| In all the years in recent memory it seems that a team | | | | Washington games should be interesting. Why do I |
| that did not copycat the approach the previous | | | | picture LaCavier in their uniform? |
| champion made, won the Stanley Cup. Every year, | | | | Dallas - Shows you how good coaching and solid |
| teams make minor and major adjustments to their | | | | teams retain success. Just short of depth to really |
| season plan. Free Agents, Draft Picks, new blossoming | | | | challenge. |
| players, and Trades put everyone in line to go after | | | | Calgary - Surprise team of the year. Team leadership |
| Lord Stanley. Who will be the 2009 Stanley Cup | | | | is there. They will just gut it out game by game. By |
| Champion? In 2008, the Detroit Red Wings showed | | | | playoff time, they will be ready to surprise. |
| that talent and stamina to deliver what could have | | | | St. Louis - Big changes all pay off. Blues begin to look |
| been during several recent years past. They had a | | | | like the Blues again. One year away from a big rise. |
| well-rounded team They could dish it out - take it - and | | | | Phoenix - Best of off season moves have the Wild |
| fire pucks at you. | | | | Coyotes in route to the playoffs. |
| The Red Wings actually did an impersonation of the | | | | Philadelphia - Flyers also lost role players. Will have a |
| old Montreal Canadiens who were "all-star like" every | | | | tougher time this year prompting first time shake up |
| year but the Canadiens delivered the Cup as well. Will | | | | rumors for the new Management. |
| some team gear up to stop the Red Wing special | | | | Boston - Bruins not big and bad enough yet. But |
| teams? I think you would have had to consider the | | | | improving. |
| Red Wings on top or next to it for the past several | | | | Vancouver - Just good coaching and spirit takes them |
| seasons. Look for the re-institution of the tougher rule | | | | closer. |
| calling. Which teams can make the transition best from | | | | Buffalo - The knock out minor league champion this |
| the season into the playoffs - not always the | | | | year will be the Portland Pirates who share an |
| President's Trophy winner is it? That combination of | | | | exclusive relationship with the Sabres. Once again they |
| skill, toughness, pride, and team commitment is what it | | | | need a miracle. With the best coach in the NHL, they |
| will take. | | | | work hard and then are hardly working. |
| Those Ole' Canadiens were skating back into our | | | | Toronto - Finally developing youth. They will kick and |
| memories last year. Huet and Price were both | | | | scratch wins. The Curse of Frank Mahovlich lives on |
| excellent goaltenders and their team success goes | | | | for another year or two. |
| beyond goaltending. The Canadiens could adjust their | | | | Carolina - Not deep enough. Leadership is great and |
| play to attack their oppositions strengths and beat | | | | could surprise. |
| them many times. Look for the Montreal Canadiens to | | | | Anaheim - Big Ducks need to score more. They will |
| beat the Washington Capitals in the East and then lose | | | | intimidate weak or smaller size teams. If match ups go |
| in the Stanley Cup Final against their Western Division | | | | right - look out. |
| Original Six rival - the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago | | | | No Playoffs |
| Black Hawks, who will defeat the upstart Calgary | | | | Ottawa - Mean Murray gets what is coming to him. |
| Flames for the Western title. | | | | Minnesota - Due for a drop after almost made it years |
| OK OK I can hear it! The Black Hawks are at least a | | | | New Jersey - Perrennial power goes lame. |
| year and some size away. Not so. That talent and | | | | San Jose - Should have found a way to keep Soupy |
| youth will be the cause of some big celebration in the | | | | Campbell. |
| Windy City. The best uniform wins for a change. | | | | Tampa Bay - Big signings and big names go as the |
| Pittsburgh - Sidney is still just short of Mario. Will pay | | | | Rangers south. |
| for loss of key role players. Will win President's Trophy | | | | Colorado - Like them a lot. Could surprise. |
| and lose in 6 games to Washington or Montreal. Just | | | | NY Rangers - Can't buy me Love. |
| not enough heart overall. | | | | Los Angeles - Will probably trade away young stars |
| Detroit - After another fine season the perennial | | | | after the season. |
| contenders age begins to show and get destroyed in | | | | Florida - Nice suntan. |
| the biggest upset of the year - The Young Chicago | | | | Edmonton - Will return to glory soon but not this year. |
| Black Hawks upset Detroit. | | | | NY Islanders - Fire the coach. Fire the coach. |
| Chicago - Acquisitions of defense and goaltending | | | | Columbus - They look better. They play better. But |
| jump the Hawks back into the big time. | | | | they are not much better. |
| Montreal - Youth, Fire, and Special Teams. They could | | | | Atlanta - Fans scream for day-glow pucks. Teams |
| go all with way. | | | | named after birds are jinxed. |
| Washington - Ovechkin and more. Chicago - | | | | Nashville - Silver tigers need to move. |