Atlantic Division Preview

Flyers should challenge Cup champion Devils for division supremacy

New Jersey Devils

The Devils are proof positive that defense wins. They have long established that they have a successful formula for frustrating their opponents to tears and yielding the fewest goals in the league. It starts with the peerless presence in goal of Martin Brodeur and continues through their steadfast blueline corps, led by the intimidating physical play of captain Scott Stevens and the understated excellence of skating marvel Scott Niedermayer.

Up front, the Devils employ big, bruising forechecking forwards like Grant Marshall and Jay Pandolfo, mixed in with pesky speedsters like John Madden, Sergei Brylin and Brian Gionta. Their effort opens up just enough room for the skill guys like Patrik Elias, Jeff Friesen and Jamie Langenbrunner to score just enough to carry the day. All are responsible and disciplined defensively, no matter their role.

It all sounds simple, and the Devils make it appear so. But don't be fooled. Much commitment and selflessness goes into the equation. The Devils perennially ice a solid, veteran team aware of the fundamentals inherent to NHL success: Good teams take care of business in their division and on home ice; good teams rarely get outshot. The Devils executed on those levels to perfection last season and won a championship for their efforts.

Not much will change this season. The Devils' lack of depth on the blueline beyond their top four and the loss of Joe Nieuwendyk in the middle -- Igor Larionov at 43 years old is not an even-up replacement -- might lead to the Devils slipping slightly, with the Philadelphia Flyers supplanting them atop the Atlantic. Given that the Devils accumulated just a single point more than the Flyers a season ago, that is hardly a prediction of a precipitous plummet.

Philadelphia Flyers

Equally stingy in their overall team scheme on defense, the Flyers tied the Devils in surrendering the fewest goals in the NHL. However, goaltender Roman Cechmanek and his manic ways went west to Los Angeles. Veteran Jeff Hackett is more conventional than Cechmanek in his approach and positioning, yet he is not nearly as durable. That means backup Robert Esche probably will have a larger role this season. Couple the change in goal with the prospect of a younger blueline -- Joni Pitkanen, Jeff Woywitka and Jim Vandermeer all will see time with the Flyers this season -- and repeating as the top defensive team might be too much to ask.

Nevertheless, the Flyers have a real chance to challenge the Ottawa Senators for the Presidents Trophy as the most productive regular-season team. The Flyers ranked eighth in goals scored last season despite only ranking 24th on the power play. Both of those rankings should rise this season.

Last year, Simon Gagne (nine goals) missed 36 games, Justin Williams (eight goals) was out for exactly half of the season and John LeClair (18 goals) missed 47 tilts. With that trio healthy, along with trade-deadline acquisition Tony Amonte in the fold from the outset, the Flyers roll out a formidable offensive roster for 2003-04. It should more than compensate for the likely increase in goals against and net out to the Flyers securing the divisional title, if not more.

New York Islanders

The Islanders made changes behind the bench despite making the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Granted, they staggered to the postseason, winning just six games over the final quarter of the schedule, so maybe a change was justified. When you look at the quality of their blueline and the tenacious grit the Isles have up front, maybe more should be expected than a mere postseason berth.

Yet for all of the upside this team has, it has just as many issues. That counterbalancing is what puts them in the middle of the pack. Look no further than the fact that the Isles were one of only five teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning road record. That usually means that a team is in the upper echelon of the league. Well, the Isles sported just a .500 record at home, a mark that put them 23rd overall on home ice.

Team inconsistencies that plagued them last season might prove even more prevalent this season. Rick DiPietro is trying to establish himself as a legitimate No. 1 netminder coming out of camp. That prospect alone is typically fraught with highs and lows at the NHL level. More than anything, though, the Isles might again experience the league's most radical ride because their go-to guys on offense are arguably the moodiest, most enigmatic trio in the game. Alexei Yashin, Oleg Kvasha and Mariusz Czerkawski collectively go through more spurts of production followed by long droughts than do most team's top scorers.

That trait keeps the Islanders as a whole from taking the next step into the NHL's top 10. This time around, it might even prove too much for them to overcome and again make the East's final eight.

New York Rangers

Right now, the Rangers are still looking up at the Islanders' dubious middle-of-the-pack positioning. This year, they should ascend to those modest heights, shouldn't they? After all, they almost caught the Islanders last season when that wasn't even a possibility in mid-January.

Passing the Isles on the way to the postseason is a possibility this season, although those prospects hinge on many Blueshirts reestablishing themselves as elite players and not just guys cashing in. The core group of veterans has to have a prideful reaction to what has happened to the Rangers. The lack of concerted drive from this collection of talent showed up in two stats: They had a losing record at venerable Madison Square Garden, and they ranked 29th on the penalty kill.

In other words, Bobby Holik and Darius Kasparaitis have to get back to being nasty and stay healthy in the process. Eric Lindros cannot sleepwalk through another season. It was exasperating watching the not-so-long-ago preeminent power forward in the game play mostly on the periphery the entire season. Beyond those big names returning to form, Alexei Kovalev and Anson Carter -- acquired in February and March of last season respectively -- have to provide consistent offense, especially with Pavel Bure coming up lame again with his oft-repaired knees.

And scoring has to be hallmark to the Rangers' game for a couple of reasons. First, head coach and general manager Glen Sather is old-school in his approach -- he likes to drop the puck and let his best guys try to outscore your best guys. Second, the Rangers are thin on the blueline. Brian Leetch starting the season injured exacerbates their shortcomings. In other words, goaltender Mike Dunham has to re-create his fine second-half play over the entire season.

That's a pretty long to-do list for the Rangers. They remain the team that spends more than most, has more what-ifs than most, but also has more potential to move up in the standings this season than most.

Pittsburgh Penguins

It is hard to see anything but more of the same for this year's edition of the Penguins. Mario Lemieux's declaration of fitness and rookie coach Ed Olczyk's predictions of "surprising some people" aside, there is precious little in Pittsburgh to prove otherwise.

How inexperienced are the Penguins? They have exactly five proven commodities on their roster, with the only top-flight offensive player other than Lemieux being Martin Straka. And the pair together -- on the power play at least -- might be the Penguins' lone strength. Consider that just two seasons ago, the Penguins scored 281 goals, second most in the NHL. Last season that total had slid to 189 -- almost 100 goals fewer and a rank of 26th. The Pens won't stem that trend this year.

Defensively -- where the Penguins have struggled for some time now -- the prospects are even less clear. The team finished 28th in goals against last year, and that was with Johan Hedberg in goal and several journeyman rearguards who provided years of experience. This season, they are unproven on the blueline and greener still in goal.

The last time a team had success with that concoction was ... well, never.

Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for SI.com.