Jan 6 2004
The fun teams are not always the winners, and the winners are often not much fun. So forget the standings and the final score. When it comes to thrills, chills and spills, which NHL teams deliver the best value for a $150 ticket or an evening in front of the tube?
Numbers in brackets indicate the team's total goals for and against this season.
- Atlanta Thrashers (247) – Last goal wins! Ilya Kovalchuk, laughing off hockey’s defense cops, is always thinking of his next breakaway. And his team is in first place. Take that, Jacques Lemaire!
- Detroit Red Wings (242) – Delighting fans and horrifying coaches with their fickle defensive commitment. Detroit has the NHL’s finest cast of entertainers, including the new puck wizard, Pavel Datsyuk.
- Vancouver Canucks (211) – Always looking to score, with defensemen often joining the fun. Suspect defense and a fondness for banging and whacking also helps.
- Colorado Avalanche (194) – Like Vancouver, the Avalanche rarely stray from the full-steam-ahead game plan, even when grunts like Dan Hinote are on the ice.
- Toronto Maple Leafs (218) – Not as wide open as the Thrashers, but on many nights the Leafs can’t resist the urge to play fast and loose.
- Ottawa Senators (197) – Best roster of one-on-one forwards in the league. Ottawa’s quest to be New Jersey North is thwarted by the brilliant offensive feats of Hossa, Alfredsson, Spezza, et al.
- Philadelphia Flyers (201) - Coach Ken Hitchcock does his best to stifle the team. But Recchi, Roenick, Pitkanen and Primeau still play as if the game is supposed to be fun.
- New York Islanders (212) – The Islanders broke an early season slump by scoring more goals, defying conventional defense-first wisdom. They had at least four goals in 8 of 10 December victories.
- New York Rangers (212) – They’re doing their best to shore up the defense, but anything can happen at both ends of a Rangers’ game.
- Washington Capitals (235) – If your favorite team catches the Capitals on a typical night, you’re in for some fun. But they still pull off occasional moments of brilliance.
- Phoenix Coyotes (206) – An emerging group of scorers and playmakers – Nagy, Radivojevic, Doan – gives Phoenix a chance in the West.
- St. Louis Blues (185) - Hard team to get a read on. They move the puck around nicely and display a nasty edge. But a Blues’ game rarely opens up the way you thought it might.
- Florida Panthers (193) – Goaltender Roberto Luongo, often hammered with 40-plus shots per game, is worth watching. The Panthers also have an intriguing mix of potential stars.
- Los Angeles Kings (204) - With so many of their best players injured, the Kings might benefit from a more conservative approach. But on many nights an L.A. game is good for five or six goals.
- Edmonton Oilers (214) – Like the Rangers, the Oilers generate excitement at both ends of the rink. But the offense has been shorting out lately.
- Tampa Bay Lightning (165) – Running hot and cold, but their hot usually heats up pretty good.
- Nashville Predators (197) – The Predators earn upset points for winning three out of four against Detroit, including one game in which they were down 3-0. They’ve also beaten the Devils, Blues and Avalanche.
- Calgary Flames (164) - All the stars, Iginla included, are having trouble scoring. So the Flames are riding a wave of goaltending and defense.
- Boston Bruins (198) – Have looked half-interested on too many nights. Even the Thornton line is often flat.
- Buffalo Sabres (200) – Showing recent signs of life.
- Pittsburgh Penguins (222) – They get trashed a lot. But it’s interesting to see which of the very young Penguins might soar on any given night.
- Anaheim Mighty Ducks (184) – With J.S. Giguere looking very ordinary in net, this team has lost its personality.
- Montreal Canadiens (188) - Goaltender Jose Theodore puts on an occasional show. Otherwise, not much to get excited about here.
- Dallas Stars (177) - In an effort to salvage a ruinous season, the Stars are focusing on worker-bee defense. Their offense is an overpaid shambles.
- Columbus Blue Jackets (180) – Always fun to see Rick Nash and... um...
- Chicago Blackhawks (189) – A rare individual performance – a great goal by Steve Sullivan or a big night from goaltender Michael Leighton – provides a break from the sad monotony.
- New Jersey Devils (159) – Still closing off every avenue of potential excitement, still beating the world in the process. Bad news for anyone who doesn’t bleed Devil red.
- San Jose Sharks (189) – The Sharks' revival is among the big surprises of the season. But can anyone stay awake through their endless series of 2-1 snoozers?
- Minnesota Wild (172) - The Wild actually seemed to have a little fun during last spring’s playoffs. This season they’re back on the Lemaire diet, trying to win every game 1-0. Thankfully, it isn’t working.
- Carolina Hurricanes (159) – Bad and boring.
