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This Year’s Team To Watch
by Paul on 09/16/08 at 10:15 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
Every season, I try to identify an “it” team. You know, that team that improves so much, or comes out of nowhere, etc.
Last season, I predicted the Washington Capitals would finally get back into the playoffs (so did my ESPN.com colleague Scott Burnside). OK, so it took until the final week of the regular season, but they did indeed make the big dance and were a great story around the league.
This season, I think it’s a no-brainer—the Edmonton Oilers.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Edmonton Oilers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
I’m definitely still a doubter. Even if you think they’ll have similar shootout results as last year (and I don’t), it’ll take an incredible amount of luck to reach post-regulation play as often as they did last year (30% of the time, more than anyone else in the league). Edmonton had only 22 regulation wins last season, fewer than any team not named the Thrashers (19 regulation wins). If either Columbus or St. Louis had had Edmonton’s luck/skill/whatever with post-regulation play, they both would have been a playoff team last year, because they were both better in regulation (0.446 win %age for both, Edmonton’s was 0.386). They were the second worst defensive team in the West last season and the fifth worst overall. Their goal differential of -27 was third worst in the conference and sixth worst overall. They were the only team with a significantly negative goal differential anywhere near the playoffs.
They’re definitely a team on the rise, and they’ll be better than they were last season, but they can easily improve and drop in the standings. They have much, much farther to go than being three points out of the playoffs last year makes it seem.
Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 09/16/08 at 11:12 AM ET
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I agree.
The Oilers are back.
Posted by w2j2 on 09/16/08 at 09:32 AM ET