No, Chicago SHOULD be good and Carolina should suck. That would be more natural.

Oh, and don't worry bosh. Shanny's just getting warmed up. Sure his talent prevails now, but give it a few more games and I'm sure his heart and determination to lose big games will catch up.

Jeff is the ultimate playa hata. Dude, Shanny (nice drawing, as always) is rocking the balls off the Eastern conference! Perhaps it was the WINGS who let Shanny down, and not vice versa??? Eh??? Eh??? Maybe?? Maybe?? Hmm??

Just kidding. I have no answers for what happened to the Wings and I'd prefer it if the Rangers don't win too many games.

Interesting counterargument about Chicago and Carolina. Yes, I remember a time when the Blackhawks were always in the playoffs and the thought of Carolina Hurricanes meant spending time in the basement listening to the radio and maybe a couple days off from school. My how things have changed. The Canes took a couple years off of John Tortorella's life last night by dismantling the 'Ning. Wow they looked good. I'm already panting for another Canes-Sabres matchup. What's really interesting for the Canes is that they are getting it done defensively with their veterans on the I.R. (Kaberle, Hedican, and Wesley). Will the chemistry change once these guys get back??

Same question has to be asked about Dunham in NY. What if DiPeitro comes back and sucks up the joint?? What if they have no recourse but to put Dunham's lotion in the basket and DiPeitro's ass on the bench just in order to win games??? What a crazy scenario that has turned out to be. How sarcastically shocking!

No ball busting over your picks of the night, Bosh. The Flyers need a win big time and the Stars can brand a big nasty D all over the state of California by knocking off the Sharks. Bring it on Clement!

First, i would like to say that i think this site is terrific. keep up the good work.
next, do you think the islanders are regretting that FIFTEEN YEAR deal for DiPietro?! the thing that stinks for dunham, who is playing red-lights out the past three games and the reason the islanders are winning, is that he'll lose his spot to DiPietro when he recovers. won't the organization feel pressured to play the big money man, if for no other reason than to showcase his talents for any other team willing (highly unlikely) to pick up that anchor of a contract? not to say that dipietro is bad, he just won't be able to play up to that contract. it's a lose lose situation for both sides.
As for Shanny....dang. i thought he'd help the blue shirts, but i never thought he'd be taking the league by storm, or scoring more goals than games played. granted, it's early and this pace couldn't possibly continue (i hope not anyway), but the rangers look a little scary now, especially since lundquist (my only fantasy highlight last night) looks to be rolling out of bed and into last seasons form.
but, to talk scary, look no further than the canes. damn, they made the lightning look terrible...TERRIBLE last night. even when they had point blank chances, CAM WARD looked unfazed. that goalie plays as cool as a dreamcicle. there might be a chemistry hiccup when the injured players return, but i think laviolette will handle that...he has turned them around from their terrible start thus far.
good for the blackhawks. it's nice to see this original six team playing well again.

Jeff is just anxious because his team is a groin pull away from becoming a train wreck.....then Holland will have to trade the farm for Brygalov, Toskala,.....or Dunham?

The biggest problem for the Islanders and that contract is that yes they are stuck with DiPietro, through good and bad. The problem I had with the deal, is motivation. DiPietro is set for life now. He can mail it in if he wants to. Hopefully he is more professional than that. Dunham has played great for 3 games, but remember, this guy has sucked it up for years. If the Isles are falling apart come deadline time, I would certainly expect him to be dealt, especially for a team looking for net depth.

Chops, thanks for dropping by! Hope you become a frequent visitor. My thoughts on the Rangers are the same as my thoughts on Dunham. They looked great last night, but I need to see some more consistency, before I can start waving my flag of confidence for them. They let in some 20 goals over the first few games.....you arent' going to win hockey games like that. Hopefully the Devils game woke them up.

I am the first to admit that I thought the Havlat signing in Chicago was ridiculous....but now I stand corrected. I think this guy needed to be 'THE MAN' and now that he's got his chance, look at him go. I agree that its' terrific to see the Blackhawks thrive again. Hopefully the team can deliver. A good hockey team in Chicago can only help the NHL.

Huh. Why is it that I'm getting flashbacks to the Wings/Oilers series last year? Oh yeah, because in game two or three Shanny got three STUPID penalties, all of which were turned into goals. I'm not saying it was all his fault, but he's got a history of playing poorly in the big games.

Actually, the Wings are TWO goin pulls away from being a train wreck. We still got Ozzy. He's not somebody I want to rely on, but he's not a bad goalie. Not a great one, but not terrible either. Already got a Stanley cup unde his belt. (Granted, I could have been in goal for the 1998 Wings and they would still have won the cup...)

And it's nice to see that it isn't just me and 'Stache who frequent the site. Welcome aboard, Chops.

I read something recently that said the Blackhawks were getting like only 9 thousand people to show up for their home games so far this season. Ouch. And then the Avs had their consecutive sell-out streak come to an end last night.

Are people taking hockey for granted again, or is this just a reflection of the folks in these two cities not thinking much of their teams? I'm surprised people in Chicago haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, if so. Wonder what it will take to get them back.

Havlat looks great, but he's like Kari Lehtonen: give me a full season, and I'll give you my praise.

The Blackhawks have sucked for so long, I'm not surprised at their attendance. They also have no local TV contract (correct me if I'm wrong), so if you live in Chicago, there is no way for you to watch a broadcast of the team, unless you get Center Ice and pick up the feed.

The Avs sellout streak was going for years wasn't it? And I don't think its a reflection on hockey, just on the team. The Avs have lost a lot of star power over the years, and not the squad they were 6 years ago...however, I still they are loaded with some serious young talent.

True on Havlat. He remains healthy and keeps up this pace, I expect him to be recognized with the elite.....and can't wait to see the playoff beard again!