THN Looks at Pacific Division

Last week Adam Proteau of The Hockey News looked at the Pacific Division and made some interesting choices. It's hard to see him place MY Stars 4th in the division, but it's hard to make preseason rankings too.

As expected the Ducks & Sharks are listed as 1 & 2 respectively, and the 'yotes are in 5th place, what may (or may not) suprise some of you is he ranked the Kings as 3rd with playoff hopes and the stars as 4th without.

Really thinking about it though, The Kings & Sharks made decent moves to show hockey prognosticators that they mean business this year, and the Stars did not. However, I don't agree with the suggestion that the Stars aren't already set up for a stellar year. I said it over and over, Scott said it time and again, and we're here to tell you again, our biggest problem with scoring was injuries. We have the very same roster that started the season with the Stars' best season start to date - and as long as Modano doesn't pull his groin and Morrow doesn't put his wrist under another skate ... we're set for another great opening stretch.

Yes, some of our biggest rivals look to have made some very serious moves in the off season, but so did we: we got healthy. Check out the article, what do you think? Are you putting the stars out of playoff contention this year? Do you think the Ducks are going to get 2 straight division titles? Let us know before the next cast and we'll include your thoughts in the show!

Pronger causes Ducks' first pre-season loss

Call it what you want, that's fine, but Pronger's bad behavior has once again cost his team, last years Stanley Cup Champions, a loss that they'd much rather forget.

Seriously, think about it. You're the quote-un-quote best team in the league last season; you show up to your cross-town rival, one of the worst teams in the league last season; and you lose. You not only lose, but you can count the goals cost by a single player, and they total more than half your opponents total goals.

The first goal was a powerplay goal during after he was called for interference. The second happened 3 seconds after Pronger's hooking penalty expired. The third 9 seconds after another interference call. Say what you will but when a goal happens within the first 10 seconds of a players penalty expires I still blame it on the player; it's his fault the team had to play with four players, and its his fault they had to adjust from four to five again.

I'm not saying this means a damn thing; pre-season games are worthless because the veterans dont' put their whole selves into them and the rookies are getting chances they normally wouldn't have. However ... do you think Pronger will sleep well tonight? Tell you one thing, if he were in the mob, he'd find himself in a gutter, or at least having a harder time breathing.

--j

Past, Present & the Future

So we swept the Kings this year, going to only give up one game to the Coyotes as long as we play our game, three to the Sharks and hopefully no more than three to the Ducks. So after picking up all those points in our own division, why are we only in third place? The answer - it doesn't matter! The Stars are a top team in the NHL and I don't care what people said about them before the season started or what they are saying now about where we are and what chances we have in the playoffs. I know for a fact that the Stars players' mindset is not only making the playoffs but making it through the first round. Do I think they are thinking about where they are at in the standings, absolutely! But more importantly they are thinking about what it is going to take to win the next game more than who their opponent will be in the first round.

So here are my predictions for the eight spots in the West. Not going to touch the East until the final week. Number one will be Nashville. I don't like picking Nashville but I don't want the Dead Wings in first again. Second place will go to the Sharks. They are playing solid hockey night after night and nothing seems to faze them. Third will be held by Vancouver. They have been the strongest team in the Northwest despite the Wild making a late season rush. Fourth will go to the Dead Wings because they aren't strong enough to beat out the Preds but are strong enough to beat out Anaheim. The Ducks will sit in 5th and will beat out the Dead Wings in the first round. Sitting sixth will be Dallas and will take out the Canucks in a long drawn out first round. Seventh will be the Wild and will get beat by the Sharks in the first round. Finally and more surprisingly in eighth will be Colorado. Since they fought so hard to gain a playoff spot, they will continue that run past the first round of the playoffs and defeat the Predators.

That is it, my predictions. Give me your thoughts, arguments, support and your predictions!