early season surprises

So the season has been underway and it's time to take a look at some of the unexpected surprises this season.

I have to start with Tim Thomas. Earlier in the blog, I said this Everyone is expecting Tim Thomas to bounce back and have a better year, but the job is still Rask's to lose, and it has certainly happened, but no one expected it to happen so fast. Tim Thomas is one of those guys who you want to see do well, regardless of what team he's on...well unless you're a Habs fan. The guy has paid his dues and earned his spot, never once complaining, at least no publicly. Then he has a "bad" season (if you look back his number were respectable, but the team in front of him was bad for stretches), and lost his job to a rookie. It's safe to say most of us thought that Tuukka Rask was going to build on his solid rookie year and be the goaltender of the future. In all fairness, he still is, but you can't win them all. Don't tell that to Tim Thomas. His numbers this season have been ridiculous. 6 games played, 3 goals against for a save percentage of .984, a goals against average of 0.50 and 3 shutouts! Tim is one of those guys who refuses to be counted out, and right now he's out to prove he's still got it...and making the Bruins nearly unstoppable.

You can't talk good without the bad, and right now it doesn't get much worse than the New Jersey Devils. While still early in the season, there is no reason while this team should be last in the league. They have far too many weapons, but have also been decimated by injury. Salvador has missed all of the season so far with a concussion, and injuries occuring throughout the early campaign to Rolston, Corrente, Volchenkov, Josefson and now Parise (who will be sidelined indefinitely after knee surgery) it seems like there's not much to look forward to for the Devils. They're in big cap trouble after the kovalchuk fiasco, although all these injuries have to provide some kind of temporary cap relief, and the loss of draft picks are going to kill this team for awhile, who look to be a lottery team right now. But perhaps the scariest fact of all, is the lackluster performance of Martin Brodeur. While he certainly isn't terrible, he is on pace for one of his worst professional campaigns. You have to point the finger at the players in front of him. When all is said and done, this hall of fame goaltender will have been the best to ever play the game. The numbers don't lie. However, even the best ever can't stop them all. Without support from the players in front of him the only thing the devils will win this year is a lottery pick...which they will have to forfeit, and the earliest tee time come April.

Give it up for the Florida Panthers. While the record is more of what you expect from this team, they are playing much better than those numbers suggest. This team has pounded the dynamic Tampa Bay Lightning 6-0 and put up another goose egg against the Flames. With Dale Tallon at the helm, this team is going to be building in a similar style to the Blackhawks, Tallon's former team. Providing they avoid the cap trouble the afflicted the Hawks after their cup win, Florida can be built into a contender. With Washington and Tampa Bay as division rivals, I can't be too optimistic for their chances of making the playoffs, especially when as of right now, you're second leading scorer is a defenseman. However, I think that the Panthers should be making the playoffs soon. Stock up on your rats, Florida.

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