PHILADELPHIA, Pa – The season is now underway and the Atlantic Division may be one of the most interesting this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins Keys to success: The continued improvement of Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and the rest of the young stars. Players like Kris Letang and rookie Alex Goligoski must step up in the absence of Sergei Gonchar. Miroslav Satan fills the void left by Marian Hossa. Marc-Andre Fluery must prove last season was no fluke. Reasons they could fail: The loss of Gonchar becomes a major issue. The power play suffers because of Gonchar and Letang and Goligoski do not step up. Fluery plays like he did three seasons ago, not last season. Rookie watch: Goligoski, a former University of Minnesota standout will be relied on heavily. He has a strong season in the AHL. So far Goligoski looks like the real deal. How they will do: The Penguins have the most talent in the division, if not the conference. If the Pens can hang on defensively until Gonchar gets back the Pens should win the division, if not it would make for a wide open race for first place. Unless the Flyers or Canadiens get better, the Penguins will repeat as conference champs. Philadelphia Flyers Keys to success: The health of Simon, who is coming back from multiple concussions last season, will be counted on to improve an already balanced lineup. Adding team speed on defense was vital in the off-season. The departures of Jason Smith and the impending retirement of Derian Hatcher do to health issues, along with the additions of Steve Eminger and Ryan Parent should help. Martin Biron must also continue to look like the answer in net for the Flyers. His strong playoff run so far looks like it was not a fluke if the pre-season is any indication. Reasons they could fail: Biron turns out to be a one hit wonder, Gagne continues to have concussion issues, and the defense, despite being faster, might not be any better than last seasons version. Rookie watch: Claude Giroux did not make the Flyers opening day roster, but it is only a matter of time before he does. When he does, he will have the spotlight shown brightly on him. Giroux was outstanding in the QMJHL for Gatineau setting a playoff record 17 goals and 34 assists in 19 games. There is no reason to rush him, but the departure of R.J. Umberger to Columbus has the team looking for someone to replace his offense in the clutch. How they will do: Look for the Flyers to repeat their success from last season. It was no fluke that the Flyers made it to the final four. If Pittsburgh takes a step back, the Flyers could benefit the most. They could win the division but most likely will finish a close second to Pitt. A definite playoff team that will have another long run with a good possibility of making the cup finals. Look for them to get better defensively so the goals-against and shots-on-goal averages will go down. As of now they look like the second best team in the conference. New York Rangers Keys to success: Scott Gomez and Chris Drury will improve upon last season because, if for no other reason, that the Rangers will be more of a team without Jaromir Jagr. Marc Staal will have another year under his belt. A new address should help Wade Redden and Nikolai Zherdev. Reasons they could fail: Redden and Zherdev falter under the pressure of playing in New York. Henrik Lundqvist doesn’t live up to his billing as one of the leagues best. The loss of Jagr turns out to be too much for the offense to overcome. Rookie Watch: Former first round pick Lauri Korpikosli in 2004 (19th overall) improved his game the past two seasons playing with the Rangers AHL farm team, the Hartford Wolf Pack. The fact that he made the opening day roster tells you that he will be counted on to provide depth at left wing. He had 34 goals and 54 assists the past two seasons. How they will do: While the Rangers aren’t as talented as the Penguins or Flyers up front, they are as solid in net as anyone in the division. Still, it might take some time for the team to jell with so many changes in the lineup. They should make the playoffs, but will finish third in the division. New Jersey Devils Keys to success: A marked improvement of offense in the entire organization is needed. The Devils ranked 26th last season in goals scored, while it’s minor league affiliates in Lowell (AHL) and Trenton (ECHL) did not fare much better. The Devils hope that by bringing back a couple of blasts from the past in Brian Rolston (31 goals last season with the Minnesota Wild) and Bobby Holik, that the goals will come more frequently. In addition, improved efforts will be needed from players such as Dainius Zubrus, Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner. Defense will need to remain solid in front of Martin Brodeur, who still is among the best in the game between the pipes. As this is a veteran oriented squad, health will be a key issue as well. Reasons they could fail: If the Devils suffer any major injuries they could be looking at some serious problems as some of the players down in Lowell may not be quite ready for prime time. Also, the offense could continue to sputter, the defense gets old very quickly, and Brodeur suddenly becomes mortal. The options behind Brodeur in the organization are not very promising. Rookie Watch: Petr Vrana (second round pick in the 2003 draft) had his best pro season last season with 20 goals and 41 assists at Lowell. Vrana earned his spot on the Devils roster and will most likely start out on the third or fourth line as he gets his feet wet in the NHL. Free agent defenseman Anssi Salmela will look to adjust to the North American game while trying to crack a veteran defensive unit. How they will do: Again, there are many “ifs” associated with this year’s Devils squad. Improved offense and continued solid defense will keep them close to the top of the ultra competitive Atlantic Division. If age and injuries hit this team, look for the Devils to have a harder than expected time of keeping up with younger squads in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They should still be around come playoff time, and despite last season’s five game first round exit to the Rangers, the Devils will still be a team to be feared in a seven game series. New York Islanders Keys to success: The mix of youth and experience must mess quickly. Kids like Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, and Jeff Tambellini must take steps forward this year, and veterans like Doug Weight and Bill Guerin must lead the team. Reasons they could fail: The Islanders were the worst offensive team last season. The kids don’t step up and the veterans take a step back closer to retirement. Rookie Watch: Josh Bailey, a former first round pick in this years draft (9th overall) shockingly won a roster spot. It is rare for players to step right into the NHL the same year they are drafted, but Bailey will be counted on to help the Islanders offense. How they will do: It could be another very long year for the Islanders if things don’t come together quickly. Injuries didn’t help matters last season, but a younger team should mean a healthier team. Still, look for the Islander to miss the playoffs and be in the running for the the top prize in next June’s draft, John Tavares. Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com
Tom Hoffman also contributed to this article.
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