The 2009-10 NHL season is officially underway, and it couldn’t come soon enough. There’s something about a hit in hockey that football just can’t give you, and it’s good to have it back. Here’s a team-by-team analysis of who I project will make the playoffs this season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS — What a year for the Pens last year. Despite a tumultuous regular season and fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, they went on to the Stanley Cup and beat the Red Wings in Detroit to claim the cup in Game 7. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin comprise the best one-two punch in the NHL, and this year they should become less streaky in the regular season and get themselves a No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

2. WASHINGTON CAPITALS — The Capitals have seen a tremendous turnaround since the arrival of Alexander Ovechkin. Adding right wing Mike Knuble and center Brendan Morrison bolster an already vicious offensive attack.

3. BOSTON BRUINS — Boston was such a powerhouse during the regular season, but a Game 7 overtime loss in the second round makes their top conference record meaningless. Will the Bruins be able to put themselves over the top this year to defeat the likes of the Capitals and the Penguins? They lost RW Phil Kessel, who scored 36 goals last year, as well as LW P.J. Axelsson, so it’ll be an uphill climb for Boston even if they have a great regular season record.

4. NEW JERSEY DEVILS — New defensive-minded head coach Jacques Lemaire will try to implement a lockdown defensive scheme to add to the offensive improvements for New Jersey. Zach Parise exploded for 94 total points last season, and despite losing some offensive players in the offseason, if the defense starts shutting down opponents this could be a dangerous hockey team.

5. CAROLINA HURRICANES — The Canes made quite a postseason run last year, but will that success carry over to this season? Underrated goalie Cam Ward anchors the team while center Eric Staal powers the offensive attack. The team often comes out of nowhere, so if they can play consistent hockey this season, another great playoff run could be in sight.

6. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — There is one single reason why I ranked the Flyers so low: goaltending. Marty Biron is gone, and who did they bring in to replace him? Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. I’ve never been a fan of Emery, and he is their No. 1 guy. I can’t be confident in a team without solid goaltending, so unless Emery exceeds expectations, the rest of the team will not be able to go very far.

7. BUFFALO SABRES — The Sabres lost four beloved players in the offseason, but at least one of them (Maxim Afinogenov) will be a good loss (I’m sorry Sabres fans; trust me, this isn’t treason). The erratic Afinogenov has perennially been the fastest NHL threat without actually producing good hockey. For the Sabres to get back to the playoffs this year, they need to have another 40-goal season out of LW Thomas Vanek and play defense well enough that Ryan Miller, still one of the best goaltenders in the NHL no matter what the numbers say, doesn’t get overworked.

8. NEW YORK RANGERS — The Rangers lost quite a few talented skaters, but picked up a potentially dynamic scorer in RW Marian Gaborik, who’s dangerous when he’s healthy. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist might get tired out behind a suspect defense, but this team might just sneak into the playoff picture.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. DETROIT RED WINGS — The loss of leading goal-scorer RW Marian Hossa will hurt them, but this team is diesel no matter who suits up in Detroit. This team has made six Stanley Cup Finals appearances since the 1994-95 season, winning it all four times. The longevity of the veteran core has been questioned before, but the answer was pretty clear last year: this team is built to last, and they will succeed this year as well.

2. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS — This squad lost in the conference finals against Detroit, then signed its superstar Hossa in the offseason. That move should put the Blackhawks over the top. Acquiring defensive-minded C John Madden is another key addition to a lineup already rich with talent, including RW Patrick Kane, C Jonathan Toews and All-Star caliber D Brian Campbell. They could go all the way this year.

3. SAN JOSE SHARKS — The Sharks have been loaded with talent the past couple years, but another early exit from the playoffs disappointed fans last year. But the Sharks landed one of the biggest free agent pickups of 2009 in dynamic LW Dany Heatley, who is known for playing well in the postseason. Will it be enough to push San Jose past the first round this year?

4. ANAHEIM DUCKS — As the eighth seed in the Western Conference last year, the Ducks took out the top-seeded Sharks before falling to the Red Wings. The loss of D Chris Pronger will hurt the Ducks, but after four straight playoff appearances, Anaheim should be back in the mix this year.

5. VANCOUVER CANUCKS — The Canucks blazed their way to the third-best record in the West last year behind the stellar play of goaltender Roberto Luongo and identical twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who each amassed 82 points last season. All three got big contract extensions in the offseason, leaving little room for new talent, but as long as Luongo stays fresh and the Sedins keep scoring, Vancouver will make some noise in the regular season.

6. CALGARY FLAMES — With Miikka Kiprusoff between the pipes, this team always has a fighting chance of winning a hockey game. He has averaged an NHL-best 42 wins over the past four years, and the addition of standout D Jay Bouwmeester gives Kiprusoff a stronger defense overall.

7. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS — After making its first ever playoff appearance in its nine-year existence, Columbus looks to build on the successes of last year with LW Steve Nash, G Steve Mason and head coach Ken Hitchcock. These three have built a winner and should see another playoff trip this year.

8. ST. LOUIS BLUES — The Blues went on a 20-7-4 run to end the season and jump into the playoff picture for the first time in five years. D Erik Johnson returns from a knee injury to help on the defensive unit, which is anchored by G Chris Mason, who stopped nearly 92 percent of the shots that he faced in the aforementioned stretch of games for the Blues.