Results Are In: How We Did!

1) Well the 6 month NHL season is finally over. The second season is about to begin later this week. We will of course have our very eagerly anticipated playoff preview/predictions out before the puck drops for the first round. Additionally, FR2 was given the task of coming up with their Season awards winners. They tell us that post is likely to be up some time tomorrow. Don't miss it!

2) First we will do the post-mortem and see how well/poorly we did with our predictions. Comparing the posts we did with the actual results. Here are the two posts that predicted the east and west results. First the East: We did NOT do all that well here. Not terribly, but not up to our standards:

Actual Results -vs- Our prediction :

• Montreal - 104 points, 1st. Our prediction 95 in 8th. Clearly we foresaw an improvement in Habs-land, but didn't expect to see is manifest itself into a conference crown.




• Pittsburgh- 102 points, 2nd. Our prediction 108 in 2nd. Seems we got this one dead on though no one could have seen Conklin as being so important to their success.




• Washington- 94 points, 3rd. Our prediction 83 in 14th. we figured they'd be improved, but in the preseason Glen Hanlon was still coach and we did not like him to guide this team far. The change obviously helped a bit. ; )




• New Jersey- 99 points, 4th. Our prediction 91, in 11th. Perennially we underestimate the devils. We did it again this year. We look at that lineup and can't possibly see them as winning, yet they do. Brodeur with another Vezina/Hart calibre season didn't hurt.
  



• Rangers- 97 points, 5th. Our prediction 100 in 6th. We pretty much nailed ths one as well. We figured they'd be good, but inconsistent. However the biggest change this season is that the roster is chock full of young players with upside who have contributed already




• Philadelphia-95 points, 6th. Our prediction 105 in 4th. We perhaps over rated them a bit, but injuries also hampered their season. Certainly we saw them going from the cellar back into the post season




• Ottawa- 94 points, 7th. Our prediction 110 in 1st. We knew goaltending would be an issue, but not as much as it was. Emory was a season long distraction. The Sens almost imploded missing the playoffs after a big start. We don't like their GM/coach.
  



• Boston- 94 points, 8th. Our prediction 88 in 12th. Another team we underestimated. Coach Julian did a very nice job piecing this squad together, back into the playoffs despite numerous key injuries

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• Carolina- 92 points, 9th. Our prediction 98 points, 3rd. Another season of underachieving. can Laviolette survive this? They played well down the stretch, but early season woes ultimately cost them the SE crown to the fast charging caps




• Buffalo- 90 points, 10th. Our prediction 104 points, 5th. We guess Lindy Ruff isn't such a great coach? We thought they'd drop a bit, but NOT to this degree.




• Florida- 85 points, 11th. Our prediction 86 points, 12th. We got the cats pegged dead on. They definitely underachieved, but for some reason (Martin) we knew it would happen(again). He needs to go.




• Toronto- 83 points, 12th. Our prediction 96 points, 7th. We WAY over estimated how well they would do. Perhaps we bought into the Toronto media hype? Too many fat cats with no trade clauses. Sundin had good year, but is he really that great a leader?




• Islanders- 79 points, 13th. Our prediction 80 points, 15th. Played pretty much to expectations. Started well, but injuries finished them off.




• Atlanta- 76 points, 14th. Our prediction 92 points, 10th. We didn't see them as a playoff team, BUT never did we see them falling this far! Despite another great year from the best Russian no one knows about, Ilya Kovolchuk. We knew Waddell was a bad GM, but now we know he's a bad coach as well. If he's back we predict they wil suck again.




• Tampa Bay- 71 points, 15th. Our prediction 94 points, 9th. Ditto Atlanta. Tortorella needs to be replaced, but Jay Feaster hasn't done a very good job handling the post salary cap era either. They need an overhaul, but can they afford to do it?

3) Next, the West. Overall we did much better out west with a few notable exceptions:

• Detroit- 115 points, 1st. Our prediction 115 points, 1st. Guess we kinda got this one right, huh? LOL. Most points, but not the best team out west. However, they'd be the class of the East.




• San Jose- 108 points, 2nd. Our prediction 110 points, 2nd. We also had the sharks pegged pretty accurately. The last 2 months since the trade dead line they have been unbeatable. Can they carry this over into the playoffs. Ron Wilson's job is at stake.




• Minnesota- 98 points, 3rd. Our prediction 102, 6th. The gum chewer (Lemaire) was able to coax a NW division title out of this bunch. Nice job. They don't scare us as a playoff team, but won't be push overs either




• Anaheim- 102 points, 4th. Our prediction 107, 4th. Again, we pretty much had the Ducks where we thought they'd end up. Cup contenders again, but behind the Sharks.




• Dallas- 97 points, 5th. Our prediction 91 points, 9th. Like the Devils, we annually underestimate the Stars, thinking they are too old to compete fr a spot, yet they did. Despite late season swoon, they acquire the 5th slot.




• Colorado- 95 points, 6th. Our prediction 105 points, 3rd. Didn't quite live up to our expectations, BUT with all the many injuries they had to endure its amazing they achieved what they did. They stay healthy and they win the division going away.




• Calgary- 94 points, 7th. Our prediction 103 points, 5th. We didn't expect that goaltending would be an issue with Calgary, but the first half was forgettable for Kiprusoff. Iginla had a MVP type season for the Flames.




• Nashville- 91 points, 8th. Our prediction 90 points, 10th. We amend our previous impression of Barry Trotz. He did a VERY good job getting his team back into the playoffs despite losing many players and the distraction of possibly moving the franchise.

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• Edmonton- 88 points, 9th. Our prediction 85 points, 11th. We had them about where they ended up. Actually considering their first half, they did a very nice job, despite injuries, staying in contention until the final week. Nice job to McTavish.




• Chicago- 88 points, 10th. Our prediction 76 points, 13th. Played significantly better than we thought. Both rookies, Towes and Kane did NOT disappoint. We believe if Towes had stayed healthy the Hawks may have had a better playoff chance and he would have been a shoe-in as Calder.




• Vancouver- 88 points, 11th. Our prediction 100 points, 7th. So Alain Vigneault isn't a great coach anymore? Sorry, he never was! He was as good as Luongo was. When Roberto slumped, so did the Caucks.




• Phoenix- 83 points, 12th. Our prediction 70 points, 14th. Had a much better season than we thought. However most if not all of that improvement can be attributed to the acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov in November. Had he been on the team from opening night the Coyotes would have been in the playoff hunt till the end




• Columbus- 80 points, 13th. Our prediction 68 points, 15th. We figured there were still considerable growing pains yet to endure after an 8 year period with a bad GM, Doug MacLean. Scott Howson has a lot of work to do. Hitch did what he could with what he was given
  
  
  St. Louis- 79 points, 14th. Our prediction 82 points, 12th. Although they finished pretty much where we thought, the folks in St.Louis can't be happy how the team tanked the last 2 months. They need to jettison Tkachuk if they want to improve!



• Los Angeles- 71 points, 15th. Our prediction 96points, 8th. Easily our worst prediction in the entire NHL. We overlooked their obvious weakness (sorry Vlad) in goal. If the Kings had Bryzgolov they would have improved the way the Coyotes did. In addition to adding a real NHL goalie, Dean Lombardi also need to excise Blake this offseason