Each Friday throughout the season, I'll provide you with my predictions on whose stock is on the rise and whose is failing miserably like an American bank. It's a neat little segment entitled Buys and Sells. There are a few teams/players/issues to buy and a few to sell.
I hope everyone out there had a great holiday, whichever one you choose to celebrate. If it was Christmas, I hope you don't have too bad of an egg nog hangover this morning! Today in Buys and Sells we're going to take a look at which NHL teams are contending and which are pretending. We're nearing the midpoint of the season and the end of the year, so I think it's a great time to take a look at the first half surprises and decide who will be sticking around come playoff time and who will be heading home early. As you've probably surmised from the picture to the right, Jon Toews and the Hawks are the first topic of discussion today... Right after the jump. As always disagreements and your own picks are welcome in the comments.
Buy: The Blackhawks' playoff chances. The Hawks have missed the playoffs nine of the last ten years and haven't won a playoff series since 1996. However, this year they are finally getting it right and have emerged as one of the best teams in the Western Conference. They're fifth in the league in goals scored and are getting solid goaltending from Cristobal Huet and the Bulin Wall. The two netminders have combined for a 2.41 GAA and a .919 save percentage. But the Hawks are really led by their young kids up front. 38% of their offense comes from Kane, Toews, Sharp and Versteeg and as you might imagine, they're the youngest team in the league with an average age of 25.5.
Buy: The playoffs coming to Pittsburgh. Yes, things are not looking good for the defending Eastern Conference champs. Right now, they're sitting in 7th in the east, only four points up from the 10th place Florida Panthers and play in the tough Atlantic Division. The Pens have lost two of their last three to Eastern scrubs (see: Toronto, Tampa Bay) and have a tough post-Christmas schedule ahead of them (see: at New Jersey, Montreal, Boston). Now, four teams from the Atlantic will likely not make the playoffs. But I think the Penguins will find their way in ahead of another division rival. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have been stellar, and a lot of what they're missing from last year is depth up front and goaltending. Marc-Andre Fleury will be a key to their playoff run because if he can regain the form he had down the stretch last year, this will be a serious team to watch in the east. If they Penguins can address one of these issues, they'll be in, since I believe they're that good otherwise.
Sell: The playoffs coming to New Jersey, Florida and Toronto. We're just going to lump these Eastern Conference pretenders all into one. At this moment, all of these teams are in position or closing in on a playoff spot in the East. They all also have one thing in common -- I don't believe in them. Toronto, while only three points out of the eighth spot, has been too erratic all year. In fact, I'm surprised they are as close as they are, having lost seven games by three goals or more. Compare that to the worst teams in the East, the Isles and Bolts, who have lost a combined nine days by that margin. In addition to that, they give up the third most goals in the NHL and that's a recipe for disaster.
The Panthers, well, I'm sorry to say that this isn't their year either. They hung around all last season, only to come up short in April. They have three easy games coming up, two against Tampa and one against Long Island, but that will be only a temporary fix. They have the third lowest scoring offense in the NHL -- ahead of Ottawa, I guess it shows how bad they have been -- and their team leader in points is Jay Bouwmeester, a defenseman, who has 18 points in 33 games. About the only thing holding this team together are the duo of Vokoun and Andersen in goal who have combined for a ridiculous 2.40 and .930.
Then there are the Devils. Call it a hunch, but I think not having Marty Brodeur in net is going to catch up with them eventually. I don't think they will be able to hold off the Penguins in the Atlantic, and that division will not get four teams in due to divisional play at the end of the season. Scott Clemmensen seems to be the their heir apparent in goal, with a surprising 2.22 and .922. I just can't see it lasting. I don't believe that, even if he is the real deal, there is enough defense in front of him to get them into the playoffs.
So since I seem to be running long on this, I'll sum up a few more picks very quickly. Minnesota and Nashville in, Phoenix, Colorado and Los Angeles out. Dallas... Might make it interesting.
