Division Breakdown: Northeast Division

The second stop on our little roller coaster of love is the almost-too-cold Northeast Division, which will be hosting the outdoor game this year in Buffalo.

1st Place: Ottawa Senators
This team is pretty much a shoe-in for the division. They went to The Dance last season and they still have the personnel to do it again this season. They picked up Fisher in the off-season who should be a great Center for the Sens. Yes, they are going to split up their big line, but I think this will work to their advantage in the long run because they will be able to wear down both defense lines. Emery will have to be on the top of his game this season for them to be a contender.

2nd Place: Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres lost a few big names this off-season with Drury going to the Rangers and Briere going to the Flyers, but I still think Vanek and Co will be able to put up decent numbers, even against opponents, more physical, first defensive lines. As long as Ryan Miller can play consistently in net, the Sabres should be into the playoffs without a hiccup.

3rd Place: Boston Bruins
This is the big slide in the division. Calling the 3rd through 5th place rankings are just too hard to call in this division due to the amount of "ifs" and injuries that occur during regular season play. With Boston being one of the Orig Six, it's kind of hard NOT to root for them somewhere deep down inside you. Even with the B's playing the Sharks at the Pavilion for our first home game, I still hope they have a turn around season. Savard is really going to need some help on offense and I don't think he will be able to turn to Sturm, who is notorious for flopping. Will someone in the younger crowd be able to step up to the plate? Another note, will Chara please show the rest of the hockey community that the B's still have some fight left in them. He had ZERO fights last season... come on bud, show everyone you guys are serious.

4th Place: Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto added some depth this season with Jason Blake out on the Left Wing and Toskala in net. Toskala has what it takes to play with the big boys as long as his confidence level stays steady. When he gets into his up and down modes, that's when they will get in trouble. Lets just hope they don't miss the playoffs by 1 point again!

5th Place: Montreal Canadiens
The Habs made minimal moves this season, but I think Carey Price is the real deal. Paired with the Habs strong defense, he should have a breakout season, but I just don't think their offense will be able to produce even close to enough points to keep them anywhere near the chase.