Last year, like quite a few people watching the NHL, I made the mistake of saying San Jose should go far. Well, Nabokov's hold out sank a lot of hopes and the Sharks were dead before they even left the gate. More on them later. So, with the season about to start and also with the caveat that I have seen zero of these teams this year, except one Dallas - Colorado preseason game, I boldly issue the following predictions:

COLORADO will win the West. They're fast, they're super skilled and they can outscore anybody like nobody's business. Not since the 84-85 Edmonton Oilers [WITH Paul Coffey] has the NHL seen such an offensive powerhouse. No, this is not Patrick Roy's Colorado Avalanche anymore. They will win games 5-4 and 6-5.

On an interesting aside, and a question I have never seen addressed: Would the Quebec Nordiques have taken the East in 1995, let alone win the Stanley Cup? With Colorado/Quebec in the East, they run into Detroit in the finals... now I remember the Western conference final that was a dog fight...

All right, the other Pretenders and Contenders in the West:

ANAHIEM : curious to see what Sergei Fedorov brings to the table. Good playmaker, real fast, who is he passing to? Need Steve Rucchin to stay healthy again all year. Giguere need to stay strong and not flop like Jose Theodore last year...

DALLAS: curious to see how well Marty Turco plays for the first three weeks. If he is bad, this team can sink. Curious to see how who emerges as a the great team leader now that Hatch is gone. Curious to see how the D plays, period. Power play could be a killer, Finnish line looked good with Meittenen [?]. If Barnes can keep fire lit under Turgeon and Young all year, Dallas can be dangerous.

DETROIT: Can this "Over the Hill Gang" suck it up for one more run at the Cup? Considering Chris Chelios was done LAST YEAR, I'd say... maybe. Brett Hull, Brendan Shannahan still dangerous, Zetterberg and Datsuk seem to be real deal, Hasek will be good, but Detroit will go as far as Steve Yzerman carries them. If the captain goes down, [or anyone, really] they do NOT have the depth to recover.

ST LOUIS: Another team that on paper has a good enough team, but they've had questions in goal and injury to Doug Weight and Chris Pronger. Chris Osgood would love to stick it to the Detroit management who sent him to Long Island... With Pronger returning this team could be deep if they can commit to defense.

VANCOUVER: Mostly stayed pat. Let Trent Klatt go to LA and brought in goaltender Johan Hedberg to spell Dan Cloutier and return Alex Auld to the minors for more seasoning. With Todd Bertuzzi and Marcus Nasland, this teeam continues to be dangerous. If one of the Sedin twins can step up and produce some points, they could go far.

PRETENDERS: CHICAGO [home of the BLACKHAWKS; remmeber they were an original 6 team?] is a major market, so why does their management continue to operate like a small market team. SAN JOSE committed to rebuilding, but could sneak in at a 7 or 8 seed. LA conitinues to seek direction. MINNESOTA wants to start the year without its two leading scorers, Marian Gaborik and Pacal Dupois? HA HA. If NASHVILLE can stay healthy, they also could sneak in at a 7 or 8.

Alll right, here's a surprise: NEW JERSEY will win the East again. They now have the best goaltender in the game and they still have a defensive system in place and three lines that can score. They have a couple guys who can be high scorers [Elias, Friesen and Langenbrunner, who I am predicting will emerge to take Joe Nieuwendyk's place, and John Madden, who remains a dangerous two way player] but do not have a dominant line since the Jason Arnott - Peter Sykora - Patrick Elais line was broken up. But scoring by committee works for them. I think Marty Brodeur remains the X factor who gets the job done over Ottawa.

OTTAWA remains the # 2 pick in the East. They have great scoring and great goaltending, I just think Martin Brodeur continues to dominate the game and make runs at all of Patrick Roy's records. The full time addition of Jason Spezza will add to a ferocious offensive attack and many are predicting that this is year Wade Redden come into his own of the blue line. Havlat, Alfredsson, Hossa still the best right side in hockey. Still, I will take the Devils. They just KNOW how to shut people down!

BOSTON continues to be a threat because of Joe Thornton, Glenn Murray, Sergei Samsonaov [after missing much of last year after wrist sugury] and Mike Knuble, but their D has questions, is Felix Potvin an upgrade, and will they have a second line? But the B's can make teams miserable with a big, if inexperianced defensive group. Boston is also a major market team with poor management [ala Chicago] problems. Hard Line Harry Sinden is one of the top "How does he keep his job?" GMs in the league... I HOPE if the B's falter down the stretch he becomes Homeless Harry.

The NEW YORK Hockey RANGERS will finally earn their slalries and make the playoffs this year. And it will be a rejuvenated commitment to defense by Brian Leetch,Tom Poti and Greg de Vries that will make it happen. They WILL decide to sacrifice points for defensive coverage and the whole team will follow suit, led by Bobby Holik and Mark Messier. They will have a top 20 scorer in Alexi Kovalev. Questions remain of the left side though and Mike Dunham will be worn out by the time the playoffs roll around. Bet on them to lose in the first round.

PHILADELPHIA, led by "How does he keep his job?" GM Bobby Clarke is in trouble. They hadve a decent mix of older and younger talent led by a good coach who will get his team to play defense [Ken Hitchcock], but still they are one or two injuries from falling out of contention. John LeClaire and Tony Amonte MUST return to the 25-30 goal plateau and this team must play defense in front of Jeff Hacket, who replaces noted nut Roman Chechmanek who was shipped to LA for poor playoff performance. Chechmanek IS right that the team did not supprt him with goals in the playoffs. He was made the scapegoat by a GM who is complacent.

TAMPA BAY, not WASHINGTON will win the South-Least in a runaway. John Grahame will allow Nick Khabibulin to sit once in a while, like when the Montreal comes to town, and Vincent Lecavilier and Brad Richards will continue to spark plug a good offense.

PRETENDERS: Washington, like Philly, will continue to search for production from overpaid aging stars liek Jagr and Bondra. They will miss the playoff entirely when Carolina sinks them with two weeks left in the season, The NY ISLANDERS tried staying pat and are hoping a full season with Michael Peca will improve the team. If they don't find a way to light a fire under Alexi Yashin's ass and get him some scoring wingers, look for 'Mad Mike' Milburry to be out as GM. Success for the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS will be leading the league in power play percentage with Mario Lemieux, and 20 wins. Other than that there is litle hope for my Pens. TORONTO, good offense, no defense, Eddie the Eagle back to 2001-02 numbers and going crazy by year's end. Niewendyk back with Gary Roberts, though, give offsensive depth. Still, blue line a joke.

FINALS: COLORADO over NEW JERSEY in 6.


Anybody else watching "The Blues" on Channel 13 this week [in Dallas]? I watched the Piano Player tonight [no comments from the peanut gallery on my 'lack of life' please] with Clint Eastwood and I was AMAZED by the late Professor Longhair... it seems his style is not only based on the blues but those rolls he makes makes the piano almost seem like a percussion instrument, espacially on his trademark "Tipitina". Check that one out when it is re-aired! DEFINATELY worth two hours of your time!

Does anyone else have a lost love that haunts their dreams? I had a dream about one last night and I am still just.... and like a fool I fall right in with her again...

Word to the wise: DO NOT drink and type without a good spell checker, and even it cannot spell Nabokoz and Nieuwendyk.