Jeff’s 2009-10 NHL Eastern Conference Spotlight Team
I am looking forward to another profitable NHL season. We finished the 2008-09 season going 27-13 (7-0 on 10*’s) on my last 40 service plays. I had another winning season fully documented.
Pay close attention as this article has produced major profits since I started in 1998. Last year, we pretty much nailed both of our two spotlight NHL teams with the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks had a breakout season with 104 points and making it to the Western Conf. Finals. The Hurricanes finished with 97 points and made the Eastern Conf. Finals.
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Today, we will take a look at our NHL Eastern Conference spotlight team for 2009-2010.
2009-10 NHL Eastern Conference Spotlight team: Ottawa Senators
This one is almost too easy and hopefully Mr. Odds-maker won’t catch on until later in the season. This is a good Hockey team with a new full year head coach in Cory Clouston. He believes in hard work and structure which is exactly what the Sens need this year.
The Senators struggled throughout the first half of the season having the lowest number of goals scored in the league. Following a disappointing 17-24-7 start, the Senators fired Hartsburg on February 1, 2009, following a 7-4 loss to the Capitals. He was replaced by Cory Clouston, the head coach of their farm team in Binghamton, NY. The team showed almost immediate improvement under Clouston, playing above .500 for the remainder of the season. Though much improved, the team was unable to make up for its’ poor start, and was officially eliminated from playoff contention on March 31. The team continued to play well, winning nine games in a row at home. They were 22-12-7 at home but only 14-23-4 on the road. I guess Tom Bodett did not leave the light on!
Addition by subtraction and some key acquisitions is what GM Bryan Murray had in mind this Spring. He got rid of locker-room headache that was Dany Heatley. In return picked up proven talent that will be highly-motivated this season. Jonathan Cheechoo scored 37 goals in 2006 and will fit in nicely with puck-handling specialist Jason Spezza. There is tremendous speed and depth up-front with Alexei Kovalev (FA from Mon), Milan Michalek (Trade with SJ), Daniel Alfredsson, and Mike Fisher. Michalek is considered one of the fastest skaters in all of Hockey.
In Hockey you won’t win unless you have a good defense. Is this defense good enough to win a Stanley Cup? Probably not but they will be better than last year. They don’t need their defense to be great just good. The offense could be lethal if they all stay healthy. Chris Campoli, Anton Volchenkov Chris Phillips, Filip Kuba, Alexandre Picard, and Brian Lee looks on paper as a very good defense with something to prove this season.
The trade-deadline acquisition of Goalie Pascal Leclaire solved their goal-tending issues since Ray Emery was the starter. He’s a huge upgrade from what they had last year. Talented but brittle, Leclaire will be under the radar after playing just 12 games in Columbus last season. His breakout year in 2007 with Columbus gets people excited. He went 24-17 with a 2.25 GAA and that was a team that played no defense. I love his size as a Goalie—6-2 and 210 pounds. With pads he looks even bigger. Needs to stay healthy for this team to make the playoffs.
The Senators missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996 and will be on a mission this year. Just two years ago Ottawa had– 94 points, three years ago– 105, four years ago– 113, and five years ago– 102. Good teams with a long history of making the playoffs almost always bounce back the following year. Carolina was a perfect example last year.
The Senators went 36-35-11, good for 83 points in 2008-09. Check out were they will end up.
Jeff’s Projected 2009-10 record: 45-30-7 (97 points, 4th seed in the East)
The NHL season begins on October 1st, 2009. I am the #1 documented NHL Handicapper at The Sports Monitor of Oklahoma. Nobody has won more in Hockey over the past 12 years fully documented. I finished #1 in 2002 (NSM) and #1 again in 2006 and 2007. Save $200 before October 4th.
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