The period of October 31 to November 6 was capped off with potentially bad news for San Jose fans.
STANDING OUT
The San Jose Sharks (12-2-0) have taken over the NHL’s lead since last week and now have a one-point edge on the New York Rangers (11-4-1) with two games in hand.
The Sharks won all three of their games over the past week, while the Rangers dropped two of three.
Potentially disturbing news for the Sharks from last night’s game though, in that stud goaltender Evgeni Nabokov appeared to injure himself on the very last shot of the shootout. The San Jose Mercury News noted a possible twisted knee, but whatever the case he definitely was in noticeable discomfort and left the ice – with help – immediately after the game was over.
As noted instantly following the game in the live blogging last night – seconds after the injury happened – grab Brian Boucher (2-0-0 with two shutouts) immediately in your league, just in case this turns out to be something serious. As of this writing, there is no word on how much time he’ll miss… if any. Watching it live though, it did not look too good.
The Sharks and Rangers, incidentally, are still the only teams to have passed the 20-point mark.
Detroit (8-2-2), Buffalo (8-2-2) and Montreal (8-1-1) in particular are among the teams in hot pursuit with games in hand. The Wings only had one game in the past week and won it; the Sabres won each of its two games in grand style, which we’ll get into shortly a certain Mr. Miller, while the Habs haven’t played since Saturday’s amazing comeback against the Isles.
QUOTABLE
“Thar she blows,” Ken Hitchcock joked with the Columbus Dispatch after being fined for the Jared Boll late-game instigator penalty. “All the coaches’ Christmas presents just got eliminated.”
HIGHLIGHT-REEL PERFORMANCES
Blake Wheeler’s first career hat trick vs. TOR Thursday: Sure, the third one went into an empty net, but nobody needs to know that when he retells the story years from now. He also has back-to-back multi-point games, although he’s still being used in a third line role for the Bruins. He’s got excellent size though and eventually he’ll become a mainstay in the top six.
Chris Drury’s hat trick vs. TB Thursday: His three goals provided an especially big boost to owners in leagues giving a bonus for short-handed and power play points. It’s too bad extra points aren’t handed out for form, since his SHG goal on a breakaway was a thing of beauty. It was his second multi-goal performance in the past five games.
Alex Semin strikes for two late third period (17:17, 19:49) goals to grab victory from the jaws of defeat Thursday vs. CAR: The Russian sniper has been crazy hot this season and trails only Evgeni Malkin in the overall points race by a 21-19 count. His 10 goals are behind only Thomas Vanek (11).
The unfortunate part of Semin’s week came on Tuesday, as first noted in the live blogging in the WAS @ OTT recap. After ripping into Sidney Crosby recently in the Shot Heard Round the Hockey World, Semin went on a tirade and said he didn’t see what the big deal was about Heatley, Spezza, Alfie, Swedish bikini models or Santa Claus. He also believes that the effects of global warming are overrated and that America should invade Canada. Just because.
Jarome Iginla’s four-point effort over NAS Thursday: They needed every goal he was in on and then some in a crazy affair with the Preds that ended up a 7-6 Calgary victory after they had a 5-0 lead at one point. Iginla also has a hat trick and six multi-point efforts to his name already in ’08-9.
Roberto Luongo’s back-to-back shutouts vs. PHO Thursday and vs. NAS Tuesday: The Quebec-born goalie has three goose eggs in the past five starts and four on the season already, which puts him well ahead of the pace needed to smash his career-best of seven. He has now recorded 15 in 161 starts for the Canucks.
Ryan Miller’s back-to-back shutouts @NJD Monday and vs. WAS Saturday: Miller has given up one or fewer goals in five of his nine starts and two or fewer in seven of nine.
Ales Hemsky’s pair of goals @ PHI Sunday, each of which were literally highlight-reel efforts: The Czech passing wizard actually is capable of shooting the puck occasionally, contrary to popular belief. He’s currently riding a three-game goal scoring streak with points in five in a row and seven of eight. He has already registered 5 SOG in three separate affairs this season. Shhh. Don’t let his opponents know… let them keep playing the pass.
Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec each record 2G, 2A nights @NYI Saturday to propel the Habs to an improbable comeback after trailing 4-1 about ¼ way through the third period: They haven’t played since that night, but it will hopefully mark the resurgence of a deadly line from ’07-8 (with Andrei Kostitsyn) that can find its form here again as the Habs march toward their dream of a Centennial celebration Cup.
Teemu Selanne (2G, 2A) and Corey Perry’s (1G, 4A) tremendous efforts vs. VAN Friday that still left their team on the short end of the stick in a crazy 7-6 shootout: Selanne is currently on an eight-game point streak (8G, 5A) that accounts for all but one goal of his ’08-9 production. Perry has points in eight of nine (4G, 12A) and that’s all but one assist of his season’s totals. Ryan Getzlaf has points in eight in a row (6G, 11A) and aside from his assist October 17th vs. SJ that’s all of his ’08-9 production as well. Oh – then there’s Chris Kunitz, who’s likely the only one of these guys possibly available in your league, who has 1G, 9A in his past 9 GP. And yep, that’s all of his ’08-9 production too.
QUOTABLE
J.S. Giguere to the L.A. Daily News after Tuesday’s tight 1-0 OT win over Los Angeles: “It’s a tough game for them to lose, but we don’t really care about them. We care about us, and we try to win some games.”
WORTH NOTING
Ryane Clowe, SJ: The Newfoundland-born winger scored a pair of third period markers for his Sharks, including the GTG late in the third, to stretch his goal scoring streak to four games. He has them in seven of eight too, including 14 PIM in that stretch.
Trent Hunter, NYI: Red Deer’s own has three different two-point games in his past four starts with 5G, 6A overall on the season.
Pavel Kubina, TOR: Originally thought to be a pretty good late round draft selection for poolies, the defenceman got off to a slow start with only two points in his first nine efforts. Since then though, he has chipped in 1G, 4A in his current five-game point streak. He only has two power play points on the year though, for what it’s worth.
Mikhail Grabovski, TOR: The Leafs have lost three straight, but Grabovski has come up with 5G, 1A, +5, 1 PPP and 8 SOG in his past three starts in that L2 centre role. All eight of his points this season have come in the past seven games. Nikolai Kulemin has a pair of two-assist nights in that stretch, while Niklas Hagman actually has 3G, 6A in his past 8 GP.
Slava Kozlov, ATL: Mired in misery on an Atlanta team that has been losing by margins bigger than John McCain’s Electoral College whitewashing at the hands of the new President-elect of the United States of America, Kozlov has still managed to score in four straight starts with six goals in six games overall.
Kyle Wellwood, VAN: Cast off by the Leafs and then waived by this very Vancouver squad, Wellwood has risen from the dead to score six times in his past eight games.
Dainius Zubrus, NJD: The centre had to step up when Brian Rolston got hurt and he has done just that with seven points in his past six games with 10 PIM. Rolston could be back within a week or so.
Bryan McCabe, FLA: He’s missed most of this season with a back injury, but the point/ PIM threat is back in the line-up now and could likely still be had for a relatively low price or even as a free agent in some leagues. Back injuries can be tricky business though, so tread carefully if you’re actually trading for him.
QUOTABLE (EXTENDED PLAY)
From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Even days later, Stephane Veilleux’s smooch to the head of James Sheppard in Phoenix was the source of laughter inside the Wild’s locker room.
“That was some good kiss stuff from Steph,” center Mikko Koivu said, laughing. “I’m not surprised it was him who did it.”
The “Kiss Cam” has become a clichéd gag in most arenas. Usually with the song, “Kiss Me,” playing by Sixpence None the Richer, the camera pans the crowd for couples to kiss. It usually ends with the camera landing on two teammates on the visitors’ bench.
Those players usually ignore the camera, but this time, with Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing,” blaring, Veilleux gave the Jobing.com Arena reason to roar and applaud when he stood up, leaned over and gave Sheppard a peck on the helmet.
“It was just kind of funny,” Veilleux said. “It’s all for the fans. That’s why I did it. We should be entertaining the fans, and I thought it would be fun for them.”
Sheppard tried to keep a straight face during what at the time was a tight game, but said, “I was laughing pretty hard.”
“I’ve never been kissed by a dude,” Sheppard said. “I couldn’t believe he did it.”
CATCHING UP
You know the drill by now: live blogging runs every single night to give you a steady diet of fresh content with a lot of ideas for potential adds in your league, along with line combos and pertinent info.
Here’s what has been rolled out over the past week…
Thursday’s recap
Thursday’s Q&A
Thursday’s video
Wednesday’s recap
Brodeur aftermath
Tuesday’s recap
True Blood
Monday’s recap
Monday’s Q&A
Monday spotlight
Sunday’s recap
Saturday’s recap
Friday’s recap