2014-15 NHL Season Predictions in Review

            As the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin, it's time for a retrospective on how the preseason predictions went for many an "analyst", including me. As is per custom on this blog, I will now embarrass myself totally and completely by taking a look back on my preseason predictions to see how wrong (or possibly right) I was in October. This gives me a chance to knock myself down before I possibly build myself back up with my Stanley Cup Playoff predictions. Without further ado...

My predicted Metro division order: 1. PIT 2. WSH 3. NYR 4. NJ 5. NYI 6. CBJ 7. PHI 8. CAR
Actual Order: 1. NYR 2. WSH 3. NYI 4. PIT 5. CBJ 6. PHI 7. NJ 8. CAR

Boy did I overestimate the Devils (and the Penguins, but everyone did that). At least I can chew on a crumb of comfort that I did pick the Islanders to make the playoffs, and also called the rise of the Capitals dead on.

My predicted Atlantic order: 1. TB 2. BOS 3. MTL 4. DET 5. FLA 6. TOR 7. OTT 8. BUF
Actual order: 1. MTL 2. TB 3. DET 4. OTT 5. BOS 6. FLA 7. TOR 8. BUF

Not many expected the Boston Bruins to have as big a fall as they did, and boy did they ever. Pretty much everyone understood the Sabres were tanking, and everyone also underestimated the might of the pesky Ottawa Senators.

My predicted Central order: 1. CHI 2. STL 3. MIN 4. DAL 5. COL 6. NSH 7. WPG
Actual Order: 1. STL 2. NSH 3. CHI 4. MIN 5. WPG 6. DAL 7. COL

This division turned out to be murderer's row since the Jets and Preds vastly outperformed many people's preseason predictions, including mine. There really aren't any predictions to be ashamed of here considering everyone in the division finished with 90 points or more.

My predicted Pacific Order: 1. ANA 2. LA 3. SJ 4. VAN 5. ARZ 6. EDM 7. CGY
Actual order: 1. ANA 2. VAN 3. CGY 4. LA 5. SJ 6. ARZ 7. EDM

No one expected the Kings or Sharks to miss the playoffs. No one. Even though I did predict the Canucks to make the dance (and they did), everyone also underestimated those pesky, pesky Flames.

Award Predictions (Original with comments in parenthesis) :

Hart: Stamkos (All Carey Price's to lose, Stamkos was good but nowhere near that good)
Vezina: Rask (Again, Rask was good, but nowhere near Carey Price good)
Norris: Pietrangelo (Karlsson, Subban, Doughty are all up there. I tend to think EK65 gets it)
Calder: Drouin (Swing and a miss. I may never pick the Calder again. Ekblad, Johnny Hockey, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Filip Forsberg, take your pick)
Selke: Kopitar (Might as well rename this the Patrice Bergeron award)
Jack Adams: Willie Desjardins (Not undeserving, but odds are Dave Cameron, Peter Laviolette or the like get it).

So these predictions were pretty... off. Oh well, that's how this business of predictions goes. Look up for my 1st round analyses and overall playoff predictions. So much stuff to digest!