Draperfan 104 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders Detroit Ottawa New Jersey New York Rangers Dallas Pretenders Vancouver Montreal Pitsburgh Anaheim Chicago Just my opinion,im sure theres going to be different ones though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders Detroit Anaheim Ottawa Pretenders Chicago Montreal San Jose Only ones that mean anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Draperfan 104 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders Detroit Anaheim Ottawa Pretenders Chicago Montreal San Jose Only ones that mean anything. Sorry but i dont think Anaheim is a contender. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgodzina 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Great idea! CONTENDERS West- Detroit, Vancouver, San Jose East- Ottawa, New Jersey, Rangers PRETENDERS West- St. Louis, Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota East- The Southeast Division, Pittsburgh, Buffalo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grittzkey 1 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Only one i disagree with on Drapers list is the Ducks.. i see them being a real test. and pickin up there play as of late and will continue to do so. With the addition of Schneider i can honestly say that have the BEST dman unit in along long time. and there offence isnt bad either. They are real.. and will give us fits some PO time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckbags 863 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Great idea! CONTENDERS West- Detroit, Vancouver, San Jose East- Ottawa, New Jersey, Rangers PRETENDERS West- St. Louis, Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota East- The Southeast Division, Pittsburgh, Buffalo I hate to agree with your Vancouver pick but I do, with Bobby Lou between the pipes they will go as far as he can take them which could be a long ways. He can't lead them all the way but he can take them far. I watch them alot living in the west and the more I watch them the more I think Vigneault is possibly the best coach in this league. They are thin on talent past their first line and they have had multiple injuries this year but they find a way to make mix and match lineups work. I think Ottawa's situation is very similar to ours, great lineup throughout and both teams goaltending has been good but will the goaltending hold up when it counts!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckbags 863 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Only one i disagree with on Drapers list is the Ducks.. i see them being a real test. and pickin up there play as of late and will continue to do so. With the addition of Schneider i can honestly say that have the BEST dman unit in along long time. and there offence isnt bad either. They are real.. and will give us fits some PO time. Their D crew is good...their top 3 look really good but I will take our 6 over their 6 any day. Lets compare our D lineups at this very moment : Lids, Rafalski, Niedermayer, Pronger are basically a saw off so lets move on I would have to say that Chelli, Lebda, Lilja, Kronner are much more solid than Scnheids, Francine Beachemin, Odonnell and Huskins. Thats just my opinion. They do have more skill on D but our chemistry and positional play is superior to their D. Jesus, O'Donnell is slower than Lilja!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cicada 4 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Anaheim is a contender, there is no doubt about it. As much as we hate them, i think they're the only team in the west that can deny us a cup oppourtunity Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lets go pavel 2 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 i think i would add calgary to the contender list in the west, i know thay got off to a slow start but they're picking it up lately, and i think they've got a team that's made for the playoffs ... we beat them last year, but i'd still rather not face them in the first round again ... hopefully they don't end up as the 8 seed ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrisdetroit 189 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Anaheim is a contender, there is no doubt about it. As much as we hate them, i think they're the only team in the west that can deny us a cup oppourtunity Based on what? We are just about halfway through the season and here's the numbers: Power Play - 24th PK - 22nd Goal For Avergare - 26th Goals Against Average - 9th Goal Differential - 21st Winning Percentage - 16th (.539) 10th in the West. There points makes them 7th in the west but if you factor in the "games in hand" they wouldn't even make the playoffs. So how on earth can you say they are a contender? They aren't even a playoff team. Sure their is a half season to go but to go from being out of the playoffs to a cup contender in half a season is not realistic. Time to move on. The Ducks were good for a year but so was Tampa and Carolina.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
redmathew 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 there is no TEAM that scares me in the west. But we all are too familiar with very hot goalies come post-season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueMonk 102 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 The Ducks are the only team in the west that really concerns me. Throw out the games before Niedermayer came back. Now that he's returned (4-0-1 since he returned), they're winning games like they did last year, 2-1 and such. Their offense is a bit suspect, that's their weakness. But they can still try to make a move to address that. After Anaheim and Detroit, it's a pick-em in the west. Any team could get hot and make a playoff run. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WingFanInOilCountry 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 i think i would add calgary to the contender list in the west, i know thay got off to a slow start but they're picking it up lately, and i think they've got a team that's made for the playoffs ... we beat them last year, but i'd still rather not face them in the first round again ... hopefully they don't end up as the 8 seed ... While Calgary is not a team to take lightly by any means, Kipper has not been giving them they quality of goal tending they need to be considered one of the elite teams in the west. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evil204 4 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 (edited) Their D crew is good...their top 3 look really good but I will take our 6 over their 6 any day. Lets compare our D lineups at this very moment : Lids, Rafalski, Niedermayer, Pronger are basically a saw off so lets move on I'd rather have Niedermayer/Pronger than Lidstrom/Rafalski. Edited December 29, 2007 by evil204 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProfessorLidstrom5 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders: Detroit, Anaheim, Vancouver, Ottawa, NJ, Carolina Pretenders: Dallas, Colorado, San Jose, Pittsburgh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
b.shanafan14 733 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders: Detroit, NJ, Calgary, Ottawa Pretenders: Pittsburgh, Anahiem, Dallas, Colorado On a side note: does anyone else have NHL08? Notice how Busch league the Ducks are somehow having every player from last season and new acquisitions, along players like Bertuzzi being rated like it was 6 years ago. Schnieder, Neidermeyer, Pronger, Bertuzzi, Penner, Getzlaf, McDonald, Selanne, Perry haha and apparently if Teemu touches the puck its a goal no matter what haha Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hardcoretom21 71 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 I would put NY in the pretenders list for now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Based on what? We are just about halfway through the season and here's the numbers: Power Play - 24th PK - 22nd Goal For Avergare - 26th Goals Against Average - 9th Goal Differential - 21st Winning Percentage - 16th (.539) 10th in the West. There points makes them 7th in the west but if you factor in the "games in hand" they wouldn't even make the playoffs. So how on earth can you say they are a contender? They aren't even a playoff team. Sure their is a half season to go but to go from being out of the playoffs to a cup contender in half a season is not realistic. Time to move on. The Ducks were good for a year but so was Tampa and Carolina.... If they make the playoffs (which they will), then you throw out the regular season because it doesnt matter anymore. The Ducks will be a contender and tough to play against. That's why I'm hoping San Jose goes out and trades away all there youth for rentals, faces Anaheim in the first round and beats them up, making it much easier for us to put Anaheim away in the 2nd round or 3rd. (Because we will have to face Anaheim to win the cup). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders: Red Wings Ducks Flames Sharks Senators Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heaton 1 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders: Red Wings Ducks Flames Sharks Senators Flames and Sharks? Not right now they're not. I'd be surprised if the Flames make the playoffs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reds4Life 51 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Flames and Sharks are not playing well now, but there's still 40+ games to play. Both teams have outstanding goalies, solid defense and offense. I doubt anyone would like to play them in the 1st round. I wish Red Wings meet Wild in 1st round, that would be a sweep. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
canadienhater 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Contenders Detroit Ottawa New Jersey New York Rangers Dallas Pretenders Vancouver Montreal Pitsburgh Anaheim Chicago anaheim is not a pretender they have experience great goaltending and great defence Just my opinion,im sure theres going to be different ones though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puckbags 863 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 I'd rather have Niedermayer/Pronger than Lidstrom/Rafalski. Fair enough..thats your opinion..personally I wouldn't trade Lidstrom for both of them!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yzerfan1999 81 Report post Posted December 29, 2007 Fair enough..thats your opinion..personally I wouldn't trade Lidstrom for both of them!! Yeah, at least with Lids ans Raf you know you have two solid Dmen in the line up every night. Not a guy who will get suspended 2 or 3 times a season or a guy who might not even show up at all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saran 1 Report post Posted December 30, 2007 Great idea! CONTENDERS West- Detroit, Vancouver, San Jose East- Ottawa, New Jersey, Rangers PRETENDERS West- St. Louis, Dallas, Colorado, Minnesota East- The Southeast Division, Pittsburgh, Buffalo vancouver is not a contender Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
