NHL Storylines

After a couple weeks of play, "Circle The Date" landmarks laid out in my NHL Predictions have passed. As promised, I'm here to evaluate them.

Vancouver - Oct 12/13 at Philly/Detroit. An early chance for the Canucks to show their team is ready to play and not experiencing a funk from their failure.

Vancouver lost both of these contests despite playing good for portions of each game. The problem is the team can't seem to stay focussed for a full 60 minutes. Even in the games they won, they were seriously challenged by their opponents. It's more than a little obvious the team is rusty. You could call it a "Cup Hangover" except they didn't win it. You'd think they would have come back more determined. Instead it looks like they are feeling sorry for themselves. The good news is the team has plenty of time to sober up.

Tampa Bay - Oct 17 vs Florida - Schedule makers weren't friendly and have Tampa playing its first 5 games on the road. Come out of this trip with some success and it'll build confidence they are ready to repeat last season.

After 6 games, Tampa is 1-3-2 and they are not playing the style of hockey that got them to the Conference Finals just a few months ago. The poor start is going to be a challenge for a young coaching staff. Many teams make a big splash only to fall back a bit the next season. If Tampa can't get the defense under control, they'll find themselves fighting for a playoff spot.

Elsewhere around the league

The real story of the early season isn't at the top of the standings but at the bottom.

Boston - Early struggles mimic the Canucks. Carrying the Cup around all offseason takes its toll. Somehow I doubt Bruin fans are too worried.

San Jose - Another team that should be focussed has come out anything but. How long until the fans start pointing fingers at the usual scapegoats?

Calgary - A slow start is not what this bubble team needed. Keep it up much longer and I fully expect to see a firesale.

Columbus - No team could ill afford a poor start less than Columbus. They did a lot in the offseason to garner some good will with their fans but it has all gone to hell. Wiesnewski's suspension certainly isn't helping. Now with Carter injured, things could unravel.

New York Rangers - They haven't won yet, but they have only played 3 games. But they've got 4 more on the road in Western Canada before returning home. First up Vancouver. The Madison Square Garden fans aren't going to be so welcoming if they come home with only a couple of points.

Nobody wins a championship in October but plenty of teams lose their chance to compete for one. Just last year, the difference between the #2 seed and out of the playoffs was a meager 10 points in the West and only 15 points in the East. That equates to roughly 1 win a month. A team the stuggles early will be fighting all season to make that up.

I'll be checking in again at the end of the month. At that point, I'll have a few more "Circle The Dates" to evaluate plus a better feel on who the surprise teams might be.