NHL Mid-Season Predictions

Alright...we're halfway through the season (well, most teams aren't, but the Oilers are, so I'm going to do this anyway) so it's time for some mid-season predictions for the standings! Non-playoff teams aren't really worth my time, so I'm just going to focus on the top 8 in each conference.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Detroit - The Red Wings are almost unstoppable in the central division (11-1-0). They've scored the second most goals in the league, and the Legace/Osgood tandem seems to be working well.

2. Calgary - I think that if it weren't for Kiprusoff, the Flames would be in the tank. Their offence has been waking up lately, and Iginla is due to break out of his first half of the season funk (he does it all the time). Defensively, they've allowed the 3rd least goals in the league.

3. Dallas - They only finish 3rd because the Pacific division is pretty competitive and LA and Dallas will continue to steal points away from each other. As long as Turco stays healthy, they should be able to win the division.

4. Nashville - The Predators are one of the best teams in the conference as they seem to be matching the Red Wings win for win. Like the Red Wings, nobody in the central division can beat them, so Nashville will get a lot of points...probably more than the 2nd and 3rd playoff seeds, so this will be an easy 4th place finish. If they can kick the offence up a notch, the road to the finals will go through Nashville...

5. Los Angeles - Despite Jeremy Roenick being a big disappointment (ha ha!) the Kings have amassed quite a record, mostly thanks to Pavol Demitra, Craig Conroy, and Mathieu Garon who has 18 wins already.

6. Edmonton - This finish is based on the Oilers goaltending situation getting fixed...unfortunately, I can't play armchair GM and say for sure that Kevin Lowe will make a blockbuster trade for a goalie in March. Offence has been excpetional and that's what's been winning the games for them. No matter how shaky their goaltending is on any given night, they are never out of a game. Their powerplay is no longer "just brutal" since it currently ranks 7th in the league. And since their 3-6-1 start, they've collected 44 of a possible 62 possible points.

7. Colorado - The Lanche has holes in goaltending, but they just might have the offence to carry them through. They're currently 3rd in goals for, 6th on the PP. And Marek Svatos is making a case for Calder Trophy consideration.

8. Vancouver - The Canucks can't buy a win in the Northwest. Of their 13 regulation losses, 10 have been against their division foes. I hope the Cloutier critics are finally realizing how valuable he is in the regular season. They are in danger of missing the playoffs if Anaheim, Minnesota, and Phoenix continue to rise, but they should be able to pull it out at the last moment.

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Ottawa - Best offence and best defence in the league. Easily the cup favourite this year, but we'll see if they pull their usual vanishing act in May.

2. Philadelphia - The Flyers have only lost 8 times in regulation, only Ottawa is better with 7 regulation losses. Simon Gagne and Peter Forsberg are the reasons the Flyers are up here.

3. Carolina - Winners of the worst division in the league. Eric Staal has been quietly lighting it up...he's in the running for the Art Ross Trophy. Offence is not a problem for the Canes, but defence is...it's 22nd in the league.

4. Buffalo - The surprise team of '05-'06 is the Sabres. They seemed to win at will in December (I think they were 10-1 or something), but I'm skeptical that they'll be able to keep up this success without Daniel Briere. They're somewhat middle of the pack in terms of offence and defence, so I don't know what their secret to success is.

5. Toronto - If they didn't have to play Ottawa 8 times, they'd be in the 4th seed for sure. (I mean, so does Buffalo, but I like Buffalo's chances better). I'd rather see the Leafs miss the playoffs...unfortunately, they've been playing pretty well lately.

6. NY Rangers - The Jaromir Jagr show. Henrik Lundqvist has been outstanding too...he's 3rd in GAA and save percentage. Still, they finish no better than 6th, and it's because of Tom Poti. I hate Tom Poti.

7. Tampa Bay - The Lightning have been on quite a slide lately, leading John Tortellini to openly question the team's goaltending. Their forward lines haven't been all that great, but the lower echelons of the eastern conference are bad enough for Tampa Bay to wind up 7th.

8. Atlanta - Huh?? Why not the Habs? Well, it's time to face some hard truths...the Habs just haven't been very good lately. If they can get better defensively, they might challenge for this spot, but right now I'm going to have to give it to Hotlanta. I'm sick of hearing people say that the Thrashers got hosed in the Heatley trade because Hossa has been almost as good for them. There's talent on this team, but their goaltending situation ensures they finish no higher than 8th.

I won't put up playoff predictions like I did for the NFL. Feel free to post your playoff predictions in the comment section and I'll tell you why they're wrong.