Looking back to the recent past, I have seen that teams that have very little pressure on them, either from regular season production, not making the playoffs frequently or possibly even \"indifferent\" fans (in some cases), seem to have done relatively well in the playoffs. I realize that there are some examples that may \"prove\" my thought wrong, but it\'s just a thought. For example:
Last year, Carolina has poor attendance, and NHL rarely makes more than an eighth of a newspaper page. Edmonton squeezes into the playoffs, few people expect much from them, and they do great.
In 2004, the Flames make the playoffs for the first time in (7?) years, and people are just happy to see them there; don\'t expect much from them. Tampa Bay, in many ways (other than pretty solid attendance), is like Carolina with coverage in the papers.

Who would be the teams this year where there is a perceived \"expectation\", either from media or the fan base? Well, I would have said Toronto (hehe), Ottawa and Buffalo in the East, and possibly New York Rangers. In the West, I would say both Detroit and Calgary, Dallas (Turco\'s got something to prove), Anaheim (since they were so close last year, and have only improved), and San Jose (the regular season-ticket fans want production). There may be more, but this is what I have seen in the media formats I follow...
I\'m not necessarily suggesting an Islanders vs Nashville final, but could it be Vancouver (as a third Canadian team in 3 years?) or Minnesota vs Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay (pretty much written off?).
Food for thought, but the real season will tell!

Post edited by: bomberfan, at: 2007/04/09 14:28