2015-16 Atlantic Division Predictions: Habs, Bruins, Bolts
Last year, the Boston Bruins collapsed and fell all the way out of playoff contention. The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning took huge steps forward and dominated the rest of the division in their place. Can the Bruins bounce back? Are the Habs Stanley Cup contenders? Can the Tampa Bay Lightning take the next step? Let’s see.
1. Boston Bruins (103 pts): A value play at +500 and 10:1 long shots to win the Stanley Cup, I’m not sure why people are completely writing off the Boston Bruins. Yes, they fell apart last year after strange personnel moves left them without the depth they won the Cup with – but they still have Tuukka Rask. They’ll need some luck, but I like the Bruins in a bounce back year. Their upset Stanley Cup win against the Vancouver Canucks is what really started my sports writing career, and I think this is a playoff team with great division winner odds.
2. Montreal Canadiens (102 pts): The more likely division winner in the Atlantic is the Habs. The Canadiens have the best goalie in hockey and a deep defense with decent depth. I expect Carey Price to carry this team to another playoff berth – and hockey is just more fun when the Canadiens are relevant.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (101 pts): The Bolts are really exciting. Tampa Bay has one of the best offenses in hockey, and though they often leave Ben Bishop on an island, he is more than capable of carrying them to the playoffs again. That said, I don’t really see them repeating last year’s incredible success in the regular season. They’re probably a playoff team, but they have some obvious holes.
4. Detroit Red Wings (96 pts): Does Detroit Red Wings playoff hockey ever get old? The streak continued after a nice finish to a tough campaign last year. The pieces are there again for the Wings, and I expect them to be in contention. The same core players return and the team looks good this preseason.
5. Ottawa Senators (90 pts): I think the Senators will be fun to watch again and they’re a young, exciting team. They’re balanced and can score in a variety of ways. They’ll win their games, but I don’t think they’re elite in a very tough division.
6. Florida Panthers (84 pts): I think a sharp negative goal differential last year is a sign that the Panthers are due to regress a little bit. That said, the young players that made this team competitive return with one more year of experience under their belts. I expect similar results as last season.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (74 pts): I don’t think the Leafs are going to be anywhere close to as terrible as they were last year. A new coach will inspire them and losing is no longer acceptable under this new regime. That said, they let go of their top scorer and just don’t have the pieces to compete in this division.
8. Buffalo Sabres (69 points): One player is not enough to completely rebuild this franchise. They’re on their way back from the dead, but it’s going to take some time. Doing battle with such a difficult division won’t help the rebuild.
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