What happened?

We are almost at the halfway point in the season and you know what that means... Time to review my beginning of the season predictions and gloat. Do I know my hockey or what: 1) Nathan MacKinnon will win the scoring championship if he stays healthy. In the top ten I expect to see Tavares, Stamkos, Mcdavid, Marner, Barzal, and Drouin. Is this the year somebody reaches 130 points again? Pretty sure by the end of the season Nate the great will win it all. Stammer got off to a slow start but he might be in the top ten soon. As for Barzal and Drouin they are prone to inconsistent play but they have had their moments. 2) I am not confident about the Norris. The wild card is Karlsson and how he fits in with San Jose and Brent Burns. One of them might win it. Subban and Hedman have a shot at it depending how their teams do. And then there is Rasmus Dahlin... I was right not to be confident and may be off on this one due to injuries. Subban and Hedman have been long term injured so they may not...

So we are reaching the half-way point in the season time to review my third annual absurd and bizarre but fundamentally correct predictions for the 2017-2018 nhl season that I posted in September: 1) Connor Mcdavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan Mckinnon, and Jonathan Drouin will challenge for the Art Ross. Will they get 100 points? Every year I expect a 120 point season and it just doesn't happen. Kinda pleased with this prediction. I can see Mackinnon and Mcdavid catching up to the leaders and surpassing them by year’s end. The young legs and talent will take over. I am especially pleased with my Mackinnon choice that many were calling a dud. The concussed Matthews may still make the top ten. Now for Drouin. Maybe I was one year too early and was not expecting the total mess that are the habs. I also did not expect the Pacioretty meltdown and Weber to be injured. 2) I predict a 3 way fight for the Norris. My choices from last year are back in PK Subban and Victor Hedman. My surpri...

The NHL season and the NHL brand may be heading towards its most interesting and suspenseful season in over a decade. We have established stars trying to maintain their elevated standing in the league, traded franchise players hoping to invigorate their new destinations, high flying rookies adding a new energy and verve, and GM's and coaches hoping to hold on to their jobs. PK Subban and Shea Weber have been pitted against each other through no doing of their own. Both Nashville and Montreal have been close to the Stanley Cup final in the last few years but have been unable to get over the hump. Both teams think they got the missing link that will lead to Cup glory. Each player wants to desperately win the Cup to cement their legacy. Weber is the much more respected player by coaches and players, meanwhile PK has been making his own waves with his personality. Weber has been clearly more productive in the early stages of the season leading the habs to first place overall. PK ha...

Well it is almost October, wine season, the leaves turn red, and of course the start of a brand new NHL season. Here are my second annual wild and crazy predictions for this year: 1) Sydney Crosby will exceed his highest point total in a season. His record  is 120 points. He will be playing stress free now that he has won as many cups as Mario.  2) Stamkos will win the Maurice Richard trophy now that he has signed long-term. If not him then it might be Milan Lucic! 3) Conner Mcdavid Jonathan Drouin and Johnny Gaudreau will get 100 points. Should be fun  watching them deke and dangle their way around the defence. 4) Victor Hedman or PK Subban will win the Norris. Unlike in Montreal when PK would make an error, in Nashville Roman Josi has the speed to recover and cover up. 5) Boston Philadelphia Detroit and Toronto will not make the playoffs. The axis of evil foiled again. 6) Tampa Bay will win the Stanley Cup defeatin...