Chris Nichols

­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.

As an earthquake of "uh-ohs" envelopes Canada after yesterday's loss to the U.S. in, um, ice hockey at the Olympics, it seems like a good time for a distraction. There will be just shy of six weeks of regular season NHL action when the league resumes and despite being the back-to-back winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy, Russian sniper Alex Ovechkin isn't a lock to win it this time around. Or is he? Let's take a look at the top goal scorers and see where they're sitting today and how they've fared lately.

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: 42 goals in 54 GP = 0.78 goals per game
The 24-year old power forward, who had that game-changing hit on Jaromir Jagr in the Russia-Czech tilt that has the hockey world abuzz, should absolutely still be considered the favourite to come out on top in the goal-scoring race this season. 261 goals over his first 378 regular season games. No fewer than 46 goals in any of his five seasons (let's go out on a limb and assume he'll get at least four after the break) and he needs 10 in his final 20 starts (yawn) to hit the 56-goal plateau for the third straight campaign.

He entered the break on a three-game goalless drought, which is only the second time this season he's gone that long without scoring. He still has seven markers in seven February games with 16 in his past 22 since the start of the New Year. He also has a staggering 39 points with a +24 rating in that time. His 1.65 points-per-game ratio is crushing his nearest competition too: Henrik Sedin has a 1.31 to 1.28 lead over Sidney Crosby. The fact that he's centred by one of the slickest playmakers in the game in Nicklas Backstrom doesn't hurt Ovechkin's chances either.

Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins: 42 goals in 61 GP = 0.69 goals per game
Having already passed his rookie season career high of 39 goals, the pride of Cole Harbour seems a great bet to record his first 50-goal campaign with Pittsburgh having 20 games left. Thanks to an unconscious stretch of hockey where he's posted 18 goals in his last 18 clashes before the Olympic break, Crosby also finds himself with a legitimate chance to win his first Rocket Richard too.

With 226 shots in his 61 starts, his 3.70 SOG-per-game is noticeably better than the 3.43 ratio from that rookie campaign, where he had 39 goals. It's also, not surprisingly, his best output in that department in his young career. At his current pace, he'll finish right around the 300 SOG mark.

Ovechkin may still rightfully be the odds-on favourite to win this race, but if anyone can catch him it'll be Crosby. Aside from power play time with Evgeni Malkin and occasional even strength shifts together, Crosby's main downfall vs. Ovechkin is the lack of a Backstromesque talent with which to play.

Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks: 38 goals in 62 GP = 0.61 goals per game
Marleau's production has tailed off of late, with only one goal in his last seven outings and three in his past 11. He still had 12 in 14 January starts in total though and with sniping often being such a hot or cold ability, it wouldn't take much for the winger to start potting them in bunches again... especially given the fact that he's most often playing with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. Marleau entered the break with the same 38-goal mark he set as a career high in 76 GP last season.

Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning: 35 goals in 61 GP = 0.57 goals per game
The first overall pick from 2008 has been having a tremendous sophomore campaign and he entered the break with a strong 13-game point streak that included 10 goals in his past 12 clashes. He had a really dry stretch in December with only four goals in 15 GP, but the young talent is hot at the right time with his team in the thick of a tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

Marian Gaborik, New York Rangers: 35 goals in 58 GP = 0.60 goals per game
This Czech sniper has been mostly healthy this season and he busted out of the gates with 21 goals in his first 25 starts through October and November. From the start of December through January 27th he found the back of the net only eight times in 27 GP, which has caused him to fall in both the Rocket Richard and Art Ross races.

Dany Heatley, San Jose Sharks: 32 goals in 62 GP = 0.52 goals per game
He only had three goals in 12 GP going into the Olympic break, but he's currently tied for the tournament lead in goals (four) and points (five) and can hopefully use that momentum to get on a tear for the final six weeks of the season. He's only seven goals shy of matching last year's production with the Sens (39) and although it's not highly likely, he's still in a sweet enough position with the Sharks' top line to potentially even challenge for his third career 50-goal campaign. The Sharks have 20 games left and he'd need to net 18 goals, which, for a sniper, is not unfathomable.

Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils: 32 goals in 55 GP = 0.58 goals per game
After six games with his new team, the Russian winger has only scored once with his five points. He's shooting the puck a bunch though and he's logging huge power play minutes. Remember, this is a guy who potted 22 goals in his final 28 GP last season. The Devils have 21 games to go.

Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals: 30 goals in 53 GP = 0.57 goals per game
Although he generally hasn't been playing with Ovechkin and Backstrom on the first line for awhile now, Semin is still a deadly threat every time he's on the ice. After having only five markers in 13 December starts, he had 16 in 22 headed into the break with 33 points in that span. We're also talking about a Caps team that easily leads the NHL in goals (247 to 204 over San Jose) and can seemingly score at will, so there will continue to be loads of chances for Semin to produce.

There's a four-way tie for eighth in the goal-scoring race at 28 between Anze Kopitar (12 goals in his last 20 GP), Zach Parise (goals in three straight with five in 14 overall), Rick Nash (four-game goal streak and seven-game point streak) and Bobby Ryan (eight goals in his past 14 GP).

Rounding out the next grouping of players are Jarome Iginla (27 goals, but only 10 over his past 36 GP since the start of December), Jeff Carter (27 with goals in four straight and 13 in his past 21), Nicklas Backstrom (26 and has tallied 22 in 36 since November 30th), Alex Burrows (26, but only three in his past 11), Michael Cammalleri (26, but currently on the IR), Henrik Sedin (25, but seven straight without one before the break), Patrick Kane (25 with four in six and a four-game point streak going into the Olympics).

Who's your money on? Yeah, tough to go with anyone but Ovechkin. But last year he finished with a 10-goal lead on his next-nearest competition (Carter), so at least this race stands to be much closer. Given how competitive Sidney Crosby is and how well he's faring with a focus on shooting more, can you really count him out?