless it's majorly slanted in his favor so it will be interesting to see if he can find any suckers to help him improve his club down the stretch. 3.)Coyotes The Coyotes have had a good run lately and find themselves tied in points with the Kings and well inside the playoff picture. Good special teams, team discipline and strong team defence have allowed this team to be successful to date. Prospal leads the offence with 42 points and Rucinsky's 18 goals top the team. Handzus (NHL Kings wish) along with Langenbrunner and newly acquired Sakic have 30 points. Kuba leads the backend with 25 points and 3 other players have contributed 20 or more points. Vesa Toskala has been solid in net with a 18-12-3 record, 2.74 GAA & 903 Sv%. Yan Danis had a hot start but has come back to earth lately, still for him to have a winning record is a big bonus. The Coyotes don't scare many on paper, but they have chemistry and not much for competition in the conference. They should make the playoffs, and could finish anywhere from 2nd to 8th. Smart money probably has them in the top 5 teams. 4.)Edmonton Oilers After a hiatus of two plus years Icarus has returned and has his new team the Oilers in 4th spot. It's been a struggle to get the team to perform up to their potenital but the team is making progress. They've been able to move from out of the picture to a spot where they're not 7 points clear of 9th place. Vincent Lecavalier leads a criminally talented group of forwards with 47 points. Seriously Lecavalier, Iginla, Zetterberg probably rate on anyones top 5 forwards in the NHL and are all top 10. Than add in guys like Alfredsson, Bergeron, and Gagne and it's puzzling that the Oilers aren't scoring 5 goals a game. Perhaps some of this offensive power needs to be moved for some defenceman to get them the puck. Craif Rivet's 20 points top the squad. Martin Broduer is struggling early on with a GAA around 3 and a .885 sv %. If he can get his game in form along with some others...Look out! The Oilers as mentioned above are criminally talented, but they may need to be tweaked to get some balance between F and D. With an 86 million payroll some key pending FA's and only 3 million extra secured for next year. It's win today mode in Edmonton, the team has the talent to be able to win this conference and to win the Stanley Cup. 5.)Wild Well GM Farhall, may not have a girlfriend yet...but he's become a workaholic so maybe that's what slowed down the Wild. Underachievers as the defending Champs the Wild still are only 2 points out of 2nd in the conference despite a sluggish offence. But 13 points in the last 10 has moved them forward and allowed them to gain on everyone but the Hawks and Coyotes. Saku's 33 points leads what looks like a stacked roster. Sundin, Malkin, and Zhitnik have all topped the 30 point mark. But 9 other players have 20 points and Lukowich at 19 makes that 15 guys contributing offensively. Tomas Vokun has played well since coming over from Nashville, and Backstrom has decent numbers but a mediocre record. The team has 9 really talented forwards and a good defence. But like the Oilers just don't seem to be running at peak effieciency. The Wild won't miss the playoffs. In fact it's hard to imagine them not improving. But unless they pick up the pace they won't have a top 2 seed and will face a tough road to reapeat as Cup Champs. 6.)Avanlanche After a surprise showing last year this years Ave's are also performing at a rate the likely exceeds pre-season expectations. 6-3-1 in their past 10 has allowed them to move up and put some space between themselves and 9th place. Sturm, Sykora, and Modin lead the team offensively with 35, 34 and 32 points. Sturm and Sykora both have 16 goals while Modina, Vrbata, and Brylin have eclipsed double digits. 8 Avanlanche players have 20 or more points and Brisebois is the only defenceman in that group with 20 so the team relies on it's goaltending to get them by. Cristobal Huet is having another great year with 18 wins, a 2.88 GAA and a .902 Sv%. His backup Bacashihua has a good GAA and Sv.% but his record is only 2-4-1. Given the minutes he plays Huet is every bit a MVP candidate. The Aves likely would get burried in the Gretzky, but in the Howe...they're no worse than the other guy. So it's very likley they can still make the playoffs. From 6 to 11 or 12 this conference could end up very cluttered. 7.)Flames Early on Miikka Kiprusoff looked super human with a GAA just above 2 and Sv.% way above his counterparts. The Flames lead their division and were top 3 in the conference. But a recent skid or perhaps dose of reality has seen them go 2-6 in their last 8 and fall down to 7th, 2 points up on 9th. Glen Murray isn't the Sim god he once was, but 18 goals and 45 points has him leading the Flames. Kovalev, Geurin and the up and coming Sharp also have 30 or more points. 9 players have 20 or more points. Kiprusoff still is among the leaders in GAA and Sv% and his 17-9-3 record is fantastic. But his backup is now Justin Pogge who is lowly rated, and highly inexperienced. The Flames will need him to grossly overachieve or figure out how to get someone else to give Kiprusoff a rest. The Sim won't let him play 80 games like Mike Keenan will. The Flames rely on their top guys to carry the mail. Their depth is suspect and they're not exactly young or oozing talent. But they've hung in there so far and have likley outperformed preseason expectations. Theres enough guys here that if they keep playing well and Kiprusoff can duplicate his first half they'll stay in the mix and could finish in the top 8. 8.)Blues Only in the Howe could a 4-5-1 recod in your last 10 move you back into playoff position and let you catch another team in front of you. Pretty much the same story in St.Louis as the past 2 years where the team could be really good, but is fighting to be a bottom level playoff team. Crosby is having an okay year with 43 points but by his standards that has to be disappointing. Kessel has been solid with 35 points and a +17 rating. Eaves, Tucker, and Rolston also have 30+ points while Rozsival and Arnason sit on 29. Sugar Ray Emery has not really delivered in goal as his 15-17-1 record and .881 sv % don't cut it. Especially since he was the main piece coming back in a deal where Ovechkin was sent out of town. The Blues are another beneficiary of a mediocre Howe Conference. They can make the playoffs here as they've played far from their best hockey but are still in the picture. But they always seem to be the team that gets outdone at the deadline and ends up just on the outside. Can they reverse that trend this year and get on the right side of the top 8.