The 2014-15 Predictions

The 2014-15 NHL season saw a few major changes in the NHL as the NHL continued to tinker with ideas. Perhaps the largest one that would be noticed by Canadian hockey fans is that Rogers Sportsnet bought the rights to everything NHL in Canada, replacing TSN as the standard. Quebec would see TVASports carry games in French, and Sportsnet reached a deal with CBC to maintain the flagship broadcast on the Canadian public broadcaster. There was also a league-wide mumps outbreak during the season that took several key players - Sidney Crosby, Corey Perry, Ryan Suter, and Zach Parise - down for several days before being these players were cleared to return to their teams following heavy sanitizing of everything in those locker rooms. And the Coyotes would now, in theory, appeal to the entire state of Arizona after changing the team name to the Arizona Coyotes. Would any of this affect the predictions made by The Hockey News? It seems maybe only the mumps outbreak would play a factor, but let's see how they did!

After having Jarome Iginla as their coverboy for the last few years, it seems he's old news now as Taylor Hall steps to the foreground in what appears to be his fourth appearance as a coverboy! Marc Giordano is the supporting cast in this one, but we're still being fed Oilers and Flames from THN in the prairie provinces despite there being a team in Winnipeg and despite there are other teams we cheer for in these provinces. The disappointment never ends here.

Divisional standings are the norm here again, so it will be an all-or-nothing for placement within those standings - either you're right or wrong here, THN - for a total of 30 points. Playoff teams, denoted by THN, will be worth 0.5 points if they made the playoffs that season for a chance at 6 total points - I can't give points outside of the top-three teams in each division because THN didn't denote playoff teams in their predictions, so I can judge who their wild card choices were. In saying that, I'll also add four points for division winners and four points for the right wild card teams (assuming those teams are in the right standings positions) for 8 more points. And there will be 2 points available for the Stanley Cup champion and finalist prediction - all-or-nothing - for a total of 46 points.

Here are the standings predictions as per The Hockey News.

I took some creative liberties in chopping up the picture.

STANDINGS

The final Metropolitan Division standings in 2015 in the NHL are listed first with The Hockey News' predicted team to finish in that same spot listed second. Playoff teams are listed in capital letters for each side.

1. NEW YORK RANGERS (NHL) vs. PITTSBURGH (THN)
2. WASHINGTON vs. NEW YORK RANGERS
3. NEW YORK ISLANDERS vs. NEW YORK RANGERS
4. PITTSBURGH vs. Washington
5. Columbus vs. Philadelphia
6. Philadelphia vs. New York Islanders
7. New Jersey vs. New Jersey
8. Carolina vs. Carolina

THN had two of eight teams in the right spots for 2/8 points.

The Atlantic Division follows the same scoring.

1. MONTREAL (NHL) vs. BOSTON (THN)
2. TAMPA BAY vs. TAMPA BAY
3. DETROIT vs. MONTREAL
4. OTTAWA vs. Florida
5. Boston vs. Detroit
6. Florida vs. Toronto
7. Toronto vs. Ottawa
8. Buffalo vs. Buffalo

THN had just two of the eight teams in the right spot for 2/8 points here. We can now see the full playoff picture, and it would appear that THN had three of six playoff teams correctly identified for 1.5/3 points. They missed on both division winners for 0/2, but missed on both wild card teams for 0/2 there. All totaled, the Eastern Conference predictions scored THN a final score of 5.5/23.

The Pacific Division follows the same scoring.

1. ANAHEIM (NHL) vs. ANAHEIM (THN)
2. VANCOUVER vs. LOS ANGELES
3. CALGARY vs. SAN JOSE
4. Los Angeles vs. Vanvcouver
5. San Jose vs. Arizona
6. Edmonton vs. Edmonton
7. Arizona vs. Calgary

THN had two teams in the right spot for 2/7 points.

The Central Division follows the same scoring.

1. ST. LOUIS (NHL) vs. ST. LOUIS (THN)
2. NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
3. CHICAGO vs. MINNESOTA
4. MINNESOTA vs. Dallas
5. WINNIPEG vs. Colorado
6. Dallas vs. Nashville
7. Colorado vs. Winnipeg

THN had just one of the seven teams in the right spot for 1/7 points here. We can now see the full playoff picture, and it would appear that THN had three of six playoff teams correctly predicted for 1.5/3 points. They had both division winners correct for a 2/2 score, and missed on both wild card teams for 0/2 there as well. All totaled, the Western Conference predictions scored THN a final score of 6.5/21.

STANLEY CUP WINNER

Ryan Kennedy wrote the biggest part of the predictions again this season, and THN needed a boost in this department. I have to admit that I was not expecting this.

• CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WILL DEFEAT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP. That DID happen! The Blackhawks needed six games to eliminate the Lightning where five of the six games were decided by one goal, but none of the games went into overtime. The only game that was won by two-or-more goals was Game Six as the Blackhawks won 2-0 in the game to capture the Stanley Cup!

THN scored a very impressive 2/2 in these predictions as they had both the champion and finalist correct for the first time since starting these examinations of their predictions!

Honestly, The Hockey News needed that Stanley Cup prediction badly as their overall predictions this season scored them 14 out of 46 possible points for a 30.4% accuracy. Had they not called both Chicago and Tampa Bay finishing the season as they did, they drop to 26.1% which is nothing of which they should be proud. Instead, they stay above the 30% mark, and they officially have called their second Stanley Cup champion correctly in the last two decades!

We'll see how future seasons play out with these predictions and if THN can continue improve next season as we move forward chronologically!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!