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Blog: Brodeur is DA MAN!
San Jose Sharks 3 @ Chicago Blackhawks 2
Goaltending match-up: Evgeni Nabokov (45/47, .957 SV%) vs. Cristobal Huet (11/14, .786 SV%)
Net notes: Nabby was 13-6-2-2 vs. CHI coming in with 2.46/ .910 splits and one shutout. Huet was 2-3-1-1 vs. SJ with 3.77/ .861 splits.
Patrick Marleau Joe Thornton Dany Heatley
Ryane Clowe Joe Pavelski Devin Setoguchi
Jamie McGinn Manny Malhotra Torrey Mitchell
Frazer McLaren Scott Nichol Jed Ortmeyer
Douglas Murray Dan Boyle
Marc-Edouard Vlasic Rob Blake
Kent Huskins Jason Demers
Troy Brouwer Jonathan Toews Patrick Kane
Andrew Ladd Patrick Sharp Marian Hossa
Kris Versteeg John Madden Dustin Byfuglien
Bryan Bickell Colin Fraser Tomas Kopecky
Duncan Keith Brent Seabrook
Niklas Hjalmarsson Brian Campbell
Jordan Hendry Brent Sopel
Key notes: Joe Thornton (1G, 1A, +3, 4 PIM, 18:59 TOI, 3:30 PP, 1:42 PK, 2 SOG, 9-5 FO for 64%) began the night two points ahead of Marian Gaborik in the Art Ross race and he also had seven more assists than anyone else in the league. He got his fourth career SHG here and first since the ’02-3 campaign. He has points in 16 of his past 17 outings. Dany Heatley (1G, +2, 19:56 TOI, 3:40 PP, 2:23 PK, 2 SOG) has goals in three of five and he had nine points in eight December games coming in. Patrick Marleau (1A, +1, 21:15 TOI, 4:24 PP, 3:44 PK, 2 SOG, 1-4 FO for 20%) began the night on pace for an 89-point campaign.
Dan Boyle’s (1A, even, 24:05 TOI, 4:11 PP, 4:21 PK, no SOG) assist streak is at five games and he has a point in each of his past seven overall now. Joe Pavelski (1A, -1, 21:14 TOI, 4:05 PP, 4:25 PK, 1 SOG, 3-8 FO for 27%) has points in three straight and five of eight. This was the third game back for Jason Demers (1G, +1, 2 PIM, 14:52 TOI, 1:39 PP, 1:46 PK, 1 SOG) and first time in the scoring summary.
Top PP times (SJ): Marleau (4:24), Boyle (4:11), Setoguchi (4:10), Pavelski (4:05) and Thornton (3:30)
Top PP times (CHI): Toews (6:33), Kane (6:23), Hossa (6:02), Campbell (6:01) and Keith (5:54)
Patrick Kane (1G, 1A, -1, 23:09 TOI, 6:23 PP, 1:17 PK, 8 SOG, 2-0 FO for 100%) had eight points in 10 career GP vs. SJ before scoring in the third period, which also kept his point-per-game average on the season alive. He has points in seven of eight, although he had just one goal in 13 GP before tonight. Marian Hossa (1G, 1A, +1, 22:59 TOI, 6:02 PP, 2:11 PK, 4 SOG), you may remember, made his season debut against these same Sharks and had a two-goal game. He had 10 points in 12 starts before this evening.
Patrick Sharp (1A, -1, 2 PIM, 20:42 TOI, 4:54 PP, 1:16 PK, 4 SOG, 8-7 FO for 53%) has points in four of his past five and is starting to regain the sort of value you’d expect a versatile forward like him to have with a strong top six group on this team.
Anaheim Ducks 4 @ Colorado Avalanche 2
Goaltending match-up: Jonas Hiller (15/17, .882 SV%) vs. Craig Anderson (39/42, .929 SV%)
Net notes: Hiller was 4-1-0 vs. COL coming in with 1.59/ .944 splits. Anderson was 1-2-0 vs. ANH with 2.70/ .917 splits.
Kyle Calder Ryan Getzlaf Corey Perry
Bobby Ryan Saku Koivu Dan Sexton
Matt Beleskey Kyle Chipchura Todd Marchant
Mike Brown Petteri Nokelainen George Parros
Scott Niedermayer Brett Festerling
Nick Boynton James Wisniewski
Ryan Whitney Sheldon Brookbank
Wojtek Wolski Paul Stastny Chris Stewart
Cody McLeod T.J. Galiardi Milan Hejduk
Darcy Tucker Ryan O’Reilly Brandon Yip
Chris Durno Matt Duchene Matt Hendricks
Scott Hannan Kyle Quincey
Ryan Wilson Adam Foote
John-Michael Liles Brett Clark
Key notes: Ryan Getzlaf (1G, 1A, +2, 2 PIM, 23:05 TOI, 3:17 PP, 0:55 PK, 4 SOG, 8-13 FO for 38%) had 11 December points coming in here and he reached and passed the 40-point plateau. His GWG came in the last minute of play to cap a comeback from a 2-0 hole to begin that same period. Corey Perry (2A, +2, 22:06 TOI, 3:26 PP, 0:07 PK, 7 SOG) had just two points in six games before this evening, but that 19-game point streak should still be fresh enough in your mind that it’s not a problem. Bobby Ryan’s (1A, +2, 21:15 TOI, 2:43 PP, no PK, 4 SOG) point streak has stretched to seven games with nine points in that span.
Scott Niedermayer’s (1G, -1, 27:49 TOI, 3:17 PP, 4:45 PK, 3 SOG) third period goal probably should have been waved off with a Ducks player clearly in the crease and blocking Craig Anderson’s movement across the crease, but we of the Niedermayer Ownership Group aren’t complaining. Nieds had four points in four games coming in, but was -6 in that time and his +/- on the season ain’t that great.
Saku Koivu (1A, +2, 17:28 TOI, 2:43 PP, 0:21 PK, 1 SOG, 8-11 FO for 42%) had seven points in six games coming in, while Dan Sexton (1G, +1, 16:51 TOI, 2:34 PP, no PK, 8 SOG) had seven points in his only eight starts of ’09-10 before scoring again tonight.
Top PP times (ANH): Whitney (3:41), Perry (3:26), Getzlaf (3:17), Niedermayer (3:17) and Calder (3:17)
Top PP times (COL): Wolski (4:28), Hejduk (4:08), Stastny (4:08), Stewart (3:24) and Liles (3:05)
Paul Stastny (1G, -2, 21:59 TOI, 4:08 PP, 0:57 PK, 4 SOG, 15-11 FO for 58%) had gone six games without scoring, but he’s been having a fantastic season on the whole and had 37 points coming in here. He had 11 points in 10 December GP before tonight too. John-Michael Liles (1A, +1, 18:39 TOI, 3:05 PP, no PK, 1 SOG) had a pair of two-pointers as his only output this month coming in. Wojtek Wolski (1A, -1, 21:03 TOI, 4:08 PP, 0:07 PK, 4 SOG) began the night only two points below the point-per-game mark.
This was Brandon Yip’s (1G, +1, 6:07 TOI, no PP, no PK, 1 SOG) third NHL start and first goal. He has two goals in six AHL starts this year.
Nashville Predators 1 @ Vancouver Canucks 4
Goaltending match-up: Dan Ellis (32/36, .889 SV%) vs. Roberto Luongo (20/21, .952 SV%)
Net notes: Ellis was 1-4-0 vs. VAN coming in with 3.20/ .900 splits and one shutout. Luongo was 6-7-3-0 vs. NAS with 2.33/ .922 splits and two shutouts.
Steve Sullivan Jason Arnott Martin Erat
Patric Hornqvist Marcel Goc J.P. Dumont
Jerred Smithson David Legwand Joel Ward
Ryan Jones Dave Scatchard Nick Spaling
Ryan Suter Shea Weber
Dan Hamhuis Kevin Klein
Francis Bouillon Cody Franson
Daniel Sedin Henrik Sedin Alex Burrows
Mason Raymond Ryan Kesler Mikael Samuelsson
Tanner Glass Kyle Wellwood Steve Bernier
Ryan Johnson Rick Rypien Jannik Hansen
Willie Mitchell Sami Salo
Alexander Edler Kevin Bieksa
Shane O’Brien Christian Ehrhoff
Key notes: Patric Hornqvist’s (1G, +1, 16:27 TOI, 1:50 PP, no PK, 4 SOG) 11th of the season broke the shutout bid fairly late in the third period. He also scored the last time he faced these Canucks and his point streak is at five games with seven points in that span already before tonight. J.P. Dumont (1A, +1, 16:52 TOI, 1:59 PP, no PK, no SOG) had four points in five games coming in, while Marcel Goc (1A, +1, 15:50 TOI, 0:13 PP, 1:37 PK, 3 SOG, 9-6 FO for 60%) had six points in his prior three starts coming into this affair.
Top PP times (NAS): Arnott (2:45), Weber (2:21), Suter (2:02), Dumont (1:59) and Legwand (1:59)
Top PP times (VAN): D. Sedin (3:22), Edler (3:18), H. Sedin (3:17), Bieksa (3:01) and Ehrhoff (2:47)
Daniel Sedin (1G, 2A, +2, 17:41 TOI, 3:22 PP, 0:11 PK, 3 SOG) only had 21 points in 31 career GP vs. NAS before tonight’s bottom line. He had been blanked twice coming into tonight after opening December with 13 points in the first eight contests. Henrik Sedin (1G, 2A, +2, 16:21 TOI, 3:17 PP, 0:11 PK, 3 SOG, 6-8 FO for 43%) entered this one on pace for a 100-point campaign, which would beat his career high by 18 points. He had 82 points last year in his 82 GP. Alex Burrows (1A, +1, 14:42 TOI, 0:31 PP, 2:08 PK, 1 SOG) stopped a four-game pointless skid here.
Kevin Bieksa (1A, even, 18:46 TOI, 3:01 PP, 0:43 PK, no SOG) had 97 PIM last year, which was actually down from the normal PIM pace he had set the few years prior. He started tonight with 72 PIM in 36 GP though, so his owners are getting a really solid bang for their buck on the back end overall. He’s on pace for a drop in points compared with last year though. Sami Salo (1G, +3, 19:27 TOI, 2:30 PP, 1:48 PK, 4 SOG) had three points in four games before adding more tonight.
Steve Bernier (1G, +1, 15:19 TOI, 2:45 PP, 0:50 PK, 2 SOG, 0-2 FO for 0%) has points in four of nine now, while Kyle Wellwood (1A, +1, 15:14 TOI, no PP, no PK, no SOG, 6-2 FO for 75%) had one lone point this month before tonight.