NHL Team Summaries: Northeast

This will be very freeform but here goes:

Boston Bruins:

Give up now! Manny Fernandez may make this team better, but he won't make it good enough.

Buffalo Sabres:

The pundits are wrong! They have written off this team before the season started but young players like Paetsch and Stafford will have an impact this season.

The power play has to improve, but the five forward power play is a great idea.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/sabresnhl/story/173901.html

I told Nick, who picked Afinogenov for his fantasy team:

If you have a chance to see a Sabres game on TV, watch it just to see Afinogenov in action. Whereas Crosby and Lecavalier project calm leadership on the ice, Afinogenov projects asshole. Every move is a challenge to opponents to keep up with him. He'll juggle the puck under their noses because he can. He's wonderful to watch.

Tim Connolly could make a huge difference this year. He played one regular season game and then had 9 assists (no goals) in 16 postseason games for Buffalo.

And Buffalo is the new hockeytown. The fans are rabid and awesome. It's pretty close to Canada.


Montreal Canadiens

I watched the Montreal-Carolina game tonight on the free NHL Center Ice preview, which rocks. "Puck" is "le rondeau" in French. The Canadiens have a powerful offense when Koivu is on his game, but the defense is weak. They won tonight but I'm still not adding Koivu to my team (though I'll keep an eye on him).

The Canadiens are underrated because they do so poorly against Ottawa and Toronto but they are a very good team.


Ottawa Senators

This year is Ottawa's to lose. The team is in place (although goaltending could be a problem). The defence is hot. The scorers are hot. This team is lucky in addition to being good. Opponents have to realize that even a two goal lead is no security against them.

Opponents will not underestimate this team. They will face a lot of fights, and are already hated in Buffalo.

Starting the season, this is the best team in the East, but I don't like them at all.


Tornto Maple Leafs

What's wrong with Maple Leafs fans? This is a good team but its fans treat it like it's St. Louis. One Canadian guy told me, "people just feel we need a Canadian captain." To which I replied, "like Koivu and Alfreddson?"

Mats Sundin is a bona fide superstar and has always been. The head office has been unable to match him up with equally talented players. The team should get more Swedes, but Jason Blake, who looks Swedish and plays very well, is a good start.

Wellwood's story is compelling http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2823486 but he might be better off in a town where he would be less well known. I think he'll flourish if traded to, say, Florida.

Last year, this team was hurt by injuries and goaltending uncertainty. Will Toskala play in goal? Would that help?