Hockey roundup

Now that the NHL season is down to the last third and Olympic break is nearing, it is high time to make some observations on the season in progress.


Milestones

Every year players reach personal milestones. This season has seen Alex Kovalev score his 400th goal, Patrik Elias his 300th, and Vincent Lecavalier reached 700 career points. Alex Ovechkin recently reached 250 career goals and 2000 career shots, and more recently still 500 career points. That boy will amount to something one day, you mark my words.


Every season players reach new milestones, but not every season bring new all-time records. We got some last year, courtesy of Martin Brodeur. The big one was of course the new record for career shutouts with his 104th. He's currently at 108 and shows now signs of stopping. He also set career records for most minutes and most games played.


Rocket Race

Race for Rocket is more exciting than it has been for a while, with a bunch of players on pace for 50 or more goals. Top five is currently:

A. Ovechkin 39 (59)
P. Marleau 38 (54)
S. Crosby 37 (54)
M. Gaborik 34 (49)
I. Kovalchuk 31 (47)

Goals totals are from 2010-02-06, and the number in parenthesis is extrapolated goal total players are on pace for, which I confidently expect them to fall short of.

I don't think Crosby is going to reach 50 goals this season, for example, though he should comfortably exceed 40 goals for the first time in his career. Not bad for somebody who can't put the puck in from over ten feet out. But boy is he effective around the crease. The combination of strength, balance, and excellent hand-eye coordination served him well in the playoffs, and he's continued that role this season. Maybe he figured he was only ever going to be the second best playmaker on a team with Malkin on it, and he'd be more useful as a (very short range) sniper. With his new-found scoring touch and seven centermen on Team Canada's roster, it might be a good idea to play Crosby on the wing in Vancouver. In fact, I'm rather expecting them to.


The Kids Are All Right

A new generation of NHL stars are well on their way.

Patrick Kane (22 + 39)
Steven Stamkos (31 + 29)
Jonathan Toews (18 + 27)
John Tavares (17 + 16)

Are some of the standouts. Chicago kids are going strong, and Stamkos's second season is going much better. I list Tavares since he is the current Next One, although everybody knows the seasoned veteran Kyle Okposo is the real story on Long Island. Matt Moulson nobody saw coming, though.


Going Up


Washington Capitals

Sure, they had a strong regular season last year, too, but this season is better still. Apparently they have now identified and eliminated the one area of their game holding them back: losing. Thirteen game win streaks are not something you see every year. Later today they will try for fourteen.

Buffalo Sabres

They have stumbled a little lately, but they are having a great season, led by Ryan Miller's outstanding work in goal.

Ottawa Senators

Where did that win streak come from? Regardless, Sens are riding it up the standings.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Sure, eight place isn't so hot, but it is lot better than fourteenth. They might even make the playoffs again. Maybe.


Phoenix Coyotes

Rebuilding is beginning to bear fruit for Coyotes. If the team can just stay in business they have a shot at amounting to something.

Los Angeles Kings

After a strong start Kings hit a rough patch, but are now on their second wind and working at a best season since Gretzky days. This season is powered by Anze Kopitar (26+35) finally reaching for superstardom, and a strong season from young Jonathan Quick in goal doesn't hurt either.

Colorado Avalanche

They have faded some since their quick start, but are still hanging on to a playoff spot. That's up from last in conference.


Going Down


Boston Bruins

In range of a playoff spot, sure, but what happened?

Carolina Hurricanes

Make Conference Finals one year, lose the conference another. Sine curve is a franchise tradition, though. Reinforcements to Leafs will likely leave Canes last in the East, but Oilers seem a lock for last in the league.

Detroit Clipped Wings

Okay, they have an excuse. Just take a look at this injury list from Christmas break:

Henrik Zetterberg (separated shoulder)
Dan Cleary (separated shoulder)
Johan Franzen (torn ACL)
Niklas Kronwall (sprained knee)
Valtteri Filppula (broken wrist)
Jason Williams (fractured fibula)
Jonathan Ericsson (bone bruise)
Darren Helm (sprained wrist)
Andreas Lilja (headaches)

Zetterberg wasn't gone long, but they lost Holmström to compensate.

Still, they have been straddling the cutoff all season long, and should claim a spot in the playoffs once they get some players back. In the post season there's no telling where their experience will take them. To conference finals with Blackhawks, please.


Frank the Wonder Backup

I'd like to conclude by discussing one of the most underrated goalies in NHL, a man who just can't seem to get a break. Someone who year after year plays backup to goalies with worse stats than himself. Someone who can win Olympic Silver Medal and not get a single start in playoffs for a team that got eliminated in the first round anyway because he supposedly lacks "big game experience". Someone who for past four years has been and for couple of more weeks will be the reigning Olympic Ice Hockey MVP without a starting job in NHL during that time.

Yes, I'm talking about Antero Niittymäki.

Sure, you could argue he's a starter for Lightning this season, but that's just because Mike Smith is injured. During Smith's first absence, when Niittymäki led the league in save percentage, the consensus among hockey pundits was that he had secured the number one spot on the team. They forgot they were talking about Frank the Wonder Backup. Once Smith got healthy, he got all the games and Frank went back to a schedule of weeks of inaction punctuated by back-to-back games. Not surprisingly, his numbers suffered (though he maintained a better record than Smith), no doubt contributing to his undeserved reputation as a streaky goalie. I can understand wanting to play your young franchise goaltender, but you are wasting a starter here, Bolts.

Currently Smith is sidelined again, Frank is starting, and his stats are up again. Sure, his 2.46 GAA is only good enough for fourteenth in the league, but that's still ahead of Lundqvist, Thomas, Quick, Fleury and Bäckström. Sure, his 91.9 save percentage is only good enough for eleventh in the league, but that's still ahead of Martin Brodeur.

Some snapshots from the season overall stats (GAA, sv%):
2.43, 92.1 starting
2.79, 90.6 not starting
2.46, 91.9 starting

Last five games:
1.00, 97.0 starting

This guy is a number one goalie. Somebody give him the job, already!


Odds and Ends

Oh, and last week saw some trades: Phaneuf and Giguere to Leafs, Olli Jokinen to Rangers, and some Russian winger to Devils. More on them later, maybe.