October Report Cards, Part 1

Note: Records are prior to games on November 1st.

Anaheim Ducks (10-3-1)
Grade: B+
It's nothing short of a miracle that Anaheim has notched 21 of a possible 28 points with their special teams being this bad. They cannot sustain this streak if the power play and penalty kill continue to falter. I don't care how good their other metrics are, when you don't punish teams for committing penalties and don't bail yourself out when shorthanded, you're not going to see long-term success.

Boston Bruins (8-4-0)
Grade: B+
An uncharacteristically sloppy penalty kill is the story here. Boston is getting enough goal scoring and playing stellar defense as usual, but that PK needs a boost. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand are off to slow starts, but the slack has been picked up by David Krejci (11 assists) and Milan Lucic (12 points) thus far. They suffered a tough loss to Pittsburgh the other night but rebounded nicely in a shootout win over Anaheim.

Buffalo Sabres (2-12-1)
Grade: F
I really didn't want to give this team an F simply because this is a rebuilding year and many correctly pegged this team to be the worst in hockey, but after scanning their stats I couldn't justify giving them a better score. If the PK were in the top ten I probably would've bumped them to a D- on the grounds that they were doing something right. However, 82%, while serviceable, isn't anything to celebrate. Trading Thomas Vanek for Matt Moulson was a complete fleece job by Darcy Regier as he continues to stockpile picks.

Calgary Flames (5-5-2)
Grade: B-
Was going to give them a higher grade until I saw the defense and special teams. Make no mistake, their record is still a surprise to me (hence the probably inflated B-), but it's a far cry from their hot start in the first few games. Sean Monahan has been the catalyst for this group, though he's disappeared a bit in their last few outings. They need to get him going again. They also need to figure out the goaltending situation, because the committee so far hasn't gotten it done.

Carolina Hurricanes (4-5-3)
Grade: D+
They should thank the rest of the Metropolitan Division (sans Pittsburgh) for being so putrid this season, because somehow the 4-5-3 Hurricanes are in second place. Nobody has reached double digit points yet and only four players have a plus rating. The goaltending has quite literally been a three-ring circus, with Cam Ward and Justin Peters faltering while Anton Khudobin has been sharp. Khudobin's on IR now though, so Ward and Peters have to play better... Ward especially, since he's the starter.

Chicago Blackhawks (8-2-3)
Grade: B+
They're scoring, they're converting on the power play, and they're getting a lot of pucks to the net. Defense has been an adventure so far, though, with the NHL's worst PK not helping matters. You can only mask bad defense with good offense for so long, but if the Hawks are driving possession and applying a solid forecheck, the penalty kill numbers will come up some.

Colorado Avalanche (10-1-0)
Grade: A
This team was doing everything right until Semyon Varlamov turned himself in to police amid charges of kidnapping and domestic violence. Backup Jean-Sebastien Giguere has been great so far, so it looks like the Avs will be alright for the time being in net. Who would've thought they'd be 10-1 through the first month and that it would be the defense that got them there? The trade that brought in Max Talbot will only help them continue to be solid in their own end.

Columbus Blue Jackets (5-6-0)
Grade: C
The Blue Jackets look like a team that is just trying to stem the tide right now. They're still without Nathan Horton for the foreseeable future so they will be missing a major offensive weapon going forward, but even at 5-6 they're right in the thick of it in the Metropolitan Division, where they sit in 4th place. They have to improve the special teams and find some more scoring, but if they're above .500 when Horton comes back, look out.

Dallas Stars (5-6-1)
Grade: D+
Given the fact that the Central Division has delivered in terms of being iffy in the middle, the last-place Stars don't deserve any better of a grade. They're 1-2-1 against their division rivals thus far and that will not get it done. They've been the model of mediocrity to this point in the NHL and have to improve in all areas of the game if they want to climb up the mountain. I believe it's an issue of depth with this team, as they simply don't have enough on the wings or on defense.

Detroit Red Wings (7-4-2)
Grade: C+
Let me put it this way: this team is not trending in the right direction. The offense has not produced, they've gotten almost nothing from Stephen Weiss so far, and the special teams have been meh. Defensively, they've been good enough to have a winning record, but again the scoring isn't there. Detroit has just 20 points from its defensemen so far, led by Niklas Kronwall with eight. They need more from the backend.

Edmonton Oilers (3-9-2)
Grade: F
This team has been a complete trainwreck after such high hopes to begin the year. Taylor Hall is hurt, Nail Yakupov has been nonexistent, the defense has continued to suck as only they can, and the special teams continue to not produce. This squad is doing nothing well right now. Mark Arcobello is off to a nice start with 10 assists, but when he's tied for your team's lead in scoring, there are serious issues that need to be addressed.

Florida Panthers (3-7-2)
Grade: F
This grade is another case of me wanting to be soft on a team that everyone knew was bad preseason but being unable to justify it. The Panthers have been absolutely brutal so far. Tim Thomas has not been healthy and it's been clear that his body isn't in playing shape yet. Brad Boyes has slowed down, Jonathan Huberdeau hasn't gotten untracked yet and Shawn Matthias is struggling. They need more from their best players.

Los Angeles Kings (9-5-0)
Grade: B
They're currently sitting in fifth place in the stacked Pacific Division, but that's no reason to count the Kings out. Aside from their goal scoring, they've been solid overall. Anze Kopitar is off to a great start and the defense has both kept them in and won games. They'd like to see an increase across the board; these are not the numbers of a Stanley Cup contender. However, they don't need to be yet, that can wait until the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild (6-4-3)
Grade: B-
I can't figure this team out. They aren't scoring, but have a great power play. The defense has been stingy, but the penalty kill has been a sieve. Josh Harding has played admirably in net so far, but this team needs Nicklas Backstrom to be healthy and playing his best hockey if they're going to improve upon their success from a season ago. Also, where has Dany Heatley been? Has anyone seen him?

Montreal Canadiens (8-5-0)
Grade: B+
With the statistics that they've put up across the board, Montreal should probably have a better record than they do. They're trending in the right direction, but they need to get more pucks to the net. It's going to be tough to maintain such a low goals against average, so the more they can help out the goaltending by driving possession, the better off they'll be.

30 Teams, 30 Days - Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins came oh so close to a second Stanley Cup in three years, falling short in Game 6 against the Chicago Blackhawks after giving up two goals in a span of 17 seconds late in the third. That result was enough for GM Peter Chiarelli to make a handful of changes to the lineup. Gone are Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley, Jaromir Jagr, Nathan Horton, Andrew Ference, and Anton Khudobin. New to the fold are Jarome Iginla, Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, and Chad Johnson. The Bruins currently are over the cap and will need to make a roster move before the season starts, but it looks as though they have reloaded and are aimed at another run to the Cup. This is a veteran group that has the right tools to get there.

Projected Forward Lines:

Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Loui Eriksson
Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla
Carl Soderberg - Chris Kelly - Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Shawn Thornton
Reilly Smith - Ryan Spooner

This is largely the same forward lineup that took the Bruins to the finals last season. The Bruins finished tied for 13th in the NHL with 2.65 goals per game a year ago, but given their defensive prowess they don't need to improve their scoring by much to be just as good. Probably the best part about the Bruins' style of play is that every forward is capable of playing a two-way game. Patrice Bergeron is going to win a bunch of Selke trophies in his career, Lucic and Marchand are thorns in the side of every opponent league-wide, and Krejci has some of the best hands in the league. The scoring should see a better balance now that the Bruins have fixed their "too many centers" problem and brought in depth on the wings. Even still, the Bruins will remain a team that drives puck possession, and that starts in the faceoff dots. Last year, Boston was easily the NHL's best team on the draw, winning 56.4% of the time (San Jose was second at 53.4%). You can tell that there has been a shakeup at the top of the depth chart, but Chiarelli went out and got the guys he wanted through free agency and trades.

Projected Defensive Pairings:

Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg - Dougie Hamilton
Torey Krug - Adam McQuaid
Matt Bartkowski

The youth movement is underway in Boston. Actually, it started during the playoffs, where Krug stole the show with four goals in 15 games. The departure of Andrew Ference opens a spot for him in the rotation, and he could potentially make an impact on the blueline this year. Hamilton enters his second full season with the Bruins after posting 16 points in 42 games last year. Matt Bartkowski should see some action as well. There is a solid core for the young guns to learn under, with Chara, Boychuk, and Seidenberg leading the way. Chara is always a game changer when he's on the ice, and as such teams will consistently try to keep their top line away from him. He's also a force on power plays, as the owner of the league's hardest shot. With all the positives in place here, the third-ranked defense in the NHL should be solid yet again. The only real concern for this unit is the short offseason that comes with playing in the Stanley Cup Finals. If they come out sluggish in the first few games, the B's might get off to a slow start this season.

Goaltending:

Tuukka Rask
Chad Johnson

Anton Khudobin signed with Carolina this offseason, so the Bruins went out and got Chad Johnson, who went 2-0-2 with Phoenix last year, posting a 1.21 GAA and a .954 save percentage. None of that impacts starter Tuukka Rask much, who was given an 8-year, $56 million contract this offseason. Rask was 19-10-5 in the regular season last year, and 14-8 in the playoffs. He has the benefit of playing behind a strong defensive unit as well as forwards who play responsible two-way hockey and centers who win lots of faceoffs. Rask was not without his hiccups though, and what happened in Games 4 and 6 of the Finals was a real shame after how well he played in the playoffs. Boston fans can expect a more driven and hungry Rask this season, as he will seek retribution for how last season ended. Thanks to that and the contract he just received, there should be no questions about Rask's job security at this time.

Special Teams:

Boston was woeful on the power play last season, tying for 25th in the NHL with a 14.8% conversion rate. The problem for them is twofold: they need to convert more of their opportunities, and they need to get more chances, period. The Bruins were dead last in the NHL with just 122 power plays, and were a -41 in total special teams chances (only Colorado was worse at -43). Boston has to reverse that statistic to improve its scoring chances and offense. The top six forwards should make up the two power play units for the Bruins, with Chara, Krug, Seidenberg, and Boychuk making up the defensive pairings. Having Krug for a full season should help boost the percentage a bit, but I'd like to see the Bruins get more chances with the man advantage first. You can't convert power plays if you never get them. As for the PK, the Bruins were 4th in the NHL a year ago at 87.1%, so nothing has to change there. Boston has the luxury of being able to use most of its bottom six forwards on the PK, along with Brad Marchand for added speed and the threat of a shorthanded scoring chance. Bergeron should also factor in on the penalty kill, as his defensive skills are most useful in that aspect of the game. I'd like to see Caron get time here as well. He's big and can win battles along the boards, which should allow a guy like Lucic to rest. The only question I have is which of the young defensemen will be called upon for PK duty, and how will he fare? Only time will tell there.

X-Factor:

The X-Factor for Boston is whether or not the new acquisitions up front can mesh well with the incumbent group, and if they can replace the production of Horton, Seguin, and late in the season, Jagr. I think they'll get it done, with some help from the rest of the lineup of course. Chiarelli is a hard man to question when it comes to roster moves, and he appears to have done well yet again in the offseason. However, if Eriksson and Iginla can't produce with their linemates, it will throw a monkey wrench into the Bruins' plans, at least for a little while.

The Bruins will make the playoffs if...

... they play the same way they played last season while fixing the disparity in special teams chances. These guys know how to win hockey games in any time of year. October, March, June, it doesn't matter to the Bruins, they can get the job done no matter the circumstances. This is a very good team that still appears ready to win another Cup and if they can resemble last year's group, they will be in contention for the division crown and potentially much more. I expect further progression from the younger players and excellent two-way play up and down the lineup. The Bruins can roll four lines against anyone they want, and that is one of the keys to success in this league.

The Bruins will miss the playoffs if...

... at least three of their top players suffer catastrophic injuries and Rask implodes, and I'm not sure that would even be enough to make them miss. There are many teams in the East that have many question marks, and with the bottom of the division being softer than a pillow I think the Bruins would be able to win enough games in the division to make the playoffs either way. Claude Julien has a way of throwing guys in the lineup and getting results out of them, so even with a bunch of AHLers in the lineup (Providence was first in the AHL with 105 points last season), this team could potentially find success. Of course, the ceiling is much higher if they're healthy, and that will need to happen in order for Boston to maintain its hopes of another deep playoff run.