By Pat Pickens
Evander Kane did not let a little five-game pointless streak keep him down.
Citizen Kane has goals in two straight, basically reviving the Winnipeg Jets’ playoff hopes. Winnipeg scored a key 5-2 win over Toronto at MTS Centre on Wednesday, with Kane potting an insurance third-period tally.
Kane scored 30 goals last year — with 57 points — and although he won’t come close to that thanks to that lousy lockout, he’s emerging as one of the best young forwards in the game.
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Speaking of fire, the Pittsburgh Penguins are rolling even without one of the league’s best.
Evgeni Malkin’s absence has not slowed Pittsburgh, which has won six straight — all without Malkin — and jumped to a seven-point Atlantic Division lead over second-place New Jersey.
James Neal has recorded points in six straight games; he was a plus-2 in the Pens’ come-from-behind win Tuesday.
Mr. Brandon Sutter also netted two Tuesday, Chris Kunitz has 18 goals, and lest we forget that Sidney Crosby is playing like a Hart Trophy candidate. Crosby’s 45 points leads the entire world.
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If you have followed the Philadelphia Flyers of late, you know goaltending and defence have been a problem.
Yet their former backup netminder is fitting right in in Columbus.
Sergei Bobrovsky, who has unseated former Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason, was named the NHL’s first star of last week. “Bob” has a 2.19 goals-against average in 17 games started this year.
Bobrovsky’s surrendered just five goals in his last six games — which coincides with Columbus’s eight-game point streak. The Blue Jackets enter their game tonight against Chicago just three points out of the eighth Western Conference playoff spot.
Not bad for a squad who was “left for dead” after just 19 games.
