| In the last 12 months the National Hockey
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| | has holes, and now they can't plug it
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| League has undergone as massive of an
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| | with money.Philadelphia Flyers (9/1) -
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| overhaul as any sports league in the last
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| | The Flyers waived goodbye to its nucleus
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| half century. With revamped rules, a
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| | of Jeremy Roenick, John LeClair and Mark
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| restructured salary system and a new
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| | Recchi. Their absence will open up the
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| television partner, professional hockey
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| | ice for young speedsters Jeff Carter and
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| is the shell of the sport that locked its
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| | Mike Richards. Also, they managed to
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| doors a year ago. The changes reflect the
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| | pilfer Peter Forsberg and Derian Hatcher,
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| NHL's new mantra - more scoring,
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| | adding two of the top free agent talents
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| increased parity and cost certainty. So
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| | to an already strong team. The Flyers
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| forget everything you know or think you
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| | should have a slight edge over New Jersey
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| know about the NHL, which begins
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| | in their quest to defend their Atlantic
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| preseason play on Sept. 16, as even the
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| | Division championship.Ottawa Senators (11
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| most faithful and ardent fan has to admit
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| | 1) - The Sens were the top scoring team
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| that they have no clue as to how the game
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| | in the Eastern Conference in 2003-04 (262
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| will look in 2005-06.First, hockey
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| | goals), and they added the dynamic Dany
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| viewers will have to get used to watching
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| | Heatley in a blockbuster deal that
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| their game on a new station. ESPN took a
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| | included Marian Hossa. As long as no one
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| gamble and refused to pick up the
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| | asks Heatley to be the designated driver,
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| network's option on the NHL's
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| | he should add some more pop to Ottawa's
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| broadcasting rights. The idea was that
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| | offense. Daniel Alfredsson led the team
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| ESPN would be able to opt out of their
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| | with 48 assists in 03-04, and will be
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| deal, and then repurchase the rights at a
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| | setting the table for Heatley. This squad
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| substantially reduced rate. Instead, the
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| | is deep and strong, and will be relying
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| Outdoor Living Network, a subsidiary of
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| | on Ray Emery and Dominick Hasek in the
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| Comcast Cable, swooped in with a very
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| | net.Calgary Flames (13/1) - The
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| lucrative offer and purchased the rights
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| | runners-up to the 2004 champion Tampa Bay
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| to broadcast the NHL regular season and
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| | Lightning (man, that still sounds
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| playoffs for $65 million this season, $70
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| | strange) will be even better this season.
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| million in 2006-2007, and $72.5 million
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| | The key move they made was retaining
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| in 2007-2008. Not to worry though - Barry
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| | superstar Jerome Iginla. Iginla was tied
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| Melrose and his man mullet have signed on
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| | for the NHL lead with 41 goals in 03-04.
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| with OLN.However, OLN only reaches an
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| | The Flames upgraded the offense by
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| estimated 65 million homes throughout the
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| | bringing in Tony Amonte and Darren
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| United States and Canada. That's a
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| | McCarty. Also, Roman Hamrlik was acquired
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| substantial reduction from the 90 million
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| | to shore up an already stout defense.New
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| subscribers that ESPN boasts, and the 89
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| | Jersey Devils (14/1) - This is a very
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| million viewers that ESPN2 can reach.
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| | interesting team going into the
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| Also, since ESPN doesn't own the rights,
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| | preseason. As Detroit and Colorado will
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| the league shouldn't expect too much
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| | be most affected by the salary cap, New
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| coverage from those Bristol bastards. The
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| | Jersey will be most affected by the rule
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| new deal - while a relative windfall for
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| | changes. Many blame the Devils for
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| a sport with flailing TV ratings -
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| | pioneering the neutral zone trap and the
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| definitely relegates the NHL to Niche
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| | clutch-and-grab style that took over the
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| Sport status. Well, that and a 309-day
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| | league in the last decade. Offensively,
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| lockout will turn off any fan base. Right
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| | they still have Scott Gomez (team leader
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| now hockey's popularity lies somewhere
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| | in assists) and Patrick Elias (leader in
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| around the WNBA and extreme
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| | goals and points) and I expect big
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| dodgeball.Next, besides the ideological
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| | numbers from both. They've won at least
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| alterations that the league has
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| | 41 games in each of the past three
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| experienced, there have been considerable
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| | seasons, and with Martin Brodeur in goal
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| changes to the practical aspects of the
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| | they always have a shot.Colorado Avalance
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| game. A competition committee revisited
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| | (14/1) - The Avs still have Joe Sakic and
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| several issues that were pinpointed as
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| | Pierre Turgeon in the center, Brad May
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| problem areas during the pre-lockout
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| | and Alex Tanguay on the left and Milan
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| days. The highlights of their adopted
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| | Hejduk on the right. So in other words,
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| rule changes are:1) No more ties. Instead
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| | they still have a chance. Colorado has
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| of records that read like Lotto picks,
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| | put up an average of 42 wins per year the
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| the league has gone back to good ol'
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| | last three seasons, and its core remains
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| fashioned wins and losses. At the end of
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| | intact. Rob Blake is back to anchor the
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| overtime a six-player shootout will
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| | defense and David Aebischer is the man in
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| ensue, followed by a sudden death
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| | the cage. I expect them to figure
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| shootout if necessary.
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| | prominently in the Western Conference,
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| 2) Goalies will no longer be allowed to
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| | but I don't think they have enough depth
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| be built like Optimus Prime. Their
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| | to hoist the Cup.Boston Bruins (15/1) -
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| allotted padding has been reduced 11
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| | The Bruins were one of the teams that
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| percent. The rule is backed by $25,000
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| | benefited the most from the outlandish
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| fines and suspensions.
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| | free agency. They were able to lock up
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| 3) Goaltenders can no longer "freeze"
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| | captain Joe Thornton for three years, and
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| the puck, and a trapezoidal area has been
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| | keep Glen Murray on the club. Also, they
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| set up behind the goal line. The goalies
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| | were able to add seasoned vets Shawn
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| are only allowed to handle the puck
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| | McEachern and Brian Leetch, as well as
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| within that area when behind the goal
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| | Alexi Zhamnov and Dave Scatchard. That
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| line.
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| | talent infusion improves a team that was
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| 4) The offensive zone will be larger.
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| | already pretty tough (defending Northeast
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| The bluelines were each moved two feet
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| | Division champions). The pressure will be
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| closer to one another, shrinking the
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| | on Andrew Raycroft, the only goalie on
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| neutral zone. Also, the goal-lines have
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| | the roster.Pittsburgh Penguins (15/1) -
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| been moved two feet further from the
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| | The March of the Penguins back to
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| boards, leaving more room behind the net.
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| | hockey's elite may start this season.
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| 5) The red line is gone, and two-line
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| | Besides being a fiscal farce off the ice,
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| passes are now legal.
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| | they've been one of the worst teams on it
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| 6) Other minor changes have occurred.
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| | for the past several years, managing just
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| There's no flopping, a point of emphasis
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| | 78 wins in the last three seasons. They
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| on clutching and grabbing, anyone who
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| | put up only 2.3 goals a game while
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| instigates a fight in the last five
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| | winning 23 games in 03-04. But the Steel
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| minutes gets suspended, no flipping the
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| | City won the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes,
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| puck into the stands in your defensive
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| | and the "next Gretzky" gives them instant
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| zone, and no public complaints about the
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| | credibility. They resigned leading scorer
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| league.The idea is that all of these rule
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| | Dick Tarnstrom and acquired Lyle Odelein,
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| modifications will open up scoring and
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| | and that young talent may be ready to
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| increase the speed of the game. They're
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| | take the next step.Tampa Bay Lightning
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| hoping that the new NHL will be similar
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| | (15/1) - Winning the Stanley Cup a few
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| to the hockey played in the Olympics,
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| | weeks before the lockout must've been
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| which features more scoring and skill
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| | kind of like winning the lottery and then
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| rather than neutral zone traps and the
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| | finding out we're going back to the
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| grind-it-out garbage that had permeated
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| | barter system. Tampa Bay caught lightning
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| the NHL over the last decade.Finally, a
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| | in a bottle in the summer of 2004, and
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| whirlwind of player movement has
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| | the defending Stanley Cup champions have
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| completely reconfigured the balance of
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| | brought back the principals involved in
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| talent throughout the league. Trying to
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| | that run. Dave Andreychuk, Martin St.
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| figure out who is going where has proven
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| | Louis, and Vincent Lecavalier are all
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| more tiresome than trying to keep up with
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| | back and ready to go. They roster reeks
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| which pitcher Alyssa Milano is banging
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| | of old age, but they're still the champs
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| now. In fact, when opening night comes
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| | and should be shown the proper
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| (the Rangers open against the Flyers on
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| | respect.Anaheim Mighty Ducks (30/1) -
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| Oct. 5) most fans will feel like Guy
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| | Team Teemu returns as the head of the
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| Pierce's short-term-memory depraved
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| | Flying V. Sergie Federov is looking to
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| character in Memento. They'll vaguely
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| | salvage a burnt out career, and Scott
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| recognize where they are but have no idea
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| | Niedermeyer should flourish in Anaheim's
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| how they got there.I saw a post on
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| | wide-open attack. Also, the Ducks have a
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| another sports site that I felt best sums
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| | huge advantage with J-S Giguere minding
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| up the player movement that's taken place
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| | the net. That's one guy who won't need
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| since the league went back in business:
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| | the extra padding to dominate. A drawback
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| "Don't you feel like the new NHL is the
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| | is that they traded captain Steve Rucchin
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| equivalent of someone stealing your NHL
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| | to the Rangers.Atlanta Thrashers (33/1) -
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| '95 game for Sega, randomizing the
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| | I like this pick for the value. The
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| rosters, and then giving it back to
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| | Hossa-Heatley trade was pretty much a
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| you?"Laying a bet on NHL futures trying
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| | push, but getting a solid veteran
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| to predict who will hoist the Cup next
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| | defenseman like Greg deVries in the deal
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| summer could be a great opportunity to
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| | may shift the advantage in the Thrashers
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| fleece some unsuspecting oddsmakers. But,
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| | favor. They already posses a young core
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| as always, wager at your own risk. Here's
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| | led by the very talented Ilya Kovalchuk
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| a quick overview on some teams that will
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| | (team leader in goals and assists) and
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| be worth watching and could be worth the
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| | Hossa's playmaking style (36 goals and 82
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| gamble:Detroit Red Wings (17/2) - The
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| | points) will fit right in. They signed
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| favorites for the upcoming season reside
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| | Mike Dunham to mentor talented youngster
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| in Hockeytown. It's a terrible bet, and
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| | Kari Lehtonen, and brought in Bobby Holik
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| don't bite. Yes the Red Wings were the
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| | to add even more firepower. They might be
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| best team in the 2003-04 regular season
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| | a year away, but it may be worth it to
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| with 109 overall points, but perhaps no
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| | take a $10 or $20 flier on them.Doc's
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| team was hurt more by the year off. Steve
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| | Sports Recent Articles:2005 Big Ten
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| Yzerman is now 40, Chris Chelios is 43
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| | preview2005 MAC PreviewNFL RookiesDoc's
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| and Brendan Shanahan is turning 37. The
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| | Sports Handicapping Service
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| window may have closed for the Wings and
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| | 1-866-238-6696Since 1971 Doc's Sports
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| their AARP roster. Also, Detroit has only
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| | has been recognized as one of the leaders
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| about $7 million to resign Pavel Datsyuk
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| | and most trusted names in sports
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| (who's said he's not even close to a
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| | handicapping information.
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| deal) and/or Henrik Zetterberg. This team
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|
