As we count down the final days leading up to the 2009-10 regular season, let's take a look at each of the 30 teams with the official DGB Season Preview. Today, we look at the Southeast Division.
Atlanta Thrashers
The good: The team does, in the strictest technical sense, still exist.The bad: Their plan to finally make it back to the post-season seems to involve building around former Maple Leafs.
Biggest question mark: How will the team react to the absence of Garnett Exelby, which will force them to play with two defencemen in proper position?
Fearless forecast: A frustrated Ilya Kovalchuk decides to stop passing, hang out at the red line instead of playing defence, and take eight-minute shifts, making him the first player to ever play exactly like you do in NHL 10 "Be A Pro" mode.
Washington Capitals
The good: Alexander Ovechkin seems to finally be coming out of his shell, and may even be willing to participate in occasional off-ice promotional activity.The bad: I entered "Semyon Varlamov" into a Russian-to-English dictionary, and it came back "Steve Penney".
Biggest question mark: Why does every photograph of Mike Green look like it was taken three seconds after somebody woke him up?
Fearless forecast: The Capitals win 50 games, or more than the Nationals, Wizards and Redskins combined.
Florida Panthers
The good: Recently named Bryan McCabe captain.The bad: Oops, that last one was supposed to be listed under "the bad". I guess Bryan's not the only one who gets confused about which side things are supposed to go in.
Biggest question mark: With Jay Bouwmeester's departure, which veteran will step up and teach the younger players what it takes to miss the playoffs every single year?
Fearless forecast: A guy who looks oddly like Jim Balsillie starts spending a lot of time in South Florida.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The good: Vincent Lecavlier appears poised for the sort of big year the team had in mind when they signed him to an $80M extension.The bad: That apparently makes him the only person associated with this franchise who has any actual money.
Biggest question mark: Wouldn't it be better if we all just agreed that the lockout actually started in May of 2004?
Fearless forecast: The Montreal Canadiens make an aggressive deadline push to trade for Martin St. Louis in an attempt to add size.
Carolina Hurricanes
The good: Cam Ward's stellar play continues to indicate that he hasn't yet realized that he's Cam Ward.The bad: While Ric Flair may be a native South Carolinian, having a crazy old white-haired man scream maniacally is really just an uncreative ripoff of Don Cherry.
Biggest question mark: Does Aaron Ward get one free sucker punch on Scott Walker to use whenever he wants? (Answer: Yes.)
Fearless forecast: The free agent signing of Tom Kostopolous forces coach Paul Maurice to slightly modify his famous quote to "There was a lot of purse stealing out there."
"A frustrated Ilya Kovalchuk decides to stop passing, hang out at the red line instead of playing defence, and take eight-minute shifts, making him the first player to ever play exactly like you do in NHL 10 "Be A Pro" mode."
ReplyDeleteLMAO.
Classic.
Is it weird Toronto is better at baseball than DC is, and DC is better than Toronto at hockey?
ReplyDelete...I guess being Southeast Division champs isn't actually anything to be proud of.
Oops, that last one was supposed to be listed under "the bad". I guess Bryan's not the only one who gets confused about which side things are supposed to go in.
ReplyDeleteDon't we all?
Eight minute shifts?
ReplyDeleteReally?
I mean honestly, who takes eight minute shifts in Be A Pro mode?
I just spend the entire time on the ice, watching from the bench is boring as hell.
ahahahah! great post. Those wacky Habs and thier addiction to midgets! Hi ho Hi ho!
ReplyDeleteTrue story: When Bryan McCabe was picked in my fantasy league this year, four different people nearly killed each other making the "Goals scored in your own net don't count" joke.
ReplyDeleteYour blog keeps making me laugh.
ReplyDeleteNow I figure you owe me a favour!
Check out my blog.
http://blogesalming.blogspot.com/
Cheers,
Jeff Clark
Did you know that in the arena in Washington, the only team banners up there are Caps' Southeast Division Winner ones and Mystic's Highest WNBA Attendance ones. That's just sad.
ReplyDelete@ Paul
ReplyDeleteThere's also the Bullets 1977-78 NBA title banner and the various Georgetown banners