The run of the Wings and the amazing finish out West stole some of the glory late in the season, but the East was steady as she goes. Boston and Toronto battled it out neck-and-neck in the Northeast, while Philadelphia and the New York Islanders played to a tight race in the Atlantic. A late run by last year's Eastern champs, the Devils, made the Atlantic the tighest finish, with three teams separated by only three points. Here are some capsule comments on the Eastern Conference teams, followed by an attempt to quantify the differences between the teams based on six general categories. The teams are listed according to their Scorecard total and their playoff seed is next to the team name in parentheses.
Will the real Devils please stand up? Too late -- they already did by winning their last six games. The defending Eastern Conference champions are ready for another run at the Cup. The trade for Joe Nieuwendyk and Jamie Langenbrunner worked beautifully, as the former Dallas Stars stalwarts arrived accustomed and ready to play tight defensive hockey. That was how they played under former Stars coach Ken Hitchcock and it is the style favored by current Devils head coach Kevin Constantine. Are they more vulnerable than they were the last couple of seasons? Sure. Additions like Valeri Kamensky and Stephane Richer stand out as short-term quick fixes. And Scott Stevens and Ken Daneyko can’t play forever, can they? Regardless, GM Lou Lamoriello is playing for this postseason because even if his team has slipped, the East is without a dominant team. In fact, they might still have enough to qualify, relatively speaking. With Martin Brodeur playing brilliantly -- seemingly reinvigorated by his heroic turn in backstopping Canada to Olympic Gold -- it is hard to pick against them again. He is by far the best 'keeper in the East and that coupled with Constantine’s predisposition to the defensive side of the puck means the Devils will not give up much. If they score even a little, it might be enough.
Not Just Numbers: Adherence to defense and a better-than steady Brodeur is paramount for the Devils, who last year led the NHL with 295 goals scored, yet enter this postseason as the most anemic offensive among Cup hopefuls. They scored just 205 times this season -- a drop-off of 90 goals for the year or 1.08 per game.
Boston Bruins (1)
Scorecard
total: 41.5
Career years by many carried this team to the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Added individual motivation may carry them throughout the playoffs. Forty-goal man Bill Guerin and goaltender Byron Dafoe are unrestricted free agents come July 1. Coach Robbie Ftorek has the incentive to put his ignominious firing at the hands of the Devils a mere seven games before the postseason began -- a run that netted a championship in New Jersey. Boston has size down the middle -- led by Joe Thornton -- and speed on the flanks, with Guerin, Sergei Samsonov and Brian Rolston. That inside-out blend of size and speed allows the Bruins to attack both in the open ice and by employing a bump-and-grind forecheck led by Martin Lapointe. The Bruins' backline is underrated from the standpoint that they key the attack with excellent first passes out of the zone on the breakout and in neutral zone transition. The speed of the wingers provides the defensemen with excellent back pressure, allowing them to use their size to full advantage by aggressively holding the blue line. Nowhere is that more apparent than in Boston’s scoring exploits on the penalty kill. Their 14 shorthanded goals ranked third, while their penalty-killing efficiency was tops in the NHL. Although the East is wide open, do not be surprised if the Bruins continue to play like a team with something to prove.
Not Just Numbers: Maybe the Bruins were so effective on the PK because they got a lot of practice. They are the most penalized team entering the postseason after finishing 29th in average PIM on the regular season -- only the Calgary Flames spent more time in the box than the Bruins this season.
Philadelphia Flyers (2)
Scorecard
total: 41.5
The Flyers entered the regular season as an Eastern Conference frontrunner after acquiring Jeremy Roenick. Moreover, they performed at a high level for most of the season -- backing up the preseason hype. The final six weeks of the season, however, the Flyers fell into disarray, with even the trade deadline arrival of Adam Oates seemingly complicating matters, rather than complimenting an already talented team. They maintained their second seed, though and get a very good first-round draw in the Ottawa Senators -- a team that despite their claims to the contrary, have a hard time playing the game in the high-traffic areas. The size of the Flyers on the backline should serve them well and the combination of size and skill up front will be a tough matchup for the Sens' blueline corps. Goaltender Roman Cechmanek needs to prove he can perform in the playoffs -- something he failed miserably at a year ago in his head-to-head battle with countryman Dominik Hasek. No such intimidation factor this time with Patrick Lalime opposing him. Should he falter, Brian Boucher will get the quick call. Still, without Mark Recchi and John Leclair contributing offensively, there is room for the Flyers to flop. However, if they get it together in round one, it might set up a long springtime run.
Not Just Numbers: How messed up were the Flyers this season on the power play? They are by far the least proficient playoff team with the man advantage, with only the third-year Atlanta Thrashers and the Dismal Ducks of Anaheim being more futile during the regular season.
Montreal Canadiens (8)
Scorecard
total: 39.5
This is the feel-good story in the NHL this season, with the Habs returning to the postseason and captain Saku Koivu returning to the lineup after successful treatment for cancer. The emerging star in Montreal is goaltender Jose Theodore, not only a candidate for the Vezina, but also for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s MVP. He won the Saving Grace Award in honor of the late Roger Crozier as the goaltender with the best save percentage, stopping an astounding 93 percent of the shots on goal. What makes his effectiveness more compelling is that Theodore faced more shots than any goaltender headed to the postseason -- thus his status as a potential Hart recipient. The offensive support was meager for the most part for Theodore, supplied in fits and starts by a host of players. After the top line of Richard Zednik-Yanic Perreault-Oleg Petrov -- 20-goal men all -- no one had more than 15. Still, if Theodore’s brilliance continues into the playoffs, the attack might be better than anytime this season. In addition to Koivu, Donald Audette returned late in the season as well, finally recovered from a devastating wrist injury. If the pair can produce, the Habs might get a first-round rise out of the Bruins in a throwback Original Six matchup.
Not Just Numbers: Theodore stretched that uneven offensive support all the way to the playoffs. No small feat, as the Habs enter the 16-team tournament as the only one to surrender more goals (209) than they scored (207).
Toronto Maple Leafs (4)
Scorecard
total: 36
While top netminder Curtis Joseph recovered from a broken hand, the Maple Leafs plodded along, buoyed in part by the serviceable netminding of journeyman Corey Schwab. CuJo is back and so is veteran backup Tom Barrasso. While Schwab was the man, they proved that they could play responsible team defense. Of course, Joseph is the man in goal for Toronto and he has plenty to prove. His current boss Pat Quinn went with Martin Brodeur as his starter for Team Canada at the Winter Olympic games and some say CuJo is still smarting from the perceived snub. He’d love a chance to go head-to-head with Brodeur and the Devils this spring. Also, unrestricted free agency status is pending this summer and nothing brings out the suitors like a Cup on the resume. Up front, the Toronto is deep, talented and well balanced -- equal parts skill players and those of the sandpaper ilk. Quinn coaches an up-tempo, offensively creative -- especially by today’s defensive-dominated game -- brand of shinny, one that is impossible to contain when his team is executing. However, when the Leafs falter, it is usually because of too many turnovers caused by haste on the attack -- leading to all sorts of outnumbered attacks against. That’s where Joseph comes in. Again.
Not Just Numbers: In Quinn’s world, once possession of the puck is the Leafs’, all five men become offensive options. Proof is their 48 goals from their blueliners, the most by defensemen this season.
New York Islanders (5)
Scorecard
total: 35.5
From 52 points to 96 -- that is the Long Island improvement factor this season. Last in the NHL to fifth in the East in one calendar year. The Islanders' ascent did not come cheaply with the addition of centers Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca and goaltender Chris Osgood. Nevertheless, rookie bench boss Peter Laviolette would agree that it was money well spent. The Isles have enough skill to compete with anyone, yet they remain prone to stretches of undisciplined defensive play, which leaves them somewhat more vulnerable than most buttoned-down Cup contenders. However, within the course of the season, the Isles always seemed to find a way back to top form, spurred on by a standout performance from someone on the roster. Sometimes it was an acrobatic effort from Osgood. Often a rousing all around effort from captain Peca turned the tide. On other occasions, it was an uplifting goal from the blue line by Roman Hamerlik, Adrian Aucoin or Kenny Jonsson. Ultimately, every time the Islanders looked to be in jeopardy, they found a way to rally. If they are to continue their ’02 turnaround, Yashin has to find a way to be a force at even strength, something that eluded him in the playoffs as a member of the Ottawa Senators. Throughout the season, power-play production defined his output, with nearly half his goal total coming via manpower advantages.
Not Just Numbers: Here is the Islanders' story summarized by two numbers: They enter the playoffs having given up more goals than did any of the other participants. Meanwhile, in the traditionally defensive posture of penalty killing, they led the league with 17 shorthanded goals. Truly subscribing to the best defense is a good offense theory.
Ottawa Senators (7)
Scorecard
total: 35.5
It is impossible to get excited about the Ottawa Senators as a team, although they have some of the finest players at their respective positions. Up front, Daniel Alfredsson is skilled and has proven to be a committed competitor. On the blueline, Wade Redden has such an effective, complete game that he is quietly garnering star status and the continued development of giant Zdeno Chara is amazing -- a testament to his will to succeed. Another fine example of a player maximizing his potential is local boy Todd White -- a minor league castoff who seized the moment to become a 20-goal scorer. And in total, the Sens again posted another solid season with 94 points. Still, the question lingers -- are the Sens built for postseason attrition? Likewise, whispers around rinks everywhere ponder whether goaltender Patrick Lalime is sturdy enough to win a round, never mind the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately for Sens fans, the answer on both counts still appears to be no. Too many of their forwards are comfortable on the perimeter, shying away from the high-traffic areas where goals abound, but only for those willing to pay a physical price. That alone does not bode well in their first-round matchup with the more aggressive Philadelphia Flyers. Concerning Lalime, his game has several questionable attributes -- too many for the consistency required during the rigors of the postseason. He does have the ability to get hot and get results in stretches, but a playoff run would be a surprise -- a pleasant one for Sens fans and a necessary one for Ottawa as a team.
Not Just Numbers: Despite having the sixth-best interconference record in the East, one must ponder the "Thrash Factor." The Senators are the only team from the East in the playoffs that lost the season series to the Atlanta Thrashers -- who finished last in the conference.
Carolina Hurricanes (3)
Scorecard
total: 34.5
The 'Canes are, if nothing else, resilient. Every time the Washington Capitals made a mild run at the Southeast Division’s top spot, the Hurricanes found a way to string together some wins of their own. In the grand scheme of things -- outside the "south-least division" -- Carolina is a break-even proposition. The Hurricanes do everything pretty well, but nothing defines them. They are roughly middle of the pack in everything -- offense, defense and the corollary categories of power play and penalty killing efficiency. The top line of Jeff O’Neill-Ron Francis-Sami Kapanen is the 'Canes' catalyst offensively, using the power play to do most of its damage. Thirty-six of the trio’s 85 tallies were power-play markers and Francis led all NHL players with 42 powerplay points, while Kapanen finished third with 36. Their power play improved immensely in the second half, coinciding with the arrival of defenseman Sean Hill and his righthanded point shot and ability to provide a complimentary foil to Francis' passing skills. At even strength, Coach Paul Maurice has his charges play a rather conservative style, preferring counter punching to open-ice, one-on-one daring. Their blueliners are likewise mostly a station-to-station lot in their mindset, although they have more mobility on the backline than one might think with Brett Hedican, David Tanabe and veteran Glen Wesley all fluid skaters. With veteran Arturs Irbe capable of backstopping and upset -- better rested entering the playoffs than at any time during his career -- the 'Canes cannot be dismissed or taken lightly.
Not Just Numbers: OK, the 'Canes might be the baseline team in the NHL -- witness their identical 215 goals for and 217 goals against. In the faceoff circle, however, Carolina rules the NHL -- it is No. 1 in winning percentage, with all four centerman over 53 percent.
Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender, is a hockey analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and will provide Stanley Cup Playoffs commentary throughout the postseason for CNNSI.com.
