A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious and satirical, and rolling four lines deep.
1. It’s official. Steven Stamkos is not human.
Watching the sniper’s horrible leg break, you’d be hard-pressed to argue that the Ontario native would be representing Team Canada in Sochi. Now that he is walking just two weeks after surgery to repair a snapped shin, you have to think he will buck the typical four-to-six-months recovery for these type of injuries (when they occur to regular humans) and be available for both his country’s gold medal quest and his club team’s race for the postseason. (No timetable has been given, but only fool would count him out.)
Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper had a great comment regarding Stamkos’s injury. He pointed out some rich irony, noting that interest in the Lightning’s games was increasing with one of the world’s greatest talents out of the lineup. Tampa has slipped from first in the Eastern Conference to fourth in Stamkos’s absence.
Stamkos told reporters Monday that the broken leg taught him how much he had been taking things like walking to the refrigerator for granted. Here’s hoping Stamkos’s injury will make the hockey world realize that we’ve been taking a 60-goal guy for granted. When he comes back, do yourself a favour: Watch more Lightning games.
2. Arguably the biggest disappointment of the quarter season are those not-so-pesky Ottawa Senators.
The biggest sign of frustration in Canada’s capital occurred after Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings, as both goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Clarke MacArthur whined about the Red Wings diving. Best to keep quiet after a victory, gentlemen:
3. Speaking of the Sens-Wings game, it was unfortunate that Detroit’s Daniel Alfredsson did not dress for his scheduled homecoming, but that didn’t stop a group of classy Ottawa fans from erupting into an “Alfie! Alfie!” chant at the 11:11 mark of each period. Nice touch.
4. Tomas Hertl grew up in the Czech Republic idolizing Jaromir Jagr, as one would. The idolizer faced his idol for the first time on the weekend, but both players were held off the scoreboard. But just how much does Hertl want to follow in Jagr’s footsteps? This much:
5. Another wonderful, albeit pitchfork-free, note on Jagr. The ageless wonder and current leading scorer of the New Jersey Devils will not rule out playing in the Winter Games. That would, of course, be the 2018 Games in South Korea, when he’s 48 years of age.
“Don’t forget that by then I’ll be playing in Europe on the big ice and there probably won’t be NHL players,” Jagr said. “I would have to stay healthy and I would have to have the same desire.”
Bet on it.
6. Great Twitter moment of the week: The Edmonton Oilers, perhaps feeling confident for the first time all year, used Tim Thomas to fire a shot at the Vancouver Canucks only to get slapped back in place:
7. In 2013, there are still barriers to break. Last week’s Philadelphia Flyers-Buffalo Sabres match saw two First Nations coaches meet for the first time in the NHL.
It’s an unlikely story, with neither Nolan (an Ojibwe from Garden River, Ont.) nor Berube (part Cree from Calahoo, Alta.) starting the young season as head coach.
8. From the “Found it on Craiglist” files, the Chicago Blackhawks are selling vials of melted ice from their Stanley Cup championship. The money will benefit war vets. Not all that shocking considering Chicago’s Andrew Shaw auctioned off his face stitches as well.
9. With Stamkos on the shelf, Alex Ovechkin has picked the perfect time to kick it into high gear. The first NHLer to hit the 20-goal plateau this season, when he beat Toronto’s James Reimer on Saturday, Ovechkin has scored 20 goals in his first 22 games for the first time since 2009-10, when he lit up the league for 50 all told. (Stamkos was the first to score 20 in each of the past three seasons.)
Coolest thing is what Ovechkin said about Adam Oates, who visited the MVP in Russia during the off-season, on Saturday. Ovechkin told CBC he wishes every player had a relationship like he does with his coach.
10. See James Reimer’s electric reaction after he made the final shootout save for the Maple Leafs against Ovie’s Caps Saturday? The goaltender clenched both fists, looked skyward and shook with relief/joy/excitement. A very visceral and authentic display of emotion after a 50-save showing. With a mark of .947, Reimer is your NHL save percentage leader at the quarter pole. Who would have predicted that?
11. While this Friday’s Lightning-Penguins matchup has lost some of its lustre with Stamkos on the shelf, Saturday brings a trio of must-watch games.
Headed in opposite directions, Alain Vigneault’s Rangers face off against John Tortorella’s Canucks; the Ducks and Sharks battle for California supremacy; and the Maple Leafs and Canadiens rekindle their hate in another game that matters. Don’t sleep on Blackhawks-Coyotes, either. Their hate dates back to Phoenix’s elimination of Chicago in the 2012 playoffs. Great night for hockey.
12. If you missed Reto Berra’s bicycle-kick save… well, you’re welcome: