BY KYLE MYERS – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Each week I take a look at a few of the hottest and coldest players in the NHL. This week, an elite goalie and an entire team’s roster are unexpectedly cold, while a back-up goalie and three snipers help their teams’ playoff hopes. Without further ado, here are four hot and cold players from the past week of NHL action.
The Hot:
1. Patrick Kane: Despite the Chicago Blackhawks tremendous start to the season, no one individual player was responsible for their success. With no players in the top 10 in scoring through the beginning of the season, Chicago was getting a consistent team effort night in and night out to get wins. Today, Patrick Kane sits in sixth in goals and fifth in points, which is bad news for Chicago’s opponents. Kane has heated up and is playing some of the best hockey of his life, making Chicago an even more dominant force in the West. Kane has seven points in his last three games, and has only two PIM, illustrating his maturity and unselfishness in playing solid team hockey. If Kane plays half as well as he is now for the rest of the season, Chicago will enter the playoffs as major favourites to take home Lord Stanley’s Cup.
2. Andrew Ladd: The Jets captain is a player who is underrated, despite boasting two Stanley Cups on his resume. Andrew Ladd is making a bold statement this season, proving his critics wrong by leading his team in both goals and assists, with a plus-nine rating and three game winners. Ladd has five points in his current four-game point streak, and is playing sound defensively as well. After starting the season slow, the Jets are right back into the Eastern Conference playoff battle, and the stellar play of their captain has gone a long way in turning the team around.
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3. Robin Lehner: When Craig Anderson went down with an injury on an already-depleted Senators squad, pundits were all but ready to write off Ottawa’s chances. Since then, the team has defied all expectations, playing solid team hockey and remaining in the playoffs in the East. Robin Lehner has played one half of the goaltending tandem with Anderson out, and has thrived on the opportunity. Lehner hasn’t lost in regulation, and though he does have four overtime losses to only two wins, he hasn’t posted a save percentage below .933, and is keeping Ottawa in each and every game they play. He and Bishop are both playing so well between the pipes it’s hard to imagine who will be sent down when Anderson returns from injury.
4. Pavel Datsyuk: He regularly puts up several candidates for ‘Goal of the Year’, and this season is no exception. Pavel Datsyuk scored an absolute beauty against Edmonton on Friday to give Detroit the win in OT, and dished out three assists in the Wings’ 5-2 victory against the Canucks on Saturday. Datsyuk now has points in four straight games, and is averaging over a point-per-game this season, with a plus-11 rating. But offensive accomplishments aside, Datsyuk is once again showing that he is undoubtedly the greatest two-way forward in the game. Regularly picking opponent’s pockets and back checking hard every shift, Datsyuk is one of the most valuable players in the NHL.
The Cold:
1. Pekka Rinne: A candidate for the Vezina each and every season, Pekka Rinne has hit a significant rough patch in his play. With only one win in his last five games, Rinne is a large reason why the Predators have lost three straight. Rinne was pulled in two consecutive games last week, allowing two goals on two shots in only eight minutes of play in the second. Rinne is still first in the NHL in shutouts and has played the most games of any goaltender this season, and perhaps his fatigue is starting to show. Nashville have fallen out of the playoff picture in the West, and Rinne will need to elevate his play in order to give his team a shot at the Cup this year.
2. Damien Brunner: After a sizzling start to his first NHL season, Damien Brunner has been ice cold of late. While his 20 points through 29 games is certainly nothing to scoff at, his production in the month of March as been sub-par at best. Brunner hasn’t scored a goal since February 24th, and has only four points in the 10 games since then. Brunner is also struggling on the defensive side of the puck, still becoming acclimated to the size and speed of the NHL game. His ice-time has been reduced to about 14 minutes a game in his past five games, and the fatigue of playing almost an entire season in the Swiss league may be catching up to him.
3. Danny Briere: The 2013 season has been one to forget for the entire Philadelphia Flyers team, but Briere especially. Usually one of the biggest contributors to this Flyers offence, Briere looks like shadow of his former self. With only 13 points and a minus-12 through 25 games, with no points since February 27th, Briere is in the midst of one of the worst seasons of his career. His poor play has led some to believe that his time is running out in Philly, and a trade may be the best option for both the player and the team moving forward.
4. Kari Lehtonen/Richard Bachman: The Stars may have gotten the 4-3 victory against the Calgary Flames Monday night, but they’ll still be feeling the sting of one of the most lopsided games of the 2013 NHL season. Both goaltenders allowed four goals on only 17 shots for a save percentage of only .769, while the offence could only muster 19 shots and one goal in an 8-1 loss against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. Chicago is likely the best team in the NHL, but giving up eight goals in a game is never acceptable. Lehtonen has now allowed seven goals on his last 36 shots, and needs to find his early season form if the Stars want to make a playoff push.