Devils in a ditch, Rangers with a chance, Islanders might be swimming? NHL regular season preview!

mWo Sports Digest #3

The past two months featured the deaths of my father in law and my mother in law. I drove from upstate New York to Texas, back up to NY, back to Texas, and back to NY during that time. My great aunt also nearly died and a dude that’s kind of my step dad isn’t doing super well. I am also currently sick with RSV and feel like shit.

Oversharing? Yup! Deal with it, or something.

One of the few things I’m excited about right now in general is the return of professional hockey to my eyeballs. The preseason is, in fact, already underway and the games that truly matter start soon enough. As a result, lets break down the prospects for the three mWo teams for the months ahead.

DEVILS

The truth is that this organization has tested the patience of fans for a decade and a revolt is in the air. I’ve honestly urged for fans to turn their backs on New Jersey right now, refusing to attend live events and refusing to buy merch, while trying to support the talent in some fashion. It’s the only way the brass might start truly trying.

On offense, Hughes and Nico are certain the be entertaining and I’m truly eager to see their continued growth. Palat will be a fun addition though Gaudreau’s snuff burns deep. There’s some real heart on this side of the ice.

The issue is the rest of the team, the coaching staff, and a poor under the hood dynamic.

On defense, Dan and Dougie will see the addition of Brendan Smith as the Devils attempt to polish things and there are some sparks on the horizon when younger players become ready for the big stage, but it often feels as if this side of the ice lacks a fighting spirit these days.

In at goal, things completely fall apart. The days of Marty are long gone and the shit show that followed has ensured that the team frequently falls behind in the standings.

New Jersey is trying to sell the narrative that you should attend games right now because the magic might finally be back but the truth is you should hold out and wait until they back that promise up. Expect another year without post-season play unless a collection of random miracles happen.

RANGERS

The only team that I cover that I can see truly making a run this year is the New York Rangers. The fighting spirit is there and the talent is willing to push as a result, but there will for sure be some question marks at play.

On offense, there are several strategies that seem worth trying out this season. Trocheck should add some extra grit and Chytil has a lot of energy while line options vary enough that they should match up well against most that are on the schedule.

Defense?

Fox alongside Schneider and Trouba should hold the line nicely.

Goaltending in this part of New York is worthy of praise, too.

Really, this unit is stacked in essentially every department and even coach Gallant is a star.

Expect, as I mentioned at the top of the section, a deep run and a competitive season.

ISLANDERS

So, New Jersey, the team I love yet hate because of the love, is destined to be bottom feeding again. The Rangers could end their campaign with a trophy in hand if things take the right direction.

The Islanders?

Meet in the middle of the two.

Their workhorse story period is gone after a somber season in a shiny new arena last year and things are in the process of rebuilding currently.

Unlike New Jersey, it feels like Lou’s trying at least.

Lee, Brock, and Barzal are the key faces of the O but they’ll have to step up big. Pulock and Pelech give a double-P force for opponents to deal with. Semyon and Sorokin are more than capable in the goal, too.

If things go just right, I could see a round or two of playoff hockey for this group. To get there, they’ll have to fight hard in every game and show a willingness to push forward when down in the score count.

I support this idea entirely simply because, if that’s what we get from the team, we’ll have a very entertaining few months of ice hockey to watch.

Lets see how accurate I am by the end of the season, which is always a fun test. Thanks, as always, for reading!