The 25 Cent Mark of the season

[mattola]

Whichs teams do you rank as

Biggest Surprise?
Least Surprising?
Most Improved?

 

[mattola]

Biggest Surprise: Calgary Flames - I figured they would be hanging around the 10 spot in the west. They are quite a surprise being led by the defense.

Least Surprising: Edmonton Oilers - as long as Lowe is in Charge and Katz continues to listen to 24 year old glory stories this team will continue to be bottom of the league. God I hope they dont get McDavid.

Most Improved: Vancouver Canucks. - Its not the points or their standing level. Its the play of the team top to bottom. Its the class of the coaching staff top to bottom and the level of Management. everything is improved on this team including my excitement for the season.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

shit i didnt know the cdn dollar was that low

 

[dash]

shit i didnt know the cdn dollar was that low

Yup, who needs Bellingham milk and gas in garbage bags anyway?

 

[dash]

I didn't think the Flames could sustain this level of play with Colborne, Backlund, and Stajan out of the lineup with injuries, but Monahan has stepped up big time playing some heavy minutes and the team has bought in to what Hartley is selling. If the Flames play .500 hockey the rest of the season, they would end up with 88 points (not a playoff spot, but pretty darn close).

 

[jstewismybastardson]

yah the biggest surprise to me is Calgary ... which makes it difficult for me to judge how good the canucks are ... because subconsciously Calgary is still shitty to me ... and they are right there with the canucks in points ... so therefore ... canucks MUST SHORELY (i said that in a brit accent) be shitty

its the jump the shark killer for those stupid "does your team have 30 points threads?" ... its perspective

 

[Cobiemonster]

I might put them more so in the most improved than biggest surprise category, but the Panthers have been very solid this season - they're one of the better defensive teams and some of the young players like Nick Bjugstad are taking the next step - Aaron Ekblad has been very steady and they're a team that is playing with confidence

 

[dash]

yah the biggest surprise to me is Calgary ... which makes it difficult for me to judge how good the canucks are ... because subconsciously Calgary is still shitty to me ... and they are right there with the canucks in points ... so therefore ... canucks MUST SHORELY (i said that in a brit accent) be shitty

its the jump the shark killer for those stupid "does your team have 30 points threads?" ... its perspective

I haven't looked at the Flames PDO lately, but it was unsubstainably high and it likely is still quite high. They key is that although they have had injuries, the two key guys (Gio and Brodie) and the goalies have stayed healthy. This season could go in the dumper very quickly if those guys end up in the infirmary. For now, I'm just enjoying the ride.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Most Improved: Vancouver Canucks. - Its not the points or their standing level. Its the play of the team top to bottom. Its the class of the coaching staff top to bottom and the level of Management. everything is improved on this team including my excitement for the season.

Nashville and NYI would have something to say about that.

 

[dash]

Also, for those people saying the Flames picked a terrible season to be a contending team for the playoffs, don't forgot that Sam Bennett is waiting in the wings and while he may not be Connor McDavid, he still has tons of promise.

 

[dash]

Nashville and NYI would have something to say about that.

Yeah, the Islanders get my vote for most improved.

 

[mattola]

Nashville and NYI would have something to say about that.

since its my choice they can sod off

but in reality they are close to me but they did not have the off ice turmoil that my team had last season. this place was a mess and it was on the borderline of mark messier and mike keenan days again. its not just the standings like I said its everything

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Also, for those people saying the Flames picked a terrible season to be a contending team for the playoffs, don't forgot that Sam Bennett is waiting in the wings and while he may not be Connor McDavid, he still has tons of promise.

Getting a no-BS superstar doesn't mean jack shit. The Flames doing well this season is showing off some things they are getting right that so many teams that got the "next superstar" didn't. Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos, Tavares and Hall were all guys who came into the league with a "next one" tag and they have one Cup and two finals appearances amongst them, both from the same guy.

 

[Oldtom]

Pre-daters - didn't think that their upgrades were all that great, but li'l P P Forsberg (definitely the real deal) kind of makes up for it all.
Bee-ruins - definitely got rid of, and kept, THE WRONG guys
Windypogo Jet-z - Hutchinson is a huge upgrade, Perrault and Lowry are definitely 'not bad' either, and there's even a hint that they don't go to sleep for a period at a time (for multiple games in a row). Also, quickly becoming equal with the very best penalty-killing, and road teams. Gotta love the way they don't give a shyte, wot the refs do, anymore.

 

[wings-pens2166]

Biggest Surprise: Calgary Flames - I figured they would be hanging around the 10 spot in the west. They are quite a surprise being led by the defense.

Least Surprising: Edmonton Oilers - as long as Lowe is in Charge and Katz continues to listen to 24 year old glory stories this team will continue to be bottom of the league. God I hope they dont get McDavid.

Most Improved: Vancouver Canucks. - Its not the points or their standing level. Its the play of the team top to bottom. Its the class of the coaching staff top to bottom and the level of Management. everything is improved on this team including my excitement for the season.

west coast/conf

 

[blindbaby]

Biggest Surprise - Calgary. Islander a close second.
Least Surprised - Buffalo or Edmonton; toss a coin.
Most Improved - Islanders. I think they keep up this pace for the post part; Calgary, not so sure.

 

[pixburgher66]

Biggest surprise: going with Nashville. Mostly for the offensive numbers they're putting up now. Isles a close second, with the difference being that I sort of expected to see them in contention again.
Least surprising: Edmonton. It's completely inexcusable how they've handled things the past, what, 6 years I guess? More than that? I don't know how you can look at what's going on up there as a member of management and not see what the hell is wrong. How a team can continue to approach things in a similar way (management/development) when the results are pretty consistently poor.
Most improved: Calgary. Numbers talk. Sustainability should be interesting though.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Surprised: Calgary. I figured they;d be picking in teh top 10 this season. That's looking unlikely right now.

Not surprised: St.Louis. I, and almost everyone, know they;d do well in the regular season. If they do anything in the playoffs they'll be the surprise team.

Most improved: Nashville. Play the game fast and aggressive. Quite the turnaround.

 

[dash]

Are the Preds good or lucky? Maybe both.

Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com NHL Team Stats 201415

 

[Dougie McBuckets]

All I know is that at the quarter-pole of the NHL season, my Predators are kicking ass and right in it.