NHL This Week
This past week in NHL has had a fair share of ups, downs, and surprises. Some teams have been surging while others struggle for success. One of the teams that have been struggling is the Los Angeles Kings. Their current point record, as of February 3, is a total of 6 points, second to last in the Western Conference. After their first seven games the Kings have only walked away with just two victories. This may be a surprise to some given that the Kings were last year’s Stanley Cup Champions. However, there is a term hockey fans use for the situation of the struggling previous Stanley Cup Champions, this is known as the “Stanley Cup hangover.” Are the LA Kings suffering the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover? It may be too early to tell; however, one thing is for sure, the Kings must pick up their intensity in the hopes of making another run for the Cup.
The Los Angeles Kings are not the only team struggling for points at this crucial point in the season. Teams like the Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, and the Carolina Hurricanes all have a point total of 6 points or less. These teams all have nearly half, if not less, of the points that their Eastern and Western Conference leaders posses as of now. Obviously, if these teams want to continue their NHL seasons past April, they, like the LA Kings, need to step up their game and start coming up with wins and soon!
On the opposite side of the spectrum, teams at the top of the NHL like Boston, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Chicago, San Jose, and St. Louis are thriving at this point in the season. This past week Chicago and San Jose reigned undefeated for the majority of the week until Chicago lost in a shootout to the Minnesota Wild. Later the San Jose would also lose in a shootout, ruining their perfect record as well. Boston leads the East with only one regulation loss and an overtime loss, while Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Montreal trail very closely. These teams have started the season on the right foot, but must hold on to their success to remain in the top eight of their respected conferences. One thing for these teams to keep in mind: it is not easy to win five games straight, that’s the hard part, however it is not that hard to lose five games. Five games this shortened season is equivalent to ten games regularly, so as these teams continue dominating the NHL, they must keep their mistakes to a minimum to ensure that their hard work will pay off in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Blackhawks Update
These past weeks as a Blackhawks fan have been nothing short of spectacular! As I have mentioned in last week’s issue, the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks have set a franchise record for starting off a season with a record of 6-0-0. This was a great sight to see for Hawks fans across the nation. Although their perfect record ended in a shootout loss against the Minnesota Wild, the Hawks have still managed to receive a point from every game they have played. This is because their only losses are losses that took place beyond regulation in overtime or in a shootout. Due to their success the Blackhawks are currently, as of February 3, leading the Western Conference and the NHL with a total of 16 points and a record of 7-0-2.
The Blackhawks point streak has been kept afloat by the entire Hawks team. All players are playing on such an intense level of play and in return are sitting on top of the NHL. Who specifically is to thank? You can start with key players like Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, and Jonathan Toews who all have contributed to Blackhawk victories with their offensive numbers. Kane currently has 13 points on the season, Hossa has 10, Sharp has 8, and Toews has 7.
The core offensive players such as Kane, Toews, Hossa, and Sharp have been playing very well lately however, other players like Brandon Saad, Carcillo’s replacement; has been flying all over the ice for the Hawks. Although he has not registered a point as of yet, Saad has been a positive force with his speed, consistency, and his near goal scoring capabilities. I advise you keep your eye on Saad, he is due for a goal very soon and hopefully continues improving.
There is no doubt that if the Blackhawks continue to keep up their intensity, tight defense, clutch goal scoring, and great goaltending by Crawford and Emery, that this season could be headed down the road to another possible Stanley Cup victory.
Current Individual League Leaders
Thomas Vanek (BUF)- Buffalo Sabres forward Thomas Vanek is currently leading the NHL with a total of 19 points. Vanek has registered an astounding 8 goals and 11 assists so far this season. He is officially on fire! If he, along with rest of the Sabres, keeps up these offensive numbers, expect to find the Sabres holding a playoff spot this season.
Patrick Marleau (SJS)- Sharks’ Left Winger Patrick Marleau has been scoring left and right so far this season. He currently has a total of 9 goals and is on pace to have a great season ahead of him. He will be a player to watch for the rest of this season and there is no doubt the Sharks’ success as of late and Marleau’s scoring onslaught are directly related. As long as Patrick keeps scoring, the Sharks will definitely continue being one of the top teams this year in the NHL.
Craig Anderson (OTT)- As Ottawa’s starting goaltender, Anderson has performed very well as of late. He currently has an NHL leading Goals Against Average of 1.12 and an NHL leading Save Percentage of .964 , very low and impressive numbers so far this season. Craig has also registered one shutout thus far. Keep an eye on Craig Anderson as he helps the Senators make another run for the Cup this season.
Current Division Leaders
Eastern Conference: Boston Bruins (NORTHEAST), Tampa Bay Lightning (SOUTHEAST), Pittsburgh Penguins (ATLANTIC).
Western Conference: Chicago Blackhawks (CENTRAL), San Jose (PACIFIC), Vancouver Canucks (NORTHWEST).
Frank Markasovic
Sports Editor