Alex in AZ (Posted 2008-08-08 14:14:19)
It doesn't matter if the Caps go deep in the playoffs - or really any team from the east for that matter. If anyone betting on the next Stanley Cup isn't putting money on Detroit, Dallas, and San Jose, they're wasting their money... and a big LOL to William's comment about the Pacific division.

Andrew Bowman (Posted 2008-07-27 18:40:30)
haha it'll be funny for me thinking of you sitting at home eating your humble pie watching the caps go deep into the playoffs

stira (Posted 2008-07-27 00:37:55)
Trent, I agree with all your comments except for the AO one. Ovechkin's a machine, implying that in another division his stats would be siginificantly less (not "padded") is underestimation of his elite skill level.

Brian Kemp (Posted 2008-07-25 19:36:47)
William, first off, the Central has existed for just over a decade (14 seasons, 15 years), making your "decades" comment look foolish. The Southeast has been the weakest division since its creation. There have only been 3 100 point seasons in the Southeast, whereas the Central has had at least one 100 point team every season. Both Dallas and St. Louis have beaten out the Wings for the top spot, and in both the 05-06 and 06-07 seasons, Nashville put up over 100 points. The Central has never had fewer than two teams make the playoffs, where the Southeast has only had two teams make it 5 of the 9 seasons it has existed. The Southeast has never had more than two teams in the post season, the Central has had 3 four times, and 4 three times in its 14 years of existence. The Southest has made great strides, and I believe that it is possible that 3 of it's teams could make it to the post season this year, but the Central will have at least two spots (Detroit and the much improved Chicago), with Nashville, Columbus and St. Louis possibly in (not all three) or at the edge of the post season. How anyone can look at the numbers and not conclude that the Southeast has been the weakest division in the NHL is beyond me.

JackTheHat (Posted 2008-07-25 16:25:57)
I also would like to point out that Detroit was barely above 500 against their divisional rivals last season, so using the "Detroit takes advantage of a weak division," argument doesn't apply.

hemsky83 (Posted 2008-07-25 15:43:36)
PJ: i agree with you however i also believe the goalies in the SE are among the worst. I think Vokoun might be the best goalie at this moment. I also think Ward, Smith and maybe Lehtonen are good young group but any of these guy would have a hard time making a top ten. Theodore/Johnson(WSH)Ward/Leighton(CAR)Smith/Kolzig(TB)Hedberg/Lehtonen(ATL)Vokoun/Anderson(FLA)

bam (Posted 2008-07-25 15:30:37)
Just to set the record straight ... 2003-04 - Tampa won the SE and had the best point total in the East 2005-06 - Carolina won the SE, 2nd best team in the East 2006-07 - Atlanta won the SE, finished 5th in points in the East 2007-08 - Washington won the SE, tied with Ottawa for 6th in the East

hemsky83 (Posted 2008-07-25 13:53:26)
william everyone in hockey knows that the carolina and tampa and maybe even washington have all taken advantage of a stupid rule that ranks the divison winners rank 1,2,3. In most cases the southeast divison winner had less points than the team holding the last playoff spot. That's why it's known as the southleast divison.

William (Posted 2008-07-25 11:35:27)
Hey Fraser, enough of the Southeast is the worst, far from it. Two of the last four champs from the Souteast. If not for Detroit, that division has done NOTHING for decades. That is by far the worst division in the past 30-40 years! Get a clue! Detroit has had an easy ride in that division for years, please, enough of the Southeast nonsense! By the way, what has the Pacific division done in the past 10 years, NOTHING!