导出博客文章This story appears in ESPN The Magazines October 17 Great Debates Issue.
Subscribe today!LOOKING FOR A Stanley Cup winner? Start with the regular season.
For that we turn to Hockey Prospectus VUKOTA, a system that uses past
performance to project a teams goal differential. Barry Melrose and I faced off
on the predictions -- and give our Cup picks.EASTERN CONFERENCEAtlantic
DivisionMATTHEW COLLER:?The Lightning would have seen a dip in their ranking if
they had lost superstar Steven Stamkos; instead they bring back all the key
players on a roster that was one win from the Stanley Cup finals. This is their
time to finally break through. The Panthers should also improve their possession
statistics and take some pressure off 2014 No. 1 pick Aaron Ekblad. But VUKOTA
throws one big curveball in the Atlantic: Ottawa. Most see the Senators at the
back of the field, but the numbers hint that they could be a breakout team with
the addition of center Derick Brassard and key young players such as Curtis
Lazar and Cody Ceci starting to come into their prime.BARRY MELROSE:?I just
think Tampa Bay is great. If Steven Stamkos stays healthy, youve also got Victor
Hedman and Anton Stralman -- and the defense is great. The Lightning will score
goals. And theyve got two strong goaltenders. This is the year theyll win
it.Metropolitan DivisionMATTHEW COLLER: Alex Ovechkin still wants to raise the
Cup, and Sidney Crosby just won his second title. The consensus on Columbus is
that itll be at the bottom of the league, but the projections tell another
story. If the Jackets get the Vezina Trophy version of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky,
we could see them in the mix for a playoff spot. The Devils got much-deserved
praise for making the best trade of the offseason -- dealing young defenseman
Adam Larsson to the Oilers for LW Taylor Hall, the 2010 No.?1. But they didnt
plug the hole left on D or improve the rest of the roster enough to seriously
contend.BARRY MELROSE: Washington has a high talent level. In the regular
season, the Caps have always been very, very strong. I dont see any reason for
them to fall off. Their star players are still at that age where theyre in their
prime.WESTERN CONFERENCECentral DivisionMATTHEW COLLER:?Winnipeg has a great
chance to go from last in the Central to one of the best teams in the league.
Not only will the goaltending be improved with Connor Hellebuyck getting a a
chance to step up, but the Jets also have an outstanding group of rising players
and prospects wholl make an impact, including No.?2 pick Patrik Laine, a right
winger. Its possible the Predators would have been No. 1 with better
goaltending. The projections leave little doubt: The Central is the most
competitive division in the league, with only three points separating top from
bottom.BARRY MELROSE: I like Winnipeg. Ive been raving about the Jets players.
Mark Scheifele is awesome; this Patrik Laine kid is fantastic. Youve got Blake
Wheeler. The defense is solid with Dustin Byfuglien. Connor Hellebuyck looks
like hes a pretty good goaltender.Pacific DivisionMATTHEW COLLER:?The Sharks are
still the best team, barring a major drop-off from veterans like Joe Pavelski
and Joe Thornton. After them, its a toss-up. Anaheim looks vulnerable due to a
combination of aging stars and questionable forward depth. Edmonton is a team on
the rise but maybe a season away, as Connor McDavid could become the best player
in the league. A coaching change should help Calgary maximize its young skill
players talents. The Coyotes probably arent ready to run with the best teams in
the division, but the numbers hint that they could be in the mix. As for
Vancouver? The Canucks are in desperate need of a rebuild.BARRY MELROSE: Id put
the Ducks ahead of Calgary. Corey Perry is fantastic. Sami Vatanen has been very
good. Ryan Kesler is still a pretty good player. Are they getting older? Yeah.
But I still think they are one of the top three teams in that
division.*Projected wild card berth
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were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sean OBrien scored 18 points and Colgate held on to beat Cornell
67-63 on Wednesday night.The Raiders bounced back after a season-opening 83-55
loss at Syracuse on Friday. First-year Cornell (0-3) coach Brian Earl, who spent
nine seasons as Princetons assistant coach, remains winless.Dana Batt made a
layup to give Colgate (1-1) the lead for good, 49-48 with about seven minutes
left. Batts layup sparked an 11-7 spurt that stretched the Raiders lead to 60-53
with 2:06 left..dddddddddddd OBrien capped the stretch with a 3-pointer, and
Colgate shot 7 of 8 from the line to seal it.Will Rayman had 12 points and nine
rebounds for the Raiders. Malcolm Regisford and Francisco Amiel added 10 points
apiece.Matt Morgan scored 26 points on 7 of 16 shooting to lead Cornell. Stone
Gettings had 14 points and Robert Hatter chipped in 10 points. ' ' '
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