ghdi Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2012/story/_/id/8856822/stanley-cup-awards-predictions This is basically a list of ESPN's "experts" and who they feel is going to win. Look at Melrose. I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubie#8 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 PSH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilMinder Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 All these ranger people are ridiculous...they are the Rangers, come on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 All these ranger people are ridiculous...they are the Rangers, come on. I look at them closer, and the Rangers are better than I was giving them credit for, and I was already of the view they were a dangerous team. They're basically weak with the third-pairing D, but otherwise that's it. They have better forward depth than I originally thought. Bottom line: The Rangers are a very logical Cup favorite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghdi Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 Yea, I take no issue with people taking the Rags. They're basically the same team as last year with Rick Nash. Melrose's pick though. Just funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The Rangers seem to be the trendy pick right now. So be it. I can't say I'm expecting that much from the Devils...I think they'll start slowly, but probably do enough to get into the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghdi Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 The Rangers seem to be the trendy pick right now. So be it. I can't say I'm expecting that much from the Devils...I think they'll start slowly, but probably do enough to get into the playoffs. I would say the Blues are the trendy pick. The Rags are the easy way out. IMO they are the favorites going in, but I wouldnt bet on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I look at them closer, and the Rangers are better than I was giving them credit for, and I was already of the view they were a dangerous team. They're basically weak with the third-pairing D, but otherwise that's it. They have better forward depth than I originally thought. Bottom line: The Rangers are a very logical Cup favorite. They're really not. Their bottom 6 forwards are weak and their top 6 is still pretty damn weak too. Outside of Hagelin and maybe Nash they don't have any tough minutes forwards. And of course there's the whole 'Lundqvist had an SV% higher than he's ever had'. They're a middle of the pack playoff team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 They're really not. Their bottom 6 forwards are weak and their top 6 is still pretty damn weak too. Outside of Hagelin and maybe Nash they don't have any tough minutes forwards. And of course there's the whole 'Lundqvist had an SV% higher than he's ever had'. They're a middle of the pack playoff team. What are "tough minutes forwards"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derlique Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 What are "tough minutes forwards"? Players who can play against strong competition and do well. Guys who are- Elias, Zajac, Zubrus Guys who aren't- Kovy, Clarkson, Tedenby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hystyk28 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 They're a middle of the pack playoff team. I thought I was the only one that thought this way, I couldn't agree more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Players who can play against strong competition and do well. Guys who are- Elias, Zajac, Zubrus Guys who aren't- Kovy, Clarkson, Tedenby Ok. Then what teams have more tough minute forwards, and what's the critical mass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devlman Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Players who can play against strong competition and do well. Guys who are- Elias, Zajac, Zubrus Guys who aren't- Kovy, Clarkson, Tedenby Who needs tough minutes forwards when your entire team will park the bus on front of the Michelin man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 (edited) What are "tough minutes forwards"? I forgot Callahan - but they are forwards who can either go up against the opponent's best and be + or break even (relative to zone start). The trouble with the Rangers is that they are weak down the center - now Stepan may have improved considerably, but he was legitimately not good last year. Richards has never been good, and Boyle is what he is - they slam him with hard minutes and he gets eaten up. Edited January 18, 2013 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Has Melrose looked at the Minnesota roster????? Their Defense is horrible, Suter is NOT Shea Webber, regardless how much they overpaid for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DH26 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I forgot Callahan - but they are forwards who can either go up against the opponent's best and be + or break even (relative to zone start). The trouble with the Rangers is that they are weak down the center - now Stepan may have improved considerably, but he was legitimately not good last year. Richards has never been good, and Boyle is what he is - they slam him with hard minutes and he gets eaten up. I dunno why they were so against trading Stepan but willingly traded Anisimov I thought AA was better. But as long as you're running out Stu Bickel, and Carl Hagelin on the first line, you probably shouldn't be the cup favorite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I don't know about you, but I am SHOCKED that Linda Cohen picked the Rags. Just shocked. She's about as much of an "expert" as my 21 month old son. It's like they get the 12 people in all of ESPN that are allowed to even discuss hockey in any form and put their opinions out there to make it seem like they are informed. Generally, Bucci is good with his predictions, but the rest are a joke, none more so than that Don Cherry wann-be clown Melrose. Too bad he wasn't mugged in Newark during the Cup finals last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfsharkalligatorhalfman Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Kings should be respected more, they were incredible last year after dumping Johnson and signing Sutter. Hard to pick someone else at this date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grcenter47 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 does anyone think edmonton will finally make it to the playoffs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DH26 Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 does anyone think edmonton will finally make it to the playoffs? If they do I'd imagine it'd have to be because their young forwards and Schultz kept tearing it up like they were at OKC and Dubnyk puts up good numbers and Ryan Whitney turns into Ryan Whitney again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgb6397 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I think the Rangers are a bust this year. Anisimov and Dubinsky were two good forwards and Anisimov was an important part of their success last year. Offense was an issue last year for them but given their style of play I don't know why they didn't try to make a splash towards Suter or another solid D man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njd3b1ink Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The rangers really only have 4 defensemen. But maybe that doesn't matter as much when they got arguably the best goalie in the league. What I think hurt them is that they lacked scoring and depth last year, (our fourth line man handled their first line) so what so they do? They get rid of anisimov, Dubinsky, fedotenko, and priest. All of which played their system to a T. Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like they only got 2 scoring lines and 2 defensive pairings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Did these people all just copy off each other? I mean really, 8 out of 12 people think the Rangers will win the East, and another 8 out of 12 pick the Blues out of the West? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin226 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 (edited) When was the last time that the outright preseason favorite won? Exactly... Edited January 19, 2013 by Colin226 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsfan26 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Let's see how well these jokers did last year... Of 72 total predictions, they got 12 right, eight of which was a unanimous prediction of the Canucks winning the division. If not for the Canucks, everyone would have been completely wrong except for Buccigross, Burnside, and Levy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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