NHL Atlantic Division

[89Hen]

Devils 45 points (21-14-3)
Penguins 44 Points (21-16-2)
Rangers 44 Points (20-15-4)
Flyers 42 Points (19-14-4)
Islanders 42 Points (20-16-2)

3 points separating first from last and with the odd number of games played all teams could be within one point at some point if this continues. All five are above .500 and all five are currently in the top 8 spots in the conference. That's about as close as it gets. xeyebrowx :)

[TheValleyRaider]

Best division in hockey xnodx

I wonder who, if anyone, will falter out of the race as the season continues

[griz37]

Best division in hockey xnodx

I wonder who, if anyone, will falter out of the race as the season continues

If anyone it will be the Islanders, they have been causing me heartbreak for over 20 years.

[FCS Preview]

GO ISLANDERS!

[whitey]

All 5 could certainly make the playoffs. Mostly because the Southest is terrible. Of course a lot of it depends on how Boston, Buffalo and Toronto play during the second half.

[FCS Preview]

All 5 could certainly make the playoffs.

What do you think this is, the CAA? xlolx

[TheValleyRaider]

If anyone it will be the Islanders, they have been causing me heartbreak for over 20 years.


GO ISLANDERS!

Ted Nolan has returned us to the days of the Never Say Die-landers xnodx

Perhaps in spite of themselves at times, hope springs eternal on the Island. Of course, this is assuming Rick comes back from injury soon...

[bulldog10jw]

GO ISLANDERS!

xthumbsupx

[tribe_pride]

All 5 could certainly make the playoffs. Mostly because the Southest is terrible. Of course a lot of it depends on how Boston, Buffalo and Toronto play during the second half.

Don't put Montreal as a given yet either.

After Ottawa (big time No. 1), there are 12 teams within 6 points of each other and all 14 are within 11 points (Wash 8 back of the 2 spot and playing ok and TB 11 pts back).

1 SE team and 1 Atlantic team are automatically in plus Ottawa unless they choke. That puts the rest fighting for 5 spots. 8 spot is right now at 42 points - 3 points out of 2nd - 5 points ahead of 13th with just more than 1/2 the season to go.

This will be an exciting last half of the year.

[89Hen]

Best division in hockey xnodx
Most consistent at this point. Best teams are elsewhere, but as a division it's tough to beat top to bottom. Similar to the NFC East. Both wild cards two years running and the Eagles at 8-8 were the highest ranked team by ESPN to not make the playoffs this year.

[89Hen]

Two weeks later and a little more spread out, but the division is really starting to show how good it is with three of the hottest teams in the NHL, four of them currently in the top 8 in the East and the Rangers tied for the last playoff spot.

Penguins 26-16-3 55 points
Devils 26-16-3 55 points
Flyers 24-15-5 53 points
Islanders 23-18-5 51 points
Rangers 22-20-5 49 points

In their last ten games, the Pens, Devils and Flyers are a combined 24-4-2. xeekx

Big week coming up for the Flyers with games @NYI, Ottawa, NJ and Pitt.

[TheValleyRaider]

In their last ten games, the Pens, Devils and Flyers are a combined 24-4-2. xeekx

And guess who handed the Devils one of those 4 :D

[HiHiYikas]

Meanwhile, .500 will put a team at the top of the Southeast Division. If tha Canes manage to win the worst division in hockey (looking lately like it won't happen), I don't see them doing much in the playoffs. Oh well.

[89Hen]

Meanwhile, .500 will put a team at the top of the Southeast Division. If tha Canes manage to win the worst division in hockey (looking lately like it won't happen), I don't see them doing much in the playoffs. Oh well.
That's why I don't like the division winners getting 1,2,3 seeds automatically. The Southeast Division leader gets the benefit of playing more games against the worst teams in the conference, and then gets the benefit of being seeded higher than 5 other teams with better records against tougher teams. xconfusedx xsmhx

[grizband]

That's why I don't like the division winners getting 1,2,3 seeds automatically. The Southeast Division leader gets the benefit of playing more games against the worst teams in the conference, and then gets the benefit of being seeded higher than 5 other teams with better records against tougher teams. xconfusedx xsmhx
I've never liked that scenario either. I'm all for giving division winners automatic playoff berths, but if they have the 7th best record, then they should be the 7th seed.

[Marcus Garvey]

The what now?? What's the ennn - aitch - elle?
:D

I was a big Flyers fan 10 years ago. When I lived near Boston, I made a point of attending their games against the B's. But over the years I've stopped following them, and hockey in general for several reasons:
-That collapse in the 2000 Eastern Conf. finals!!!! WTF??? Why did they let Lindros back in?
-The refusal of Ed Snider to fire Bobby Clarke for years. It was obvious the chemistry of the team in the early part of this decade wasn't working. But instead of changing players, Bobby seemed to hire a different head coach each year
-3 years in a row, they came to Phx and got hammered!
-Living in Tucson, AZ for over 7 years meant scant NHL coverage in the local media. The sports section buried the Phoenix Coyotes coverage somwhere behind Pac-10 women's softball and high school basketball.
-The lockout

Put those all together, stir, simmer for years, and you have recipe for apathy.

[andy7171]

Hockey ceased to exist to me when Rod Langway retired.

He had a nice restaurant I used to take my date (wife) in high school!

[89Hen]

Hockey ceased to exist to me when Rod Langway retired.

He had a nice restaurant I used to take my date (wife) in high school!
Nice? xeyebrowx xsmiley_wix I lived a couple miles from Langway's when I first got out of college (I may have told you that before)... didn't go often, but definitely went several times.

[andy7171]

Nice? xeyebrowx xsmiley_wix I lived a couple miles from Langway's when I first got out of college (I may have told you that before)... didn't go often, but definitely went several times.

Nicer than Burger King. You have different perspectives at different ages.

[89Hen]

Nicer than Burger King. You have different perspectives at different ages.
How true that is. xnodx :D

[Dane96]

xthumbsupx

Doublexthumbsupx xthumbsupx

I remember skating as a "Little Islander" with the team in Cantiague Park! The glory days. I think my sister, like all girls back then, only came to the rink to see LaFontaine when he was a rookie.

Nicest Islanders to me other than Bossy were, ironically, Bobby "Head Butt" Nystrom and Billy "Water Bottle at the goal, f that...give me a can of BUD" Smith.

[brownbear]

Go Penguins!! I got to see them play at Phillips Arena last weekend against the Thrashers (First place in the Southeast). First NHL game I saw since 2001. Hockey is great to watch in person, but it definitely loses it on TV.

[89Hen]

Nicest Islanders to me other than Bossy were, ironically, Bobby "Head Butt" Nystrom
F Nystrom xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv0TxgamWzs

[Ivytalk]

F Nystrom xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx xmadx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv0TxgamWzs


Bobby "OFFSIDE" Nystrom!:p

[89Hen]

Bobby "OFFSIDE" Nystrom!:p
Wrong guy. You're certainly not alone as many, many fans remember that game incorrectly. Everyone thinks it was Nystrom's offsides, but it was actually Clark Gillies who was offsides on a goal earlier in the game.

[Ivytalk]

He sure looked offside on that pass from Henning. Anyway, I hated Gillies too!:p

[bulldog10jw]

He sure looked offside on that pass from Henning. Anyway, I hated Gillies too!:p

I loved Gillies. Especially when he just beat the s**t out of Dave Schultz in the '75 playoffs. xnodx

[bulldog10jw]

Wrong guy. You're certainly not alone as many, many fans remember that game incorrectly. Everyone thinks it was Nystrom's offsides, but it was actually Clark Gillies who was offsides on a goal earlier in the game.

If I remember right, one of the Sutter bros.(Duane, maybe) scored the "offside" goal, just before the end of the 2nd period to give the Isles a 4-2 lead. Thank goodness for incompetent officiating. xthumbsupx :p :D

[89Hen]

If I remember right, one of the Sutter bros.(Duane, maybe) scored the "offside" goal, just before the end of the 2nd period to give the Isles a 4-2 lead. Thank goodness for incompetent officiating. xthumbsupx :p :D
That sounds correct. Years later, the linesman who blew the call admitted he missed it.

[Dane96]

I loved Gillies. Especially when he just beat the s**t out of Dave Schultz in the '75 playoffs. xnodx

Bent him over and spanked him...that was great (well...I was a two year old...but I saw the video years later). "SCHULTZ DESTROYED BY GILLIES...IT IS HARD TO WATCH." LOL!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qPWms5Rdc8

I loved Gillies!

Here he LITERALLY breaks Ed Hospadar's face. I love youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE-Fx63xxrE&feature=related