It was a division that produced four of the top seven teams in the Eastern Conference in 1998-99. The sixth and seventh best teams in the East, both from this division, each had 91 points, five more than Southeast Division winner Carolina.
We're talking about the nip-and-tuck Northeast Division, home to three of the NHL's Original Six franchises -- Toronto, Montreal and Boston.
Rounding out the division are Ottawa, which finished third best overall in the league with 103 points, and Buffalo, which impressed many on the way to the Stanley Cup finals.
If you look at the prospects for 1999-2000, it's hard to find a tougher, more emotionally charged division than the Northeast.
The rivalries are long-standing and deep-seated; the histories long and largely successful.
Can Ottawa repeat the remarkable regular-season run but avoid the bitter disappointment that greeted it in the first round of the playoffs? Can Montreal, with Saku Koivu finally healthy, shake itself out of the doldrums and make the postseason? Can Boston ride its young players farther than the second round this year? Can Toronto build on its most-improved status? Can Buffalo make it all the way this time in the final year of goalie Dominik Hasek's career?
|  | | Bruins coach Pat Burns thinks the Northeast is one of the NHL's top divisions. |
No one can be sure of anything except it will be an interesting ride.
When asked if the Northeast Division was the toughest in hockey, Bruins' coach Pat Burns, who has also been behind the bench in Montreal and Toronto, said definitely.
"It's going to take a lot of points to make the playoffs," said Burns. "It's going to be a battle. I think what's really important is the conference. It's going to be a tough grind to try to get in there."
Burns said the motivation for every club is different, and for some it's more obvious than others.
"Ottawa has something to prove now," he said. "In Montreal, I can imagine what's going to go on if in January or February they're out of the playoff picture. It's not going to be too pretty. A lot of teams are going to want to be forgiven for what happened last year."
In the Eastern Conference last year, it took 90 points to make the playoffs; it took only 78 to make it in the West. Many feel it will take even more than 90 this season in the East.
"It's hard to argue that," said Ottawa GM Marshall Johnston. "But each year is new. I've been wrong so many times at making predictions and projections, that I kind of just worry about the next game and then the next game."
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I think it's the most competitive as far as everything
being equal. ... If you look at the teams, it's a very competitive
division where one team doesn't really (dominate). ... any team
could win the division. ” |
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— Sabres forward
Mike Peca |
For some, the motivation will come from having thought about their last game. The Sabres still haven't recovered from the devastation of losing the Stanley Cup to Dallas as a result of a controversial Brett Hull goal.
"I think it's something you're never going to really dismiss," said Sabres captain Michael Peca. "Professionally, you've got to forget about it and not really let it affect you for this upcoming season. But it certainly is a motivator and it's certainly something you'll always remember. Professionally, you have to forget about it. Emotionally and personally it's something you'll hold with you probably forever."
The big question is whether the Sabres can turn that pain into a hunger to get back to the finals.
"You've always got to try to turn anything into a motivation positive," Peca said. "For us, it's using that to try to get us off to a good start."
That will be made doubly difficult because teams are going to have the Sabres in their sights after the season they had last year. Add to that the fact that clubs want the prestige of knocking off Hasek and the Sabres are the type of squad that irritates opponents with their style of play. Put it all together, and it comes out that teams really don't like Buffalo even before they set foot on the ice.
"Any time you get to the Stanley Cup finals, it's always tougher to get back there because everyone is gunning for you," Peca said.
The fact that Hasek has announced he will retire at the end of the season has been talked about extensively, but Peca said it really isn't a factor when it comes right down to how badly the Sabres want to win.
"It wouldn't really change matters for us because our goal is to win the Stanley Cup, and I think after last year, we feel we're that much closer of being able to accomplish it," he said. "From a managerial standpoint, they realize they've got the greatest goaltender for one last year and maybe at the deadline, if there are a couple of spots where they feel they can add a couple of stars or players who could help, maybe they'd feel a little easier to do that knowing it's Dom's last year, and it could be one of our last real good stabs at it with a top-notch goaltender.
"I think there's no doubt that we can get back there again. We want to make sure we get a good start to the season and taking the steps in the regular season to get our game going. But I just think the team we have and the character we have, its makeup, is one where we're going to succeed in the postseason. We've pretty much got all that back."
He said he doesn't expect any easy nights when it comes to facing off against division opponents.
"I think it's the most competitive as far as everything being equal," said Peca. "Montreal was the lone team to not be in the playoffs last year. They've certainly made some additions to try to get back there this year. If you look at the teams, it's a very competitive division where one team doesn't really (dominate). Ottawa had 100-something points, but I think all the teams are pretty equal and any team could win the division.
"I think it is more competitive because you're going to see a lot of teams wanting to improve on last year. I think Ottawa is going to want to do the same thing they did last year. We're going to want to better our regular season based on our postseason. Boston is going to want to have a better start and not have to be unbelievable in the second half to make the playoffs. Every team is going to be gunning for it, to win the division and put themselves in a position to go into the playoffs with a better seed."
The season is almost upon us and it looks like the road to Stanley Cup finals might once again go roaring through the Northeast Division.
Nancy Marrapese-Burrell covers hockey for The Boston Globe.
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ALSO SEE
Buffalo Sabres preview
Toronto Maple Leafs preview
Boston Bruins preview
Montreal Canadiens preview
Ottawa Senators preview
Senators GM Johnston steps into fire
Northeast Division: Depth is a strength
Atlantic Division: Rangers up the ante
Central Division: Wings unflappable
Southeast Division: Fighting for respect
Pacific Division: Stars stud of the group
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