Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:36 pm Posts: 4869 Location: Portland, OR
A cup? You're dreaming.
Sure, they're hot, but look who they've beat:
Philadelphia: Yes, the Flyers got off to a fast start, but read this article for an understanding of what's going on with their team now Link
Pittsburgh: A still young team that's (as I predicted) too soft to compete in their division and that has a sub .500 record.
Atlanta (twice): They stink, a sub .500 team.
Tampa Bay: sub .500 team that's really struggling this year, second worst in the conference as of right now.
Dallas: good, impressive win.
Montreal: good win, though they've been struggling as of late.
So, overall I'd say there are two wins there that would actually impress me. Is it a nice streak? Sure, but you beat pretty much all terrible or slumping teams. Don't start pumping this team's chances up too much, even if they do make the playoffs (which I still don't think they will) they'd be very hard pressed to even make it out of the first round.
Their losing record against the division (5-8 I believe, right? With a complete inability to beat either the Islanders or the Rangers) isn't going to help either.
_________________ did you ever wake up with bullfrogs on your mind?
tadpoles swimming up and down your spine?
Analyze it any way you want, the team isn't going away. (Atlanta, if you haven't been paying attention, is 12-7-1 since firing Hartley, with 2 of those losses coming at the hands of the Devils.)
The Devils are an entirely different team with Langenbrunner and White healthy.
I have tremendous faith in Lou and Sutter. By the time spring rolls around, this team will be primed. The young defense will have gelled (Greene, Oduya, Mottau, Brookbank), and the Devils still have the best checking forwards in the league in Madden and Pandolfo.
On the scoring side, Elias is showing signs of breaking out and he is still a tremendous player when he plays with confidence. Gionta, Langenbrunner, and Zubris make the Devils really strong down the right side. Zajac has quietly become a plus second line center. And, Parise is emerging as a star.
There is great potential in this group and they play with purpose under Sutter, something that has been lacking at times in recent years.
On the one hand I can't say I believe in the Devils' Cup chances yet, but on the other hand there just aren't a lot of elite teams in the East or really in the NHL. Other than Detroit there is no real elite team out West. Ottawa should be an elite team but something's gone really wrong out there. The Rangers (gasp) are the closest thing to an elite team in the East right now but they're far from unbeatable.
But the Devils' play since getting Langs and White back has been encouraging. Marty has picked it up, partly because the D has picked it up and partly because he just seems to need 8-10 games every year (since the lockout) to really get into gear. Elias still concerns me, I think the team needs him to be a 30-goal scorer to really have a good team, right now he looks like an assist machine since the move to C but his goalscoring touch got left in 2005.
And the increased home-ice advantage is also a good sign...the atmosphere there has been much better than at CAA, even with 2-3,000 fans hanging out in the lounges most of the game
On the one hand I can't say I believe in the Devils' Cup chances yet, but on the other hand there just aren't a lot of elite teams in the East or really in the NHL. Other than Detroit there is no real elite team out West. Ottawa should be an elite team but something's gone really wrong out there. The Rangers (gasp) are the closest thing to an elite team in the East right now but they're far from unbeatable.
But the Devils' play since getting Langs and White back has been encouraging. Marty has picked it up, partly because the D has picked it up and partly because he just seems to need 8-10 games every year (since the lockout) to really get into gear. Elias still concerns me, I think the team needs him to be a 30-goal scorer to really have a good team, right now he looks like an assist machine since the move to C but his goalscoring touch got left in 2005.
Elias in OT on the night they give Langenbrunner the C!!!
The Flyers have a game in hand and the Rangers have the tie-breaker over your Swamp Things.
The Flygirls are stuck in neutral.
The Rangers may currently hold the tie-breaker but it's too early in the season to look at that. The Devils played a ton of division games when they were struggling- the division records will even out by the end of the year.
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You're dreaming.
