Khurram Sher writes Eastern Edge every week, where the focus is on Eastern Conference teams and players. Khurram has also written for GoaliePost.
In looking back on the 2007-08 season, I came across some interesting statistics that I would like to share:
Do all fairy tales have happy endings? Can playoff dark horses turn into regular season thoroughbreds or do they turn into pumpkins at the stroke of midnight, like Cinderella’s carriage? Post-season legends are created by exceptional playoff performances from unexpected sources.
As I sit in front of the computer sipping a celebratory beer typing this review, I find myself reminiscing about how I ended up here. Of course I had a good draft and a little luck along the way. A lack of serious injuries and the early pick ups of free agents Pascal Leclaire, Chris Osgood and Mike Green were instrumental in my success.
With the end of the regular season upon us, it’s come down to the final games to determine the playoff match-ups in the first round of the playoffs.
Let’s have a look at how some players on each Eastern Conference team in contention have performed against the playoff bound teams during the regular season:
Widely known as the worst division in the NHL, it’s sometimes jokingly called the South Least Division. Well don’t look now, but the top three teams in the South East Division may have the last laugh. All three are among the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference right now. No respect I tell ya.
When the Tampa Bay Lightning traded Brad Richards, they confirmed what most of us already knew. In today’s salary cap era, it is next to impossible to win consistently with three superstars on your payroll and hope to fill out the rest of the line-up with low paid journeymen and minor-leaguers. Sure they won the Stanley Cup, but they had Khabibulin and Richards signed at reasonable prices. Once their contracts expired, the gig was up. They haven’t been the same team since.
This week, the Eastern Edge gets some inspiration from the big screen. There were some great performances during this past week, none greater than Florida’s back up goaltender.
With only 15-20 games remaining for each NHL team, the Experts Pool is racing to a close. Many teams have cut down their projected games played. The Comish has had his lead chopped to 10.5 points with three sharks nipping at his heels.
Buffalo’s newest Sabre, Steve Bernier, had himself quite a debut scoring two goals and adding an assist. Maybe you are asking yourself is this guy legit or was he just poaching off Joe Thornton for a while? The soon to be 23 year old is in his third NHL season and has scored 84 points in 161 career NHL games. I would think that Bernier would enjoy getting away from coach Wilson’s penchant for playing What’s My Line?
Don’t look now, but the Buffalo Sabres are the hottest team in the NHL, riding an 8-0-2 record over their last ten games. That hot streak has moved them into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, only one point ahead of Boston and the Rangers. The Sabres are learning that life isn’t all bad after losing their top two centers to free agency over the summer.
