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2021 NHL Season Predictions: Standings, Playoffs and Awards – Mile High Hockey

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With the 2021 NHL season upon us, it’s time for the obligatory predictions. The Colorado Avalanche enter the season as the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup and by all accounts, the team is embracing it. They’re a skilled team led by a superstar, a budding Norris Trophy candidate and have a supporting cast that is significantly deeper than last season. That said, anything can happen in an NHL season, particularity one with as many unknowns as this one.

With new divisions, the Avalanche will be doing a ton of traveling this season and they will be counting on their goalies to both stay healthy, and provide a solid backstop for a talented but young defense group.

With a ton of league-wide roster movement over the past few months, this promises to be an incredibly exciting season both in Denver and around the NHL. For the record, I did nail my prediction of Tampa Bay Lightning over the Dallas Stars for the Stanley Cup in my preseason predictions last year.

Now let’s let’s see if I can get close again this season.

Standings

Honda West Division

  1. Colorado Avalanche
  2. Vegas Golden Knights
  3. St. Louis Blues
  4. San Jose Sharks
  5. Minnesota Wild
  6. Arizona Coyotes
  7. Anaheim Ducks
  8. Los Angeles Kings

Scotia North Division

  1. Toronto Maple Leafs
  2. Winnipeg Jets
  3. Calgary Flames
  4. Edmonton Oilers
  5. Vancouver Canucks
  6. Montreal Canadiens
  7. Ottawa Senators

MassMutual East Division

  1. Philadelphia Flyers
  2. Washington Capitals
  3. Pittsburgh Penguins
  4. Boston Bruins
  5. Buffalo Sabres
  6. New York Rangers
  7. New Jersey Devils
  8. New York Islanders

Discover Central Division

  1. Tampa Bay Lightning
  2. Carolina Hurricanes
  3. Florida Panthers
  4. Nashville Predators
  5. Dallas Stars
  6. Columbus Blue Jackets
  7. Detroit Red Wings
  8. Chicago Blackhawks

Playoffs

With re-alignment and a new format for the playoffs, we still don’t know exactly how the postseason tournament will be structured. With that in mind, I am picking Toronto, Washington, Colorado and Carolina as the final four.

The Avalanche make a run but it will be Washington over Colorado for the Stanley Cup.

Awards

Hart Trophy: Nathan MacKinnon (runner up: Auston Matthews)

Art Ross Trophy: Nathan MacKinnon (runner up: Connor McDavid)

Richard Trophy: Andrei Svechnikov (runner up: Auston Matthews)

Norris Trophy: Jaccob Slavin (runner up: Miro Heiskanen)

Calder Trophy: Jack Studnika (runner up: Josh Norris)

Vezina Trophy: Ilya Samsonov (runner up: Tristan Jarry)

Jack Adams Award: Alain Vigneault (runner up: Jared Bednar)

Selke Trophy: Anthony Cirelli (runner up: Sean Couturier )

Lady Byng Trophy: Jonathan Marchessault (runner up: Mitch Marner)

Ted Lindsey Award: Nathan MacKinnon (runner up: Auston Matthews)

If you want more of my spicy prognostications, check out my 10 Bold Predictions for the 2021 NHL season, here.

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PWHL MVP Spooner set to miss start of season for Toronto Sceptres due to knee injury

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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.

The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.

She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.

Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.

Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.

The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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