Buffalo over Tampa is only in the regular season. Tampa will be much better than Buffalo in the playoffs. Buffalo could be a bit like Columbus this year, who finishes with at least 100 points but loses in round 1 ... look at Tampa i n2015-16 for example.

Here's my reason for Toronto missing the playoffs: If you ask me if i think the Maple Leafs are going to be very good for years? I'll tell you yes. But the 2nd year is often when players struggle (Mackinnon, Larkin, etc) ... the Maple Leafs' main players are all going into their 2nd years ... i think Matthews will be better, but Marner, Nylander, Zaitsev, Brown, and Hyman will all likely struggle going into their 2nd year. I think the Leafs will have a slow start, and i do think they'll get better as the season goes on, but they won't be quite good enough to get in the playoffs.

Basing it off of what I've seen this preseason from Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

Tampa Bay (x)
Toronto (x)
Ottawa (x)
Buffalo
Boston
Montreal
Florida
Detroit

Pittsburgh (x)
Columbus (x)
Washington (x)
New York Rangers (x)
Carolina (x)
Philadelphia
New Jersey
New York Islanders

I hate to say it but based on the way Buffalo has looked and played in the preseason, I'm gonna say they don't make playoffs, I could be wrong and I really hope I am for the sake of Sabres fans everywhere. I do see Eichel lighting it up tho.

Tampa wins the division hands down, Stamkos, Kucherov, Johnson, Point, Palat, Hedman, Vasilevski, ect. That is a scary team. Toronto is really good, it pains me to say it, but I gotta give props to Toronto.

Montreal is atrocious, they have been discraceful in the preseason and I believe they will get trampled. Marc Bergevin needs to be fired, they​ need to go into rebuild mode, but they won't because Montreal is too prideful of an organization to rebuild and that will be there downfall​. Oh, and the fact that the lost Beaulieu, Markov, Emelin, and Sergachev and replaced them with Alzner and Schlemko doesn't help too much either, and that Subban guy would be nice to still have.

Schlemko is better than Emelim though lol


Atlantic
1 TBL
2 TOR
3 BUF
4 OTT
5 BOS
6 MTL
7 FLA
8 DET

Metro
1 PIT
2 CBJ
3 NYR
4 WSH *
5 CAR *
6 PHI
7 NYI
8 NJ

Conference Standings
1 Pittsburgh
2 Tampa
3 Columbus
4 New York Rangers
5 Toronto
6 Washington
7 Carolina
8 Buffalo
9 Ottawa
10 Boston
11 Philly
12 Montreal
13 New York Islanders
14 New Jersey
15 Florida
16 Detroit

Dude, it's preseason. The sabres never had their full lineup. Who knows if everyone was playing 100%? Scandella and nylander never played a game.

It doesn't matter, the Sabres have been a losing team for many years now and now that they are getting closer to being relivant in the leauge again, you would think that would be huge motivation for them to give it their all every game and try to win even preseason games in front of the home crowd at least, but no. We were heavily outplayed when Toronto only had Van Reimsdyk, Marner, Bozak, Andersen and some decent defense. The Sabres had Eichel, Pominville, Kane, Reinhart, Okposo, Ristolainen, Guhle (who looked awful), and Lehner.

We got outshot, outworked, outhustled, and outsmarted by a Leafs team that was very incomplete, hell we scored, but it wasn't a goal scorers goal, Risto shot one from the point and by the grace of God, Fasching managed to tip it enough for it to make it to the back of the net.

The take aways from preseason and rookie camp.

Ullmark is a beast, possibly starter material, great job by Botts to protect him in expansion

Guhle needs a year in the AHL, his biggest problem is staying on his skates, almost every time he had the puck he was calling down

Bailey has worked his tail off and it shows, I think Housley has already guaranteed Bailey a roster spot because of his quick hands, speed, and work ethic

Beaulieu is the same defensive liability as he was with Montreal, but I have faith Housley can help

Bogosian will be a steady guy on the back end

Antipin was a steal of a pick up

Cliff Pu will be making the team in 2-3 years not a doubt in my mind

Gorges is a disgrace to hockey

Tennyson is good, like really good for a all around 3rd pairing role

Pommer has a ton of game left, we won that Minnesota trade hands down

And McCabe has a bomb of a shot and after Risto and Scandella, he is our most valuable asset on the back end

I'm probably being a little harsh on the Sabres, but season after season I believe that they can make it, they're good enough for the playoffs. No more of that, I'm calling Buffalo out on their crap, it's me saying put a winning team on that ice or a lot of fans are going to become uninterested and some fans (myself not included) will probably switch teams because they are tired of the promise of winning, we want results!

@Zach can't argue with any of that because of the Gorges comment haha. How is he still playing? should retire.

Without the Gorges comment would you have disagreed with anything I had said?

Also, that Gorges comment is more elite than he's ever been............ Lol

I don't think there focus was to win the games but to try and feel comfortable with housley and the new system with also working out chemistry between players to work on forming lines. I don't think you can be too critical with preseason games.

Tampa in 2015-16 made the ECF. That doesn't fit with your comparison at all.

And with your thoughts with Toronto, there's no need to worry about regression from Marner and Nylander. Those two are guys that are on another level of rookies, the type that don't regress in their second seasons. And even if they lose some offense from Brown and Hyman, they added Marleau in the offseason, which should offset that, if not be more scoring for the Leafs.

Atlantic:
1) Tampa (x)
2) Toronto (x)
3) Ottawa (x)
4) Buffalo (x)
5) Boston
6) Montreal
7) Florida
8) Detroit

Metro:
1) Columbus (x)
2) NY Rangers (x)
3) Pittsburgh (x)
4) Washington (x)
5) Carolina
6) Philidelphia
7) NY Islanders
8) NJ Devils

The only teams I have out that I think have a strong chance of going into the playoffs are Boston and Carolina. A lot will depend on the success that I expect from Toronto, Ottawa, and Buffalo this year...will be interesting to watch

According to "islesrangesfan", the leafs are going to miss the playoffs because they have too many centres. So to alleviate the islesranagerfan inaccurate perception of Leafs centre depth, the Leafs HAVE to make the following trades.
Bozak for Pouilet.
Marner for Gorges.
Nylander for Orpik. Leafs getting a second rounder too!!!!! for accepting Orpik cap.

Leafs get "veteran leadership" and "grit" on defence.

Nice Boston University jersey though!!!!

Atlantic:

1. Tampa Bay
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Ottawa (#1 Wildcard)
5. Buffalo
6. Montreal
7. Florida
8. Detroit

Metro:

1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Columbus
4. Carolina (#2 Wildcard)
5. NY Rangers
6. Philadelphia
7. NY Islanders
8. New Jersey

@Eichdaddy

so Boston makes it but NYR doesn't.

Hey, if you think the Islanders will make it, he can think whatever the hell he wants

uhhh, yes

Boston could make it, but ahead of Carolina, not the Rangers.
Nobody's given me a reason why the Islanders will miss the playoffs other than "they don't have a number 1 goalie". But Greiss got a .913 SV% last season and a .916 SV% in his career ... and even if he isn't a #1 goalie, how did they come so close this year?

Yea, you're just f**** trolling with us at this point

look what i said.

No Depth Scoring
No real D
Weak Goaltending

That's enough!!!

Then how did they come so close to the playoffs?

I've told you before, they got a surge in the confidence when Weight took over. But he's just an ex NHL'er rah rah guy, now he has to actually coach. And it won't be pretty. Not many good coaches that played a full career in the league these days

So far, he seems like a very good coach.

Cmon man, anyone who had a great NHL career, Will have just as much coaching success. Just ask Gretzky...