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Chimes Sports Online Special
1998-99 HOCKEY PREVIEW
By Nathan Bierma
The most noticeable change in the National Hockey League this
season comes in the standings. They're bigger. Only a few years
removed from the days of naming divisions after hockey legends
from years past, an even more radical overhaul takes place in
1998. This year the league expands from four divisions to six
and from 26 teams to 27 with the addition of the expansion Nashville
Predators (three more expansion teams will follow the next two
years).
The Toronto Maple Leafs move from the Western Conference to the
East, the Dallas Stars get out of the Detroit Red Wings' way and
move to the Pacific, and once again new names appear on top of
the standings -- such geographically complex appellations such
as Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest to accompany the more decisively-named
Atlantic, Central, and Pacific. But while the divisions change,
the balance of power remains the same. It will again be Detroit
and Dallas duking it out for the Cup in a rivalry intensified
by the Stars' acquistion of Brett Hull. In the East, anything
goes, but like the AFC in pro football (until last year), they
will merely provide the sacrificial lamb. Our playoff predictions
follow our team capsules.
ATLANTIC DIVISION
1. Philadelphia Flyers Last Year Defense of Stanley Cup Finals
appearance ends in first round, 4-1 to Buffalo. What's New The
Beezer, John Vanbiesbrouck, comes from Florida in effort to shore
up nagging Philly goaltending woes. Former Red Wing Paul Coffey
heads to Chicago. Quick Take Beezer is known to dazzle, which
is good considering Philly goaltending is known to nauseate. And
they may no longer be the Legion of Doom, but Eric Lindros and
John LeClair still lead one of the most potent lines in the league.
Still, a team notorious for bickering and laziness will be hard-pressed
to return to the Finals.
2. New Jersey Devils Last Year Second-best record in the league,
best in the East, but upset in first round by upstart Ottawa.
What's New Head coach Robbie Fortek promoted from assisant position.
Former Red Wing Slava Fetisov retires, arrives as assistant coach.
Offensive ace Doug Gilmour packs for Chicago. Quick Take Martin
Brodeur and Scott Stevens remain solid in goal and on the blue
line, respectively, but the loss of Gilmour makes them more defensive-minded
than ever. At least they'll get out of the first round this year,
but they have some work to do beyond that.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins Last Year Can't fight their way out of
first round, losing in six games to Montreal. But they overachieved
just to get there. What's New Ron Francis leaves for Carolina,
leaving Jaromir Jagr the only big name left. Quick Take There's
just too little to work with for coach Kevin Constantine to get
back to the playoffs. The loss of Francis is brutal, and distractions
abound with the retired Mario Lemieux suing to get the rest of
his salary, the team's co-owners jockeying for position, and the
continued holdout of Petr Nedved, who sat out all last year. For
a while the Pens hung on to the good ol' days of earlier this
decade, when the won two straight Stanley Cups. Now all they'll
have is the memories.
4. New York Rangers Last Year League's highest payroll translated
into 21st best finish. What's New Veteran John MacLean is in via
free agency. Veteran Pat LaFontaine is out after too many concussions.
Former Red Wing and East Kentwood star Mike Knuble dons a blue
shirt. Quick Take Void as big as ever between wise veterans and
raw youngsters on this team. No healthy middle to carry Wayne
Gretzky where he belongs--in the playoffs.
5. New York Islanders Last Year Another aimless year for a rudder-less
franchise. Front office distractions pile up and young talent
wasted. What's New Star Zigmund Palffy leads a list of high-profile
holdouts, Team sues to get out of decrepit Nassau Coliseum, could
be headed to Philly or Hartford for early-season home games. Quick
Take The young talent has been accumulating as the franchise has
floundered the last few years. Palffy is an exciting catlyst up
front and Bryan Berard is one of the best young defensemen in
the league. But with the ongoing Nassau saga and ugly holdouts
that could last a while, the Isles could be in for another year
gone to waste.
NORTHEAST DIVISION
1. Buffalo Sabres Last Year After atrocious start, got to the
brink of the Stanley Cup Finals before losing in six games to
Washington. What's New Randy Cunneyworth, former Ottawa captain,
comes, then goes to expansion Nashville. Quick Take The team still
begins and ends with Dominik Hasek, who has one two straight Hart
Trophies as league MVP. He can carry the team by himself. And
he'll probably have to as the Sabres couldn't hang on to Cunneyworth
and are left with no formidable scoring attack.
2. Ottawa Senators Last Year Longtime laughingstock makes playoffs,
stuns Devils in first round before losing to the Cup finalist
Capitals. What's New Randy Cunneyworth leaves after three seasons
as captain. Quick Take They probably won't get out of the first
round after reaching the playoffs again, but after last year's
unbelievable display and previous years of misery, that should
still be seen as a triumph for this young, explosive team.
3. Montreal Canadiens Last Year Swept by Buffalo in second round
after dumping Pittsburgh. What's New Several key free agents remain
unsigned, including Swedish sensation Saku Koivu. Venerable goalie
Andy Moog announced his retirement. Quick Take Montreal hockey
is all about tradition, but Moog's retirement served to underscore
a new direction for the franchise. They're still getting used
to the Molson Centre in place of one of sports' all-time great
sanctuaries, the Montreal Forum. Now they're left with two youngsters,
most notably Jocelyn Thibault, to mind the goal. The Canadiens
will make the playoffs easily enough, but it's up to the young
guys to take them from there.
4. Boston Bruins Last Year Claw their way back into playoffs one
year after ending league's longest consecutive playoff appearance
streak, but lose in first round to eventual Cup finalist Washington.
23-year-old Jason Allison comes from nowhere to finish ninth in
the league in scoring in just his second year. What's New Not
much, but just maintaining the discipline of last year is noteworthy
enough two years after racking up the league's worst record. Quick
Take The timeless Ray Bourque represents the relentless-ness of
this franchise. There's little hope for much success beyond a
playoff berth, but it's one of the hardest working under coach
Pat Burns. The biggest question is whether sophomore sensation
Jason Allison can follow up a monstrous 33-goal year.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs Last Year First-year coach Pat Quinn's
team stumbles as former Leafs coach Pat Burns thrives his first
year in Boston. What's New Curtis Joseph is in, giving the Leafs
two All-Star goaltenders. The rest of the league now hungers for
the services of the banished Felix Potvin. Quick Take The only
highlight on offense is Mats Sundin; there are no highlights on
defense. But this team will be worth watching just for the goaltending
soap opera and Joseph's showcase in the absence of a defense.
SOUTHEAST
1. Washington Capitals Last Year Surprise everyone by reaching
Stanley Cup Finals, surprise no one by getting swept by destiny-driven
Detroit. Olaf Kolzig establishes himself as elite goalie. What's
New After overachieving mightily in postseason, Caps prepare for
unsettling role of favorite. Quick Take Kolzig will sparkle again
in net and Peter Bondra and Adam Oates will light it up again,
but Caps will follow recent trend of Cup runners-up and fall short
of Finals return.
2. Carolina Hurricanes Last Year Canes miss playoffs by nine points,
to the delight of the few fans who bothered coming to the games
in their new temporary home in Greensboro. What's New Ron Francis
gives Carolina a big name. Reallignment plants the Canes in the
league’s weakest division. Quick Take They're still driving out
to Greensboro to play "home" games and they're still short of
the playoffs after three-straight near misses. Thank goodness
for the punchless Southeast Division.
3. Florida Panthers Last Year Just two years removed from Stanley
Cup Finals appearance, Panthers slump as John Vanbiesbrouck fizzles.
What's New GM Bryan Murray hires his brother Terry as coach, but
this goes beyond nepotism; the latter coached the Flyers to the
Stanley Cup Finals a year ago June. The Beezer is gone and with
him goes the biggest link to the Year of the Rat. New arena opens
its doors. Quick Take New coach, new goalie, new arena, same old
bad team on the ice. All-stars turned journeymen Kirk McLean and
Sean Burke battle for the goalie spot, but won't give Terry Murray
enough to lean on as he picks up the pieces of this fading team.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning Last Year Perennial loser sinks to league's
worst record. Jacque Demers comes in early on to run a tighter
ship. Bizarre owner scandals plague team all year long. What's
New The ownership is finally settled and the number one pick in
the draft, Vincent Lacavalier, may be whisked up to the NHL right
off the bat. Craig Janney, Benoit Hogue, Wendel Clark, and Bill
Ranford highlight key pickups in active offseason. John Cullen
galliantly fights off lymphoma, battles his way back on to the
ice. Quick Take Demers has a full season to work with after stepping
in early last year. He should whip a promising new batch of players
into shape. Of course, there's only one way to go in the standings.
CENTRAL
1. Detroit Red Wings Last Year Second straight Stanley Cup has
fans talking dynasty. Take out Cup favorite Dallas in conference
finals, hand Cup to fallen hero Vladmir Konstantinov in emotional
climax. What's New Former antagonist Uwe Krupp of the hated Avalanche,
who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1996, switches sides
in what was hockey's best rivalry before Dallas snatched Brett
Hull. Quick Take The only semblance of an obstacle to a three-peat
is Dallas, what with the sniper Hull in tow. That matchup figures
to be the most exciting in hockey this year. When they're not
playing the Stars, just enjoy watching the Red Wings' system,
which boasts scoring threats (Sergei Federov, Steve Yzerman, Brendan
Shanahan, Nicklas Lidstrom) but actually relies on the gutsy play
of lesser-known grinders such as Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty,
and Tomas Holmstrom. And Krupp adds even more toughness. Last
year the Wings handled the Hull-less Stars easily. Now they'll
just expend a little more energy before hoisting the Cup yet again.
2. St Louis Blues Last Year Swept Kings in first round before
getting run over by the Red Wings in six games. What's New After
years of unhappiness under the Arch, Brett Hull is finally gone.
He may have been unhappy, but he was worth a playoff berth and
a series or two by himself. No other team will sink so fast because
of one player. Quick Take Hull's loss will sting, but substantial
talent remains with the likes of Pierre Turgeon, Chris Pronger,
Grant Fuhr, even former Griffin Pavol Demitra. Don't count this
team out of the playoffs just yet. But you can forget about a
Cup.
3. Chicago Blackhawks Last Year Missed the playoffs for the first
time in 28 years. Over half of their losses were by by one goal.
What's New Former Blackhawk Dirk Graham hired as coach, Doug Gilmour
brought in from New Jersey. Gary Suter leaves for San Jose while
goalie Chris Terreri is shipped out, leaving Jeff Hackett with
the job full time. Quick Take New batch of solid veterans will
help, but it's up to mainstays Eric Daze, Alexi Zhamnov, and Hackett
to define this team. One year after Boston snapped its 29-year
playoff appearance streak, the Blackhawks ended their streak of
28 years. Look for them to follow Boston's lead again and get
back to the playoffs after a one year hiatus, but, like Boston,
to lose in the first round.
4. Nashville Predators Last Year Scrambling to sell season tickets,
nabbed country music stars to pose toothless on billboards. What's
New Pretty much everything. Former Washington GM David Poile heads
a solid front office and coach Barry Trotz tries to coax some
wins out of a thin expansion roster. Quick Take Some formidable
names, such as Darren Turcotte, Randy Cunneyworth, and Sergei
Krivakrasov, but not enough to survive in the brutal Central.
But while Nashville fans adjust to sitting around a big sheet
of ice, watching Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis feed on the Predators,
they can rest assured this franchise has a front office that will
keep pushing the team down the road to respectability.
NORTHWEST
1. Colorado Avalanche Last Year First time in three years Avs
fail to reach conference finals, bowing out in first round to
Edmonton. What's New Coach Marc Crawford shown the door, Bob Hartley
lands first NHL coaching gig. Quick Take If Peter Forsberg stays
of the injured list and Joe Sakic off the trading block, Colorado
will be set, cruising behind all-world goalie Patrick Roy. The
new blood behind the bench can only lift this team after Crawford
lost touch with his players. This team could be poised to return
to the conference finals if it comes together.
2. Edmonton Oilers Last Year Dumped Avalanche in first round before
falling in five games to Dallas. What's New Curtis Joseph ends
his long reign in Edmonton, leaving for Toronto. Young defensive
star Janne Niinimaa arrives, as does Marty McSorley. Quick Take
The exit of CuJo is a fundamental lesson in small-market economics.
Just as the Oilers were poised to put away recent years of futility
and become a conference power, they couldn't afford to keep the
backbone of their team. They still have a talented young defense
and solid attack up front, but longtime Anaheim backup Mikhail
Shtalenkov will have to put on some kind of show to get this team
back to the playoffs.
3. Calgary Flames Last Year After string of first round flameouts,
team misses playoffs for second straight year with league's fifth
worst record. What's New Ken Wregget comes from Pittsburgh to
solidify goalending. On defense, Phil Housley returns to Calgary
from the Capitals and former Blackhawk Steve Smith comes out of
retirement. Quick Take Wregget should shore up the netminding,
but there's far too little goal scoring. They might not score
at all without Theo Fleury, who's exacerbating the perils of this
small-market franchise with a holdout.
4. Vancouver Canucks Last Year The team's solution to its woefulness
is -- Mike Keenan? Keenan's entrance halfway through the year
fails to keep Canucks from falling to third worst record in league.
Future Hall-of-Famer Mark Messier's presence serves to break up
team, not unify it. What's New Defensive stalwart Jyrki Lumme
heads to Phoenix. Pavel Bure still wants to be traded. Quick Take
There's still talent here with Messier, Alexander Mogilny, and
Bure while he stays around. But having Keenan at the helm is like
letting an angry teenager drive the minivan. And Garth Snow isn't
the answer in goal. There's not much room beneath them in the
standings, but they figure to find it.
PACIFIC DIVISION
1. Dallas Stars Last Year Presidential Trophy for league's best
record, but lose to Red Wings in conference finals. What's New
Brett Hull. Any questions? Prolific scorer has Dallas thinking
Cup. Quick Take Arguably the most talented team in the league,
with Ed Belfour in goal and underrated Mike Modano up front. But
team's age demands immediate results. It'll be another tangle
with Detroit to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the urgency
is running high.
2. Phoenix Coyotes Last Year Took eventual champion Detroit to
six games in first round. What's New Mike Gartner retires, Jyrki
Lumme comes from Vancouver. Quick Take There's plenty of talent
here to be an elite team. The problem is the lack of chemistry
that keeps this team from living up to its potential. The Coyotes
could be anything this year from a playoff-less flop to a tough
opponent in the second round.
3. Los Angeles Kings Last Year Make playoffs for the first time
since 1993, when they reached the Stanley Cup Finals. What's New
Veteran defensmen Steve Duchesne and Doug Bodger join Norris Trophy
winner Rob Blake on defense. Quick Take The defense is set and
the goaltending adequate behind Stephane Fiset. What the Kings
need is their young scorers to step up, or they'll have another
first round sweep on their hands.
4. San Jose Sharks Last Year Took Dallas to six games in first
round. What's New Defensive veterans Bob Rouse and Gary Suter
climb aboard. Goalie Kelly Hrudey retires, Marty McSorley leaes
for Edmonton. Quick Take This is a team rich with veterans, solid
on defense and tight in goal under Mike Vernon. But until they
find a dependable scorer it will be hard to improve on last year's
impressive first round showing. 5. Anaheim Mighty Ducks Last Year
Star Paul Kariya holds out, then suffers concussion, plays only
22 games. Fellow star Teemu Selanne ties Peter Bondra for scoring
title despite being one-man show. What's New Craig Hartsburg comes
from Chicago to coach. Paul Kariya should have a full year to
regain his superstardom. Quick Take Kariya's presence makes or
breaks this team, yet Selanne doesn't seem to need any help to
dazzle. But too little scoring behind them to make the playoffs.
TOUGHEST DIVISION:
Northeast
WEAKEST DIVISION:
Southeast
TOP FIVE TEAMS:
1. Dallas 2. Washington 3. Detroit 4. Colorado 5. Buffalo
LAST FIVE TEAMS:
27. Nasvhille 26. Vancouver 25. Tampa Bay 24. Florida 23. Toronto
DIVISION WINNERS
Philadelphia Buffalo Washington Detroit Colorado Dallas
OTHER PLAYOFF TEAMS:
New Jersey Ottawa Montreal Boston Carolina St. Louis Chicago Phoenix
Los Angeles San Jose
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Buffalo over New Jersey
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Detroit over Dallas
STANLEY CUP FINALS
Detroit over Buffalo
Comments? Hit the Sportsline at nbierm@calvin.edu
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