The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games are fast approaching. I figured it wasn't too soon to preview our men's hockey team, and offer up my opinion on who I'd pick to play on the team. That is if they let NHL players participate, but that's another issue entirely which we won't discuss, yet.
Forwards:
-Sidney Crosby(C) (Pittsburgh Penguins): Give him the "C" already. He deserves it.
-Claude Giroux (Philadelphia Flyers): Sid's new rival in the NHL will be his teammate at the Olympics.
-Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning): A natural center, but would fit nicely on the wing with Crosby.
-Jordan Ebrele (Edmonton Oilers): Can't say enough about his contributions to Hockey Canada already, it will only continue at the Olympics.
-Mike Richards (Los Angeles Kings): Plain and simple, Mike Richards is a winner.
-Jonathan Toews(A) (Chicago Blackhawks): Captain serious will be counted on for just about everything in 2014 for Canada.
-Rick Nash (New York Rangers): Showed some nice chemistry with Toews and Richards in 2010. Expect to see them together again in 2014.
-Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks): He may not be in his 50 goal scorer form anymore, but he'll add some size to this stacked lineup.
-Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricaines): Hasn't had a season with less than 70 points.
-Jon Tavares(New York Islanders): Like Ebs, he's made a huge impact for Canada at the Junior level.
-Logan Couture(San Jose Sharks): The future of the San Jose Sharks. Will most likely fill the 4th line center duties for Canada.
-Taylor Hall (Edmonton Oilers): His speed is impressive in the NHL. It will be doubly effective in the big ice.
-Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins): Is my pick for 13th forward. Will take important faceoffs, and most probably kill penalties as well. Similar to his role in Vancouver.
D-Men:
-Shea Weber(A) (Nashville Predators): Will be Canada's top d-man.
-Alex Pietrangelo (St. Louis Blues): One of the brightest young blue liners in the NHL.
-Duncan Keith(A) (Chicago Blackhawks): Will play a key role in both the penalty kill and power play.
-Brent Seabrook (Chicago Blackhawks): Will play alongside Keith as they do in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks.
-Kris Letang (Pittsburgh Penguins): He has become a top d-man in the NHL. Will fit in nicely.
-Drew Doughty (Los Angeles Kings): Played in 2010. Will be back in 2014
-Brian Campbell (Florida Panthers): If he makes the team, I wouldn't expect him to play alot 5 on 5. But he'd anchor the Powerplay nicely.
Goalies:
-Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens): The sole reason Montreal is still a threat in the NHL.
-Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins): Will compete with Price for the starters job.
-Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes): Can steal a game or two when he's on.
Projected Lines: This is merely speculation. The coaches will decide who plays where.
Line #1: Jordan Ebrele Sidney Crosby Steven Stamkos
Line #2: Mike Richards Jonathan Toews Rick Nash
Line #3: Eric Staal Claude Giroux Corey Perry
Line #4: Logan Couture John Tavares Taylor Hall
13th man: Patrice Bergeron
Projected D-Pairings:
Pair #1: Shea Weber Alex Pietrangelo
Pair #2: Duncan Keith Brent Seabrook
Pair #3: Kris Letang Drew Doughty
7th man: Brian Campbell
Goalies:
Starter: Carey Price
Backup: Marc-Andre Fluery
Third: Cam Ward
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
1st Quarter of the Season 3 Stars by Position.
Forwards:
1-Tomas Vanek: Vanek has set himself apart in the early going racking up a monsterous 23 points in 12 games thus far. 11 goals and 12 assists is a pretty solid ratio! Best Forward this far.
2-Patrick Kane: 21 points thus far for the Buffalo native. Leading his Chicago BlackHawks to an unblemished regulation record.
3-Sidney Crosby: Tied with Kane at 21 points, Sid the Kid is once again showing all of us why he is the best hockey player in the world. Pittsburgh is a team that knows how to win, and that won't change any time soon with Crosby around.
D-Men:
1-Kevin Shattenkirk: While he may be over-looked at times due the the fact of having Peitrangelo on the St. Louis d-core, Shattenkirk is leading all defensemen in scoring with 14 points, a lead which he took from Winnipeg's Tobias Enstrom tonight.
2-Erik Karlsson: It's never good for the league when they lose a player as excited and talented as this. But with Karlsson missing the rest of the season with his injury, this is my way of honoring his efforts this far, on what still promises to be a bright career for the young Swede.
3-Tobias Enstrom: The Swede was on fire to begin the year and currently leads the Jets in points with 13. He has also succumbed to an injury recently and with the way he was working offensively, I can speak for all Jets fans in saying we wish him a speedy recovery.
Goalies:
1-Craig Anderson: With a .949 save percentage and a 1.58 GAA there's really no other choice. He sits tied for second in wins behind Carey Price with 7, and will be Ottawa's only hope of making the playoffs without Spezza and Karlsson.
2-Corey Crawford: I wasn't the only one doubting whether or not Crawford could be a #1 goaltender in this league and he's proving us all wrong. 7 wins, .935 save percentage, and a 1.65 GAA are some impressive numbers on an impressive team.
3-Pekka Rinne: He's collected 6 wins this far which is nothing to scoff at. Oh, did I mention 3 of them were shut outs? He currently leads the league in shut outs with 3 and has racked up a .938 save percentage, and a 1.61 GAA.
Top Rookie:
This far it's been Cory Conacher of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's racked up 5 goals and 7 assists so far and leads all rookies in scoring. Vladimir Tarasenko is a close second with 6 goals and 11 points for the Blues.
TWITTER! @burnsy004
1-Tomas Vanek: Vanek has set himself apart in the early going racking up a monsterous 23 points in 12 games thus far. 11 goals and 12 assists is a pretty solid ratio! Best Forward this far.
2-Patrick Kane: 21 points thus far for the Buffalo native. Leading his Chicago BlackHawks to an unblemished regulation record.
3-Sidney Crosby: Tied with Kane at 21 points, Sid the Kid is once again showing all of us why he is the best hockey player in the world. Pittsburgh is a team that knows how to win, and that won't change any time soon with Crosby around.
D-Men:
1-Kevin Shattenkirk: While he may be over-looked at times due the the fact of having Peitrangelo on the St. Louis d-core, Shattenkirk is leading all defensemen in scoring with 14 points, a lead which he took from Winnipeg's Tobias Enstrom tonight.
2-Erik Karlsson: It's never good for the league when they lose a player as excited and talented as this. But with Karlsson missing the rest of the season with his injury, this is my way of honoring his efforts this far, on what still promises to be a bright career for the young Swede.
3-Tobias Enstrom: The Swede was on fire to begin the year and currently leads the Jets in points with 13. He has also succumbed to an injury recently and with the way he was working offensively, I can speak for all Jets fans in saying we wish him a speedy recovery.
Goalies:
1-Craig Anderson: With a .949 save percentage and a 1.58 GAA there's really no other choice. He sits tied for second in wins behind Carey Price with 7, and will be Ottawa's only hope of making the playoffs without Spezza and Karlsson.
2-Corey Crawford: I wasn't the only one doubting whether or not Crawford could be a #1 goaltender in this league and he's proving us all wrong. 7 wins, .935 save percentage, and a 1.65 GAA are some impressive numbers on an impressive team.
3-Pekka Rinne: He's collected 6 wins this far which is nothing to scoff at. Oh, did I mention 3 of them were shut outs? He currently leads the league in shut outs with 3 and has racked up a .938 save percentage, and a 1.61 GAA.
Top Rookie:
This far it's been Cory Conacher of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's racked up 5 goals and 7 assists so far and leads all rookies in scoring. Vladimir Tarasenko is a close second with 6 goals and 11 points for the Blues.
TWITTER! @burnsy004
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A Message to Jets "Fans"
(Before I go on here, I want to make clear that I am not taking a shot at all Jets fans with this piece. Jets fans are amazing. I'm taking a shot at the people who are ready to give up on players when they have one bad game, or even one bad play. The "fans" who think that they know how to run the team better than the professionals who actually do it. This is a challenge to their loyalty to the Jets. Are they really fans? Maybe, or maybe they're just getting worked up over nothing....thanks).
So, I live in Winnipeg, and naturally, I find myself cheering for the Jets on a regular basis.
However, despite their injury plagued blue line, horrid play from their forwards, and less than stellar play from Ondrej Pavelec, there's one thing that is making me more upset than any of that.
And that is some of the "fans". I surround these "fans" in scare quotes because, I'm not so sure they're true fans.
First, it's important to keep in mind we didn't buy an all-star franchise with 50 goal scorers and 100 point getters. We got a team with grinders, who periodically heat up and score some goals every now and then. To be fair to the Jets though, we have potential. Kane, Burmistrov, Schifele, and Trouba could one day be very important players for this team, but they are all still young.
The Jets have said from the get go, they want to be a team who will build and improve though the draft. Meaning, they are not going to come here and become a power house within 2, 3, even maybe upwards of 6 years.
Take a team like Nashville for example. Founded in 1998, didn't even make the playoffs until the 2003 season. And now they're one of the premier franchises in the NHL. They were patient, and they managed their players right. The Jets are trying to do the same. We got a franchise that traded Ilya Kovalchuck, and Marian Hossa. A team that made some horrible draft choices. It's easy to say that the Atlanta Thrashers were a poorly, poorly, horribly, and any other bad descriptive word managed team.
Basically, all this is leading to my message to Jets fans, which is this;
CHILL OUT!
Dustin Byfuglien is fat and out of shape some say, and yes, it's impossible to deny that Buff is on the larger side. But he's our best damn player, and most times, the only one who looks like he wants to score a goal, so leave him alone.
As for Peluso's penalties, I may be one of the few defending the young man. And here is why; Anthony Peluso was brought in so he could fight, and maybe take a bit of that load off of Thorburn's shoulders. Zach Rinaldo (Philly's fighter) knew full well that this was an eager young enforcer from the minors who was looking to go toe to toe with Philly's heavyweight and make a good impression on the fans, hence, Rinaldo goading him into a penalty by making him think he wants to drop the gloves, and skating away. And as for his second penalty, I don't know how with two refs on the ice they missed the hit from behind on Burmi by Rinaldo, but they see the retaliation that happens a split second later. Peluso was right in standing up for his teammate on that one. The refs blew that call, like a few others from last nights game that I won't get into.
Even just listening to the TSN 1290 Post Game show shows me that these so called "jets fans" who call in are throwing this team under the bus even though they are only a season and a quarter into their tenure in Winnipeg. And as I said before, we didn't adopt the Pittsburgh Penguins, we're not an all-star team.
"Trade Tobi Enstrom", one guy said. Yeah, that's a great idea, let's trade the leading scorer on our team, and leading scorer amongst all defensemen in the NHL. I'm not going to sit here and say that Enstrom is as good as Erik Karlsson (of the Ottawa Senators), but when Karlsson had a bad game last year, did the Sens fans scream and cry for him to be traded? No, they didn't.
There's going to be give and take with Tobi Enstrom. He's creative on the offensive side of the puck, and he plays his position well. But if you put a 6'2-6'5 forward up against him, he's going to lose that physical battle. Which is why Big Buff compliments him so well. Basically what I'm saying, is lay off Tobi. Who can we trade him for that would be better than him? Think about it.
The next problem is people saying we need to as one post game show caller put it to "trade Kane and Ladd and get some guys who can score goals". Yeah, that's a great idea. How about we go to Pittsburgh, and say "hey, here's Ladd and Kane, give us Crosby and Malkin". I don't see that going over well with the Pens.
People need to realize that it's not that easy, we can't just trade two of our best players, and expect to get a 40 goal scorer in return. We can, however, get one through the draft, if we pick him, and groom him for the NHL properly. If we get him, then our GM looks amazing, if we don't, then that's on him and our scouts.
Basically, I think people should lay off the trading talks. What good is all this negativity amongst the fans doing for this team? None. It's managing to throw our team under the bus, but that's about it.
I'm not saying fans don't have a reason to be upset, because they do. In a hockey crazed town like this, it's only expected that the fans will be upset if their team is losing. And I wouldn't expect otherwise, because the Jets fans ARE ABSOLUTELY THE MOST DEDICATED FANS IN THE NHL!
It's okay to be upset, because the Jets are struggling, and sometimes, they are the most frustrating team in the NHL, but I don't understand why we feel that we are better at running a hockey organization than the professionals who actually know how to do it. It doesn't make sense.
And truthfully, in the heat of the moment, everyone will say some things that they don't mean. Every now and then I will chime in with a "Dammit Hainsey", or a "for god sakes Kane" but do we really think we know how to run a team better than Kevin Chevaldayoff? Cause it seems that way.
As fans, we will be upset when our team loses, and we will feel glorious when they win, because we are passionate, and we sure as hell love our team. But stop throwing our players under the bus when they have a bad game. Let's remember that they are human, just like the rest of us, and they will make mistakes. There are a lot of problems with this Jets team. Inconsistent goaltending, the streakiest forwards in the NHL, a banged up blue line, and the fact that they can't seem to close out a game to save their lives, but what good will it do for us to throw them under the bus after every game? Be patient with them. Be upset when they lose, be happy when they win, and keep hold of your opinions, as I am doing with mine. Because everyone is entitled to one. But stop bashing our guys! It doesn't help.
RANT OVER! GO JETS GO!
TWITTER! @burnsy004
So, I live in Winnipeg, and naturally, I find myself cheering for the Jets on a regular basis.
However, despite their injury plagued blue line, horrid play from their forwards, and less than stellar play from Ondrej Pavelec, there's one thing that is making me more upset than any of that.
And that is some of the "fans". I surround these "fans" in scare quotes because, I'm not so sure they're true fans.
First, it's important to keep in mind we didn't buy an all-star franchise with 50 goal scorers and 100 point getters. We got a team with grinders, who periodically heat up and score some goals every now and then. To be fair to the Jets though, we have potential. Kane, Burmistrov, Schifele, and Trouba could one day be very important players for this team, but they are all still young.
The Jets have said from the get go, they want to be a team who will build and improve though the draft. Meaning, they are not going to come here and become a power house within 2, 3, even maybe upwards of 6 years.
Take a team like Nashville for example. Founded in 1998, didn't even make the playoffs until the 2003 season. And now they're one of the premier franchises in the NHL. They were patient, and they managed their players right. The Jets are trying to do the same. We got a franchise that traded Ilya Kovalchuck, and Marian Hossa. A team that made some horrible draft choices. It's easy to say that the Atlanta Thrashers were a poorly, poorly, horribly, and any other bad descriptive word managed team.
Basically, all this is leading to my message to Jets fans, which is this;
CHILL OUT!
Dustin Byfuglien is fat and out of shape some say, and yes, it's impossible to deny that Buff is on the larger side. But he's our best damn player, and most times, the only one who looks like he wants to score a goal, so leave him alone.
As for Peluso's penalties, I may be one of the few defending the young man. And here is why; Anthony Peluso was brought in so he could fight, and maybe take a bit of that load off of Thorburn's shoulders. Zach Rinaldo (Philly's fighter) knew full well that this was an eager young enforcer from the minors who was looking to go toe to toe with Philly's heavyweight and make a good impression on the fans, hence, Rinaldo goading him into a penalty by making him think he wants to drop the gloves, and skating away. And as for his second penalty, I don't know how with two refs on the ice they missed the hit from behind on Burmi by Rinaldo, but they see the retaliation that happens a split second later. Peluso was right in standing up for his teammate on that one. The refs blew that call, like a few others from last nights game that I won't get into.
Even just listening to the TSN 1290 Post Game show shows me that these so called "jets fans" who call in are throwing this team under the bus even though they are only a season and a quarter into their tenure in Winnipeg. And as I said before, we didn't adopt the Pittsburgh Penguins, we're not an all-star team.
"Trade Tobi Enstrom", one guy said. Yeah, that's a great idea, let's trade the leading scorer on our team, and leading scorer amongst all defensemen in the NHL. I'm not going to sit here and say that Enstrom is as good as Erik Karlsson (of the Ottawa Senators), but when Karlsson had a bad game last year, did the Sens fans scream and cry for him to be traded? No, they didn't.
There's going to be give and take with Tobi Enstrom. He's creative on the offensive side of the puck, and he plays his position well. But if you put a 6'2-6'5 forward up against him, he's going to lose that physical battle. Which is why Big Buff compliments him so well. Basically what I'm saying, is lay off Tobi. Who can we trade him for that would be better than him? Think about it.
The next problem is people saying we need to as one post game show caller put it to "trade Kane and Ladd and get some guys who can score goals". Yeah, that's a great idea. How about we go to Pittsburgh, and say "hey, here's Ladd and Kane, give us Crosby and Malkin". I don't see that going over well with the Pens.
People need to realize that it's not that easy, we can't just trade two of our best players, and expect to get a 40 goal scorer in return. We can, however, get one through the draft, if we pick him, and groom him for the NHL properly. If we get him, then our GM looks amazing, if we don't, then that's on him and our scouts.
Basically, I think people should lay off the trading talks. What good is all this negativity amongst the fans doing for this team? None. It's managing to throw our team under the bus, but that's about it.
I'm not saying fans don't have a reason to be upset, because they do. In a hockey crazed town like this, it's only expected that the fans will be upset if their team is losing. And I wouldn't expect otherwise, because the Jets fans ARE ABSOLUTELY THE MOST DEDICATED FANS IN THE NHL!
It's okay to be upset, because the Jets are struggling, and sometimes, they are the most frustrating team in the NHL, but I don't understand why we feel that we are better at running a hockey organization than the professionals who actually know how to do it. It doesn't make sense.
And truthfully, in the heat of the moment, everyone will say some things that they don't mean. Every now and then I will chime in with a "Dammit Hainsey", or a "for god sakes Kane" but do we really think we know how to run a team better than Kevin Chevaldayoff? Cause it seems that way.
As fans, we will be upset when our team loses, and we will feel glorious when they win, because we are passionate, and we sure as hell love our team. But stop throwing our players under the bus when they have a bad game. Let's remember that they are human, just like the rest of us, and they will make mistakes. There are a lot of problems with this Jets team. Inconsistent goaltending, the streakiest forwards in the NHL, a banged up blue line, and the fact that they can't seem to close out a game to save their lives, but what good will it do for us to throw them under the bus after every game? Be patient with them. Be upset when they lose, be happy when they win, and keep hold of your opinions, as I am doing with mine. Because everyone is entitled to one. But stop bashing our guys! It doesn't help.
RANT OVER! GO JETS GO!
TWITTER! @burnsy004
Quarter Season Power Rankings!
So we're a quarter of the way through this shortened season, and some teams are doing as we thought they would, and some are not. See where the teams rank in my Quarter Season Power Rankings!
1-Chicago Blackhawks: These guys still haven't lost in regulation. A 10-0-3 record looks pretty good right about now. They're firing on all cylinders.
2-New Jersey Devils: Life after Zach Parise isn't so bad is it? Clarkson and Elias leading the way.
3-Anaheim Ducks: Secondary scoring coming up huge for the Ducks. Goaltending looks solid, tied with New Jersey for second in the league.
4-Vancouver Canucks: Even with the absence of Kesler on their second line. The Nucks are still an elite team.
5-Boston Bruins: The Stanley Cup champs two years removed have seen their struggles this year, but remain one of the top teams in the league.
6-San Jose Sharks: Have cooled off after a fast start, still a top 10 team.
7-Pittsburgh Penguins: Sid lighting it up. Malkin not far behind. Pens are looking good.
8-Nashville Predators: Like NJ. They loss of one of their best players to Minnesota isn't looking all that bad. Then again, how can a team be bad with Pekka Rinne in net?
9-Ottawa Senators: Goaltending looks good. Turris off to a hot start. It will be interesting to see the impact that the loss of Spezza has on them.
10-Detroit Red Wings: Life after Lidstrom has proved tough, but Swiss rookie Damien Brunner off to a hot start, as are Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and when they're on, look out.
11-New York Rangers: Still my pick as the best skill for skill team in the leauge. Nash and Richards off to decent starts, Gaborik having a great start to the year.
12-Dallas Stars: Old guys looking pretty young at this point. Having the most underrated forward in Michael Ryder doesn't hurt either.
13-Carolina Hurricanes: After a slow start, the Canes have heated up, taking over the lead in the Southeast Division.
14-Toronto Maple Leafs: Is this finally their year? We'll see, but they're looking pretty good. Nazim Kadri finally looking like the player the media built him up to be.
15-St. Louis Blues: After a hot start the Blues have cooled off. Elliot seeming like a one year wonder, but he's their guy until Halak comes back from injury.
16-Tampa Bay Lightning: When this team is on, they're a goal scoring machine, but they've cooled off significantly.
17-Philadelphia Flyers: They better improve their play quickly, or they could find themselves lost in a tough Atlantic Division.
18-Montreal Canadiens: Gallagher is an awesome rookie, Galchenyuk may be good for the future, Montreal inconsistent though.
19-Phoenix Coyotes: Still not sold on them. The Yotes are sitting at 8th in the West. But I still don't think they will make the playoffs.
20-Edmonton Oilers: Young guns off to a good start. But inconsistent goaltending, and equally inconsistent play from their veterans has plagued them thus far.
21-Minnesota Wild: Struggling despite making the biggest splash in Free Agency.
22-Los Angeles Kings: Last year's Cup champs can't seem to score a goal. Johnathan Quick having a shaky start to the season.
23-Buffalo Sabres: Vanek off to an insane start to the year, but Buffalo is failing to make any grade other than an F.
24-Winnipeg Jets: After a hot start, the Jets can't seem to buy a win. Inconsistent play up front, and a banged up blue line doesn't make for a winning team.
25-Florida Panthers: Last year's Southeast Division winners looking like one year wonders.
26-Washington Capitals: Awful, awful, awful start for the Caps. Who is Alex Ovechkin again?
27-New York Islanders: The Isle's can score goals, but can't keep them out of their net to save their dignity. They will be bottom feeders once again.
28-Columbus Blue Jackets: Though they don't look as bad as I thought they would, they're still the worst team in the West, despite Calgary, and Colorado's slow starts.
29-Calgary Flames: Have played less games than most other teams in the Western Conference, but they look real bad thus far. Without Kipper (injured), I don't see this team going anywhere.
30-Colorado Avalanche: Lost their captain early in the year, haven't recovered since.
TWITTER! @burnsy004
1-Chicago Blackhawks: These guys still haven't lost in regulation. A 10-0-3 record looks pretty good right about now. They're firing on all cylinders.
2-New Jersey Devils: Life after Zach Parise isn't so bad is it? Clarkson and Elias leading the way.
3-Anaheim Ducks: Secondary scoring coming up huge for the Ducks. Goaltending looks solid, tied with New Jersey for second in the league.
4-Vancouver Canucks: Even with the absence of Kesler on their second line. The Nucks are still an elite team.
5-Boston Bruins: The Stanley Cup champs two years removed have seen their struggles this year, but remain one of the top teams in the league.
6-San Jose Sharks: Have cooled off after a fast start, still a top 10 team.
7-Pittsburgh Penguins: Sid lighting it up. Malkin not far behind. Pens are looking good.
8-Nashville Predators: Like NJ. They loss of one of their best players to Minnesota isn't looking all that bad. Then again, how can a team be bad with Pekka Rinne in net?
9-Ottawa Senators: Goaltending looks good. Turris off to a hot start. It will be interesting to see the impact that the loss of Spezza has on them.
10-Detroit Red Wings: Life after Lidstrom has proved tough, but Swiss rookie Damien Brunner off to a hot start, as are Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and when they're on, look out.
11-New York Rangers: Still my pick as the best skill for skill team in the leauge. Nash and Richards off to decent starts, Gaborik having a great start to the year.
12-Dallas Stars: Old guys looking pretty young at this point. Having the most underrated forward in Michael Ryder doesn't hurt either.
13-Carolina Hurricanes: After a slow start, the Canes have heated up, taking over the lead in the Southeast Division.
14-Toronto Maple Leafs: Is this finally their year? We'll see, but they're looking pretty good. Nazim Kadri finally looking like the player the media built him up to be.
15-St. Louis Blues: After a hot start the Blues have cooled off. Elliot seeming like a one year wonder, but he's their guy until Halak comes back from injury.
16-Tampa Bay Lightning: When this team is on, they're a goal scoring machine, but they've cooled off significantly.
17-Philadelphia Flyers: They better improve their play quickly, or they could find themselves lost in a tough Atlantic Division.
18-Montreal Canadiens: Gallagher is an awesome rookie, Galchenyuk may be good for the future, Montreal inconsistent though.
19-Phoenix Coyotes: Still not sold on them. The Yotes are sitting at 8th in the West. But I still don't think they will make the playoffs.
20-Edmonton Oilers: Young guns off to a good start. But inconsistent goaltending, and equally inconsistent play from their veterans has plagued them thus far.
21-Minnesota Wild: Struggling despite making the biggest splash in Free Agency.
22-Los Angeles Kings: Last year's Cup champs can't seem to score a goal. Johnathan Quick having a shaky start to the season.
23-Buffalo Sabres: Vanek off to an insane start to the year, but Buffalo is failing to make any grade other than an F.
24-Winnipeg Jets: After a hot start, the Jets can't seem to buy a win. Inconsistent play up front, and a banged up blue line doesn't make for a winning team.
25-Florida Panthers: Last year's Southeast Division winners looking like one year wonders.
26-Washington Capitals: Awful, awful, awful start for the Caps. Who is Alex Ovechkin again?
27-New York Islanders: The Isle's can score goals, but can't keep them out of their net to save their dignity. They will be bottom feeders once again.
28-Columbus Blue Jackets: Though they don't look as bad as I thought they would, they're still the worst team in the West, despite Calgary, and Colorado's slow starts.
29-Calgary Flames: Have played less games than most other teams in the Western Conference, but they look real bad thus far. Without Kipper (injured), I don't see this team going anywhere.
30-Colorado Avalanche: Lost their captain early in the year, haven't recovered since.
TWITTER! @burnsy004
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