End of the season rooting interests

 There is a wide Gulf between the best teams in the NHL and the next tier. There is a long standing observation over how difficult it is to sustain the success of a season in which you won the President's Trophy, and carrying that through to success n the Playoff. At this point, since the team with the most points doesn't ever win the Cup, I think we can be happy if a team from this upper echelon wins it. 

There are 11 teams with more than 88 points, and 0 teams with between 83 and 88 points. There is also a gap between 89 to 93 points, and there are 8 teams with 93 points or more. Let's hope, then, that one of these 8 teams can win the Cup, and render the entire, long winded regular season valid. If you are a fan of one of the other 24 franchises, this is probably going to be difficult. To help, I have come up with 1 reason to root for every one of the top 8 squads.

1: Bruins - Do you like consistency? Well, these Bruins, like Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak or Charlie McAvoy have all been a part of the Bruins organization since 1976

2: Panthers - Last year, I picked the Panthers to win the Stanley Cup, feeling their all in attitude was laudable. Now a year later, I would still feel pretty good about myself if they won it all, and don't you want me to feel good about myself?

3: Rangers - Henrik Lundqvist still has close ties with the Rangers. Maybe you could get his number if he knows you are cheering for them? Or maybe you are just a fan of bad nicknames, then you can cheer for the Breadman, Artemi Panarin.

4: Hurricanes - Brent Burns  is still around and generally kicking but. He's been growing a playoff beard since he was 19, and it would be great to see if he would shave upon winning it all.

5: Avalanche - This is purely an "I like Denver" play, because Denver is lovely. The Avs won it two seasons ago, and the town got a little high on themselves, but still, a lovely town.

6: Stars - This is a tough sell for a fan from Minnesota, given the history, and the fact that the Wild aren't going to be in the postseason either, but here goes. Jake Oettinger and I have some common acquaintances, so that's pretty neat. 

7: Jets - This is the team for nearly every Canadian outside of Vancouver.

8: Canucks - This is the team for fans inside of Vancouver, or people who remember their last trip to the Final and the chaos that ensued in the city. Be safe, Vancouver.

So there you go, maybe you can use that handy guide to find the right choice for you. Or you can be a traditional Flyers fan and root against everyone. 

Tweet of the Moment

"We are sad to see Brock go... he was a great asset to our organization, and we know he will help lead Notre Dame to continued success."

After one season leading the #Canes AHL affiliate, Sheahan returns to his alma mater @NDHockey ☘️ https://t.co/IrPsCcq6Bv

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 20, 2023

We have arrived in the offseason, and that means we are the beginning phases of roster reorganization. Among the first teams to undergo the first wave of personnel churn is the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost AHL coast Brock Sheahan to Notre Dame. I have no additional analysis to this, except to say that I can't think of a more perfect name than "Brock" for the type of person I hae in mind when I think of Notre Dame.

Let's pretend I know what I was talking about

 Back in October, I had some thoughts:

The league seems to be very Eastern Conference heavy going into the year, and picking a winner there will be tricky. I'm going to lean into the Florida Panthers, who made a leap last year, and then spent the entire summer firming up their roster. They are going to be good again in 2022, and if my hunch that the Lightning are going to be flat is correct, they should have an inside track on the Atlantic. I don't trust the 'Canes, Rangers or Maple Leafs, so I guess the Panthers are where it's at for me.

 Pretty good, right? I mean, I did say the Panthers were going to win it all in 6, which they can't do, now down 3-1. That's clearly the biggest flaw in this post. 

Well, even in this paragraph, I don't mention the Bruins at all in a post about Eastern Conference contenders. That's not great. They had a pretty decent year. I did pick playoff teams for all the rest though, so I'll take points there! 

Oh, and I didn't include comments about the Western Conference. I highlighted, let's see, the Wild and the Blues. Wow. But I did say the Oilers were going to be good! Of course, I did also suggest that the champion from the Western Conference would be the Calgary Flames.

Not my finest hour. It's fine, I've only been doing this for like 10 years. 

Tweet of the Moment

The NHL #StadiumSeries in Raleigh is projected to generate $12.4 million in total economic impact for the region, according to a study by Visit Raleigh. This estimate is for the game only. A post-event economic impact report will include the game and all surrounding events. pic.twitter.com/NAK4yLfWqY

— Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (@raleighncsports) February 6, 2023

Ah yes, the old "This event will bring X dollars to our city" argument. Congratulations, accountant in Neuse, you get $8.50 because of the Stadium Series! And you, assistant Manager of the Cary Lowe's, what are you going to be doing with your $8.50? Of course, even though that is how it is sold in spirit, we know that the money will be pumped into Raleigh hotels and restaurants near the stadium and even then, it will probably filter up through the corporate ownership of those various chains, and not back into the city of Raleigh. Really, what most people in Raleigh will get out of this is a couple of days of particularly shitty traffic. On the plus side, thse impact studies usually are put into place to sell the public on building a new stadium or arena, and investing in the infrastructure that goes into it. At least this doesn't cost anybody anything, save for a few extra minutes on I-440 trying to get to the Morgans' for their friggin' dinner party..

Biding his his time

 

Antti Raanta has just been waiting for time with the Hurricanes. He and Frederik Andersson form perhaps the best netminding tandem in the NHL. Raanta and his water bottle started the third game in a row, this time shutting out Chicago and pinning Carolina to their 9th straight win. The lesson here? Keep grinding and don't forget to hydrate.