"Scary Sixteen" Feb. 13th update

[Cranky]

No progress in the last two games. Unfortunatly, we should keep in mind one thing. Right now we are playing at an 83 point rate. NOT GOOD. We would finish 10th at this rate.

EASTERN CONFERENCE
Team                GP    Pts  <br>1. Philadelphia   57   75
2. Boston           59    75
3. Carolina         61     64
4. Toronto          58    71
5. Ottawa          58     69
6. NY Islanders  57     67
7. New Jersey    58     62
8. NY Rangers    58     61

------------------------------------Dead Zone

9. Montreal          58    59
10. Washington    59    56
11. Buffalo           57    54
12. Pittsburgh      58   54
13. Tampa Bay     58    48
14. Florida           58     42
15. Atlanta          59     39


 <br>------------------------------------------------------------  <br>Scary Sixteen. No free lunches in here. They need to play .500 hockey to make it. OR ELSE. Dream of 16 points from this run. Anything less and they may as well polish the old golfing shoes.    
  <br>Jan 26 02      Sat      HOME      Senators      Tie --15 to go            
Jan 27 02      Sun      HOME      Sharks        Win--13 to go           <br>Jan 30 02      Wed      HOME     Bruins       1 pt/loss--12 to go          <br>Feb 5 02        Tue      AWAY      Devils          Win--10 to go                
Feb 7 02        Thu      HOME      Penguins      Win--8 to go
Feb 9 02        Sat      AWAY      Maple Leafs      Loss--8 to go           <br>Feb 11 02      Mon      HOME      Red Wings     Loss--8 to go

--------Olympic Break........still alive......but on life support        

Feb 26 02      Tue      HOME      Senators               <br>Feb 27 02      Wed      AWAY     Blackhawks        
Mar 2 02        Sat      HOME      Hurricanes        
Mar 4  92      Mon      HOME      Thrashers        
Mar 6 02       Wed      HOME      Bruins               <br>Mar 8 02        Fri       AWAY       Sabres               <br>Mar 9 02        Sat      HOME       Maple Leafs        
Mar 11 02      Mon      AWAY      Rangers               <br>Mar 14 02      Thu      HOME       Stars               <br>   <br>Benign Nine,   <br>Soft spot, the do or die underbelly of this season, if they put together 15/16 points out of this run, I think the post season is doable. Now, that is .850 hockey.    
  <br>Mar 16 02      Sat      HOME      Hurricanes         Prediction. Saku is back!
Mar 18 02      Mon     AWAY      Hurricanes        
Mar 20 02      Wed     AWAY      Panthers               <br>Mar 22 02      Fri       AWAY      Lightning        
Mar 23 02      Sat      AWAY      Predators        
Mar 26 02      Tue      HOME      Panthers               <br>Mar 28 02      Thu      HOME      Lightning        
Mar 30 02      Sat      HOME       Penguins               <br>Apr 1 02        Mon      AWAY      Penguins               <br>   <br>Sour Six, possibly 6 points. These boys are not going to be kidding around at this time of year.   <br>   <br>Apr 4 02      Thu       AWAY      Flyers               <br>Apr 6 02      Sat       HOME       Blue Jackets        
Apr 7 02       Sun      AWAY      Senators               <br>Apr 9 02       Tue      HOME       Senators               <br>Apr 12 02      Fri       AWAY      Devils               <br>Apr 13 02      Sat      HOME       Sabres        
  <br>   <br>Scary Sixteen =16 points   <br>Benign Nine   =15 points   <br>Sour Six        =  6 points               <br>That is 37 points from possible 64.   <br>   <br>They have a total of 37 plus 51 for 88 points. Right smack in heart attack territory. This thing is going to the wire.

[The New Guy]

I think there's something to point out about this season that's not been true for the past... god, how long has it been?

Right now, with more than half the season over with, with the playoffs looming just around the corner for the first time in a long time we are IN a playoff position.

Think about it, for the past three years we've been making runs at the last spot in our conference, but we never seem to make it.  Now we don't have to make that run, we just have to fend off everyone else who might make a run at us.

Right now I think the biggest threats are New Jersey and Buffalo.  The Devils could get real good if Marty Brodeur finds his game at the Olympics and a couple of their guys start scoring - there's lots of talent there, and under Constantine they've shown signs of life.  A major threat.  Buffalo sits further back in the standings, but they've got a decent collection of guys and are just missing the presence that g** d*** s** o* a b**** Hasek (sorry - with the Winter Games around the corner some bad memories are flaring up - BTW, did anyone see Mario beat Hasek one on one in the skills competition?  There's hope yet folks...)  The Pen are within striking range, but Mario will be exhausted after a stellar, gold medal winning olympic performance, and without him we all know that the team really isn't a playoff team.

Lets hope we get two wins in the next three games - that could set us up nicely coming rested out of the Olympic break.  Half the teams in that section of the scary sixteen are beatable

That'd be ten points + 4 from before the break, plus 15 points from the nine, plus six from the six for a total of 92.

I smell hockey in April...

 

[glow=red,2,300]Later[/glow]

[MPLABBE]

I hate looking far ahead and say 'we should get the 2 points there'...just take it one game at the time.


TNG,The Czechs won't be there at the end in SLC.Their defence is full of ...after Hamrlik(who is no Pronger or Blake or MacInnis),they have 3 'kids' in Kubina,Kaberle and Skoula.After them it's horrible,Richard Smehlik,Michael Sykora and Jaro Spacek.That defence is too weak and inexperienced to win gold IMO.At least in 1998 they had guys like Svoboda and Slegr around...and on top of that,Hasek is 4 years older,their best player(Jagr) is injured or seems to not give a damn about hockey anymore.

The team to watch is Russia.

[Vichab]

I'm not that worried about Buff. The teams that worry me are NJ as they know what it takes and still have talent and as was said Brodeur might turn it around. The other team that worries me is Wash. Let's face it - they have talent and it wouldn't take improve if anyone of there top players picks it up a notch , not to mention Kolzig. I'm not worried about NYR. They will not make the playoffs as they have too many hasbeens and misfits.

The only wild card in all of the above is the rent a player come trade deadline as no doubt NYR and Wash. are prepared to spend money we don't have to get those rent a players. On the other end NJ doesn't need to spend as they can rely on Lou to make a good trade.If the teams remain unchanged I like our chances but the prob. with the NHL as we know all to well and may learn again is that money talks and I don't see Gilette keeping pace.

[MPLABBE]

Vichab said:

I'm not that worried about Buff. The teams that worry me are NJ as they know what it takes and still have talent and as was said Brodeur might turn it around. The other team that worries me is Wash. Let's face it - they have talent and it wouldn't take improve if anyone of there top players picks it up a notch , not to mention Kolzig. I'm not worried about NYR. They will not make the playoffs as they have too many hasbeens and misfits.

The only wild card in all of the above is the rent a player come trade deadline as no doubt NYR and Wash. are prepared to spend money we don't have to get those rent a players. On the other end NJ doesn't need to spend as they can rely on Lou to make a good trade.If the teams remain unchanged I like our chances but the prob. with the NHL as we know all to well and may learn again is that money talks and I don't see Gilette keeping pace.

Forget about Washington going out there and renting some players.They already have a huge payroll and their farm system is non-existent.Only asset they can deal is one of their 1st rounders they have this year.And they should keep both of them IMO.