Early Season Adjustments in the NHL

Preseason picks are always bold and risky. Mine were no exception, taking the Buffalo Sabres over the Anaheim Ducks in six games in the Cup Finals. With all teams at least 10 games in, it's worth taking a look at how some of the teams are doing.

The two biggest stories come out of one division. The defending champion Boston Bruins are tied for last in the Eastern Conference with the New York Islanders. And the Toronto Maple Leafs are third in the conference, behind only Pittsburgh and Washington.

Last year Boston easily made the playoffs by winning their division and taking the third seed. They took out Montreal in seven games, then swept Philadelphia, followed by a close seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals against Tampa Bay.

That put the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals against the President's Trophy winning Vancouver Canucks. Boston would go on to defeat the Canucks in seven games and claim their sixth franchise Stanley Cup.

This season, however, they have looked more like the Bizzaro Bruins than the Boston Bruins. They started 4-7-0 in their first eleven games, accumulating a mere eight points, and allowing 28 goals against. Is it just championship hangover from last season or are there some underlying problems that will have to be addressed as the season goes on?

My bet is on the first one. Their roster hasn't had any major changes and the 1-2 goalie monsters Thomas and Rask are flat out deadly. I'm sticking with my prediction that they'll finish second in their division behind Buffalo.

Moving onto the surprise Maple Leafs now, Toronto has started 7-3-1 with 15 points. Led by Right Winger Phil Kessel's 10 goals and eight assists, Toronto is off to its most impressive start in years. The Leafs have five wins and only one loss at home, which came in a shootout against Winnipeg.

I projected that they'd finish fourth in their division and miss the playoffs by at least double digit points. However, their season weighs heavily on how long their star goaltender, James Reimer, is missing and how they respond to his injury. If Kessel and the Leafs continue playing at a high level, they might be competitive down the road and maybe even get a taste of playoff action for the first time since 2004.

I think Boston will recover and make the playoffs, and sadly, I think Toronto will slip and go through a midseason dry spell and miss the playoffs again.

And for fans of teams in early season holes, here's my stat for the day: in the past three seasons, only 15 percent of teams out of the playoffs on Halloween have made the playoffs.

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