Excerpt from the Hockey News article by Sam McCaig:
NORTHEAST DIVISION
The Big Story: The Montreal Canadiens were expected to be Stanley Cup contenders in their centennial season and they certainly played that way in October. The Habs went 7-1-1, including 3-0-1 on the road, to serve notice that last year’s breakout was no fluke.
The Buffalo Story: Last season was a lost cause for the Sabres as they failed to reach the post-season after back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference final. Buffalo got off to an awful start last season and never recovered; that’s not the case this year as the Sabres are 8-2-2 and sit atop their division.
The Back Story: The Mats Sundin-less Toronto Maple Leafs were given little chance to do anything this season, so their 5-4-3 record – and energetic and enthusiastic play – has Leaf Nation ready to believe. Whether the young club can continue to play coach Ron Wilson’s revved-up style all season remains to be seen, but the early returns are refreshingly positive.