Most Improved NHL Sides in 2014/15
Eastern Conference
New York Islanders
If someone had told you that the New York Islanders would be top of the Eastern Conference by this point the season- you would have requested a drugs test! So far this season thanks to some clever moves in the off season, the Islanders are giving the Nassau Coliseum a fine send off! After winning the Battle of New York against the Rangers the other night, they are looking like a team reborn.
Unsurprisingly the main success has been Captain Marvel, John Tavares who leads the team scoring charts with 39 points. Kyle Okposo as usual is not hanging far behind and Brock Nelson has also been another strong team element. But it was the signings of Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins to anchor the blue line along with Nick Leddy and Nikolai Kulemin to bolster the lower lines that have made the key difference.
Jaroslav Halak after playing for three different sides last season has found a new home in Long Island and his presence in net has been crucial. So far his 20 wins, 3 shut outs and GAA of only 2.26 read impressively. Coach Jack Capuano seems to finally have ignited a belief in this one doomed franchise and they seem to have a hunger like never before.
Florida Panthers
As impressions come, you might have been forgiven for thinking that this would another year of Florida based obscurity when only 3,000 fans turned up to to Panthers v Senators earlier this season! But as the Sunshine State team sits 9th overall in the Eastern Confence, only three points off a play off spot, this is a miracle that many wouldn't have expected.
The off season was a busy yet productive one for GM Tallon but his biggest acquisition by far has been 1st overall pick (and now NHL All Star) Aaron Ekblad. His 19 points and plus/minus rate of +10 have made him the stand out rookie success of 2014/15! Finally this team has a young starlet who seems destined for big things and a solid foundation to build things on.
A rejuvenated Roberto Luongo has also played a decisive role and his improved play is a reminder of the highly rated goalie of old! Nick Bjugstad has been the hot scorer in St Petersberg this year with 25 points and the addition of Jussi Jokinen has also increased their scoring abilities, honorable mentions also go to Brad Boyes and Jonathan Huberdeau as well. What ever coach Gerard Gellant is putting their breakfast cereal is having the desired effect.
Western Conference
Nashville Predators
Last season, this team was about as interesting as watching John Scott reciting 'War & Peace' but this season Tennessee has finally come alive! Led by rookie sensation Filip Forsberg, new coach Peter Laviolette has guided this un-fancied side to top spot in the Western Conference with a record of 29–9–4! Smartly anchoring lines with skilled veterans like Mike Ribeiro and the clever trade of Hornqvist for James Neal have single handled move this team up a notch.
On the blue line captain Shea Weber has as usual been his normal skilled self and has put himself in the frame for hopefully finally winning the Norris Trophy with his 29 points. Goalie wise, until his injury the other day, Pekka Rinne is still in the frame for a Vezina win and his inspired net minding has been one of the highlights! Currently Rinne tops the league GAA stats with an impressive 1.96!
Can this team go all the way? Well it would be nice to have year where the final includes two surprise teams but there is still a lot of hockey to be played! Credit to Laviolette though because who would have predicted this?
Winnipeg Jets
Since relaunching back in 2011, this Manitoba franchise has not exactly wowed fans with skillful hockey. But this season, it seems they are catching fire because currently the Jets stand fifth overall in the west! So what has been the reason behind this dramatic surge in form? Well the form of Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler has sure helped. This combined with great support from Dustin Byflugien and Mark Schefiele has meant this team is in with a playoff shot this year!
After the Atlanta Thrasher failed to bring the good times, coach Paul Maurice seems determined to make this side into a competitive force- so far he has managed that with many of the old franchise members. In net the 10 wins of Ondrej Pavelec have also come in handy. When you consider that no significant trades were made in the off season, it makes this journey to the top 5 all the more stunning!
It would be nice to see Winnipeg featuring in the playoffs this season because the fans in Manitoba are still delighted to have their team back. This would cap the ultimate payback for them.
Vancouver Canucks
Yes ok, I accept that this is me being slightly biased in opinion but despite some slips in form, the Canucks are far cry from the Tortorella nightmare of old. After finally giving Mike Gillis the chop, new GM Jim Benning proved to be the ace in the free agent market. So good that he grabbed both Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata from thin air! So far these two have proven to be a key difference and the team seems to be clicking together.
Crucially Henrik and Daniel Sedin are being to get back to their old deadly selves in front of net, with Daniel topping the points with 38. After being a make weight in the Ryan Kesler trade, Nick Bonino has proven to be a fine replacement and has anchored the second line this year. Brad Richardson and Alex Burrows have also excelled on the wings. New coach Willie Desjardin had his work cut out when he first arrived, but he has bridge the gap magnificently to give us a reason to believe once more!
The Canucks are currently hanging onto 7th spot in the West after tanking three games in a row, but this could all change very soon.
New York Islanders
If someone had told you that the New York Islanders would be top of the Eastern Conference by this point the season- you would have requested a drugs test! So far this season thanks to some clever moves in the off season, the Islanders are giving the Nassau Coliseum a fine send off! After winning the Battle of New York against the Rangers the other night, they are looking like a team reborn.
Unsurprisingly the main success has been Captain Marvel, John Tavares who leads the team scoring charts with 39 points. Kyle Okposo as usual is not hanging far behind and Brock Nelson has also been another strong team element. But it was the signings of Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins to anchor the blue line along with Nick Leddy and Nikolai Kulemin to bolster the lower lines that have made the key difference.
Jaroslav Halak after playing for three different sides last season has found a new home in Long Island and his presence in net has been crucial. So far his 20 wins, 3 shut outs and GAA of only 2.26 read impressively. Coach Jack Capuano seems to finally have ignited a belief in this one doomed franchise and they seem to have a hunger like never before.
Florida Panthers
As impressions come, you might have been forgiven for thinking that this would another year of Florida based obscurity when only 3,000 fans turned up to to Panthers v Senators earlier this season! But as the Sunshine State team sits 9th overall in the Eastern Confence, only three points off a play off spot, this is a miracle that many wouldn't have expected.
The off season was a busy yet productive one for GM Tallon but his biggest acquisition by far has been 1st overall pick (and now NHL All Star) Aaron Ekblad. His 19 points and plus/minus rate of +10 have made him the stand out rookie success of 2014/15! Finally this team has a young starlet who seems destined for big things and a solid foundation to build things on.
A rejuvenated Roberto Luongo has also played a decisive role and his improved play is a reminder of the highly rated goalie of old! Nick Bjugstad has been the hot scorer in St Petersberg this year with 25 points and the addition of Jussi Jokinen has also increased their scoring abilities, honorable mentions also go to Brad Boyes and Jonathan Huberdeau as well. What ever coach Gerard Gellant is putting their breakfast cereal is having the desired effect.
Western Conference
Nashville Predators
Last season, this team was about as interesting as watching John Scott reciting 'War & Peace' but this season Tennessee has finally come alive! Led by rookie sensation Filip Forsberg, new coach Peter Laviolette has guided this un-fancied side to top spot in the Western Conference with a record of 29–9–4! Smartly anchoring lines with skilled veterans like Mike Ribeiro and the clever trade of Hornqvist for James Neal have single handled move this team up a notch.
On the blue line captain Shea Weber has as usual been his normal skilled self and has put himself in the frame for hopefully finally winning the Norris Trophy with his 29 points. Goalie wise, until his injury the other day, Pekka Rinne is still in the frame for a Vezina win and his inspired net minding has been one of the highlights! Currently Rinne tops the league GAA stats with an impressive 1.96!
Can this team go all the way? Well it would be nice to have year where the final includes two surprise teams but there is still a lot of hockey to be played! Credit to Laviolette though because who would have predicted this?
Winnipeg Jets
Since relaunching back in 2011, this Manitoba franchise has not exactly wowed fans with skillful hockey. But this season, it seems they are catching fire because currently the Jets stand fifth overall in the west! So what has been the reason behind this dramatic surge in form? Well the form of Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler has sure helped. This combined with great support from Dustin Byflugien and Mark Schefiele has meant this team is in with a playoff shot this year!
After the Atlanta Thrasher failed to bring the good times, coach Paul Maurice seems determined to make this side into a competitive force- so far he has managed that with many of the old franchise members. In net the 10 wins of Ondrej Pavelec have also come in handy. When you consider that no significant trades were made in the off season, it makes this journey to the top 5 all the more stunning!
It would be nice to see Winnipeg featuring in the playoffs this season because the fans in Manitoba are still delighted to have their team back. This would cap the ultimate payback for them.
Vancouver Canucks
Yes ok, I accept that this is me being slightly biased in opinion but despite some slips in form, the Canucks are far cry from the Tortorella nightmare of old. After finally giving Mike Gillis the chop, new GM Jim Benning proved to be the ace in the free agent market. So good that he grabbed both Ryan Miller and Radim Vrbata from thin air! So far these two have proven to be a key difference and the team seems to be clicking together.
Crucially Henrik and Daniel Sedin are being to get back to their old deadly selves in front of net, with Daniel topping the points with 38. After being a make weight in the Ryan Kesler trade, Nick Bonino has proven to be a fine replacement and has anchored the second line this year. Brad Richardson and Alex Burrows have also excelled on the wings. New coach Willie Desjardin had his work cut out when he first arrived, but he has bridge the gap magnificently to give us a reason to believe once more!
The Canucks are currently hanging onto 7th spot in the West after tanking three games in a row, but this could all change very soon.
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated and may take a while to appear. This is because the authors are busy/lazy/away.