Zach Parise and the Devils should make a big run in February. |
For the northern states of the continental US, February is a brutally undesirable month. Feet of snow fall and temperatures hang out in the teens. But for our two major sports, the NBA and NHL, February is the month to make your statement. For the elite teams it's time to build the lead they've been salivating over. For the middle of the pack squads it's time to make that run that solidifies your playoff status, and for the cellar dwellers it's time to fall by the way side and get ready for the draft. Now while the final playoff moves are made in March, the seeds are always planted in February. Let's take a look at what Eastern Conference teams will make a February move and who will fall by the wayside in our winter sports.
NHL
I fully expect the Rangers and Bruins to pull away from the rest of the Eastern Conference thanks to their phenomenal goalkeeping. The Capitals should eventually recover to take a commanding lead in the Southeast division over the surprising Panthers. The Flyers and Devils will round out the teams with solid Februarys. The Penguins, Senators and Maple Leafs all should come back down to reality after starting the seasons off well. Two severely disappointing teams in both the Sabres and Lightning should respond with solid Februarys and get themselves back into contention. My wild card team is the Jets, because I'm not sure their light scoring depth can be overridden by their solid defense. However, I think their a team of destiny this year and will finish the year in the 8th spot. It's draft time for the Canadiens, who have already reveled their deadline "seller" status, by trading Cammalieri. Joining them will be the Islanders and Hurricanes. As of March 1st the standings should go as follows:
1. NY Rangers
2. Boston Bruins
3. Washington Captials
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. NJ Devils
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. Florida Panthers
8. Tampa Bay Lightning
9. Winnipeg Jets
10. Buffalo Sabres
11.Toronto Maple Leafs
12. Ottawa Senators
13. New York Islanders
14. Montreal Canadiens
15. Carolina Hurricanes
NBA
The Sixers will be right on the Bulls and Heat's heels. |
Before the 76ers destruction of the Chicago Bulls yesterday, I was pretty sure that the far and beyond top two teams in the East were Chicago and Miami. While, I still believe that to be true, Philly made a serious case. The Sixers, Bulls and Heat will continue their torrid paces, while the other 16-6 teams, the Hawks will fall back into the middle of the pack, especially without Al Horford. Teams I expect to make runs in February are the Celtics, Knicks and Bucks, who all have had injury problems plague the beginning of their seasons. The Magic are primed and ready to become seriously preoccupied with the Dwight trade rumors that will get even more aggressive before the March deadline, don't be surprised if their in the 8th spot come March 1st. Our most surprising team, the Pacers, should stay relatively solid in February, but don't expect them to gain any ground. The Cavs have the starting talent to win games, but their bench is seriously weak and should give them a reality check. I'm in the camp that doesn't believe in the Nets getting Dwight Howard, so they should join the Raptors, Bobcats, Pistons, and Wizards in the Eastern Conference cellar. March 1st should look like this:
1. Chicago Bulls
2. Miami Heat
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Indiana Pacers
5. Atlanta Hawks
6. Boston Celtics
7. Orlando Magic
8. New York Knicks
9. Milwaukee Bucks
10. Cleveland Cavaliers
11. Toronto Raptors
12. Washington Wizards
13. New Jersey Nets
14. Charlotte Bobcats
15. Detroit Pistons
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