Dany Heatley may have lost a step, but he appears to now have a more well-rounded game.
It didn't take long for Dany Heatley to score his first playoff goal. Twenty-eight seconds, in fact.
After what could only be described as a disappointing year from an offensive perspective, Heatley seems to be ready to make amends in the post-season. Prior to the start of the 2010-11 season, Heatley was my choice to win the Rocket Richard Trophy. I was off by just a little and so was he. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound left-shooting right winger who has registered back-to-back 50-goal seasons in his career finished with 26 goals, which left him 44th in the league. He was a mere 24 behind Corey Perry, who led the NHL with 50.
The reality is his dip to 26 goals after scoring 39 in successive seasons may be a real indication of where he's headed in his career. While a player such as Teemu Selanne appears to be ageless and still able to skate with the best youngsters in the league, Heatley has clearly lost a step.
"He's not a great skater," said former NHL defenceman Jamie Baker, currently an analyst on Sharks radio broadcasts. "He has great hockey sense and great hands around the net, but his speed isn't there."
Regardless of Heatley's personal dip in production, the Sharks seem to be more of a playoff-ready team. Opening the post-season with a hard-fought 3-2 overtime win over the Los Angeles Kings is certainly a positive start.
If you watched the game, then you saw an aggressive Heatley playing a more balanced and determined two-way game. Heatley was credited with just one hit, but I thought he dished out more. He also had two shots on goal and was 3-1 (75 per cent) on faceoffs. All in all, it was an impressive night which doesn't surprise Baker.
"You could see, especially in the second half of this season, there was a determination to change his style," Baker said. "He is much more physical and really concentrates on finishing his checks. He's not cheating ion the defensive zone by taking off looking for an outlet pass. He has become a much better all-around player -- a three-zone player.
STUMBLING STAKMOS
While Heatley made his mark in the playoffs early, Steven Stamkos continues to have trouble finding the net. Although Stamkos finished second in NHL goal-scoring with 46, Stamkos managed just two goals in Tampa Bay's final 13 regular season games and obviously didn't score in the Lightning's opening playoff game, a 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh.
Former NHL superstar Phil Esposito, who provides analysis for the Lightning on radio, said he thinks Stamkos has stopped skating and that's why his goal production has dried up. Stamkos's problems, it would seem, are very similar to Heatley's.
"He's not moving his legs," Espo said. "He's not grabbing the puck and going with it. The other teams are checking him a lot closer, but he needs to find a way to get away from the checking. That's what great players do."
POWERFUL PEN
A lot has been made of the tremendous success the Pittsburgh Penguins have enjoyed this season despite the absence of superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and rightly so. Certainly goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury deserves a lot of the credit, as does coach Dan Bylsma. Beyond those two, there are a lot of unsung heroes on the club, including unheralded defenceman Brooks Orpik. Known predominantly for his aggressive physical play, Orpik chipped in two assists in Pittsburgh's opening victory over Tampa Bay.
Based on the fact he had just eight assists in his previous 62 playoff games, you probably shouldn't expect him to challenge for the playoff scoring title. However, Orpik will most certainly continue to make life miserable with his physical approach to the game. The points are gravy.
FISHING FOR A SERIES WIN
The Nashville Predators have never made it out of the first round in their first five trips to the playoffs. So at the trade deadline, the offence-challenged Predators added reliable centre Mike Fisher from the Ottawa Senators hoping he'd be able to put them over the top.
It's far too early, despite their impressive 4-1 win over the Ducks in Anaheim, to know if Fisher is the answer, but he certainly had an impact in Game 1, scoring two goals and adding an assist. Fisher isn't likely to keep up that pace as the playoffs continue, but he remains one of the best two-way players in the game and despite a slow start to his career in Nashville, he's on top of his game now.
