There are about 150 NHL players who were good enough to reach the Sochi Olympic Games.
Each team had played three games thus far, and as expected, there have been some surprising occurrences. A noteworthy American leads the tournament in points, but a Swiss goalie leads in both goals-
against average and save percentage, and a defenceman is leading Team Canada in scoring.
Who have been the 10 most impressive players in this tournament through pool play? Find out below.
Honourable mention: Tuomo Ruutu, Finland
Ruutu is a top-line player with the Carolina Hurricanes but plays with some snarl, protecting Eric Staal. Still, Ruutu has four points, leading the Fins to a 2-0-1-0 record and a bye into the quarterfinals.
10. Jeff Carter, Canada
Carter was among the most second-guessed choices on Team Canada’s roster, yet he’s shown why Hockey Canada was right to choose him. Carter netted three in Canada’s blowout win over Austria and is plus-5 in three games — tied for the best plus/minus rating in the tournament. Besides that, Carter’s speed and tenacious play have been noticeable.
9. Henrik Lundqvist, Sweden
Much was made of the Americans, Canadians and Russians entering this tournament, but Sweden is the tournament’s lone 3-0-0 team, which means they are the top seed in Wednesday’s quarterfinals. Lundqvist, who boosted Sweden to a gold medal in Torino in 2006, has started every game, sporting a .936 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average. With stability in goal, don’t expect a repeat of 2002.
8. Shea Weber, Canada
Alright, so he didn’t literally break the net with a slap shot like he did in the last Olympic Games, but Weber’s two goals and four points have benefited Canada greatly.
Yet more than just the two goals was the timing of the first. Weber netted Canada’s first goal of the tournament against Norway — breaking the ice after a lacklustre first period. Plus, as always, Weber has played a responsible defensive game that Nashville Predators fans have come to expect.
T6. James van Riemsdyk/Phil Kessel, USA
Let’s face it, these two have been a package deal this whole NHL season, and these Olympics have been no exception. Kessel leads all scorers with seven points, with four goals, and JVR has four assists — two of which have come on Kessel goals.
These two, along with linemate Joe Pavelski, have carried the Americans’ offence for much of the tournament, with three of Kessel’s goals coming in the Americans’ 5-1 win over Slovenia on Sunday.
5. Semyon Varlamov, Russia
Russian defence was a major question mark at the outset of this tournament, yet thanks to Varlamov — who only allowed two goals in two games — the pressure has been placed more on the offence. “Varly” made big stops in Russia’s closer-than-the-score-indicates win over Slovenia then shut out Slovakia for 65 minutes — stopping both shootout tries he faced — in Russia’s 1-0 shootout win Sunday.
4. Michael Grabner, Austria
Grabner’s speed is well-known around the NHL, as is his streakiness, but six points in three games is ridiculous even for him. In two games played while North America was sleeping, Grabner potted a hat trick in Austria’s loss to Finland, then netted two goals in a win over Norway. Canada may have shut him down, but beware of Grabner’s speed and scoring prowess in the elimination round.
3. T.J. Oshie, USA
Oshie has four points — a goal and three assists thus far in the tournament — which is good for a nine-way tie for fifth. His big body has been tough to defend as well.
But let’s face it, Oshie is on this list — much like he’s on Team USA at all — because of his shootout prowess. He potted four goals in the shootout against Team Russia, boosting the Americans past the Russians 3-2 in the skills competition. That win pushed USA into the quarterfinals as the tournament’s No. 2 seed.
2. Jonas Hiller, Switzerland
It’s not stunning that Hiller is dominating in this tournament — after all, he’s been one of the NHL’s best netminders all season. But few expected Switzerland to be more than a scary team, yet his 1.000 save percentage and 0.00 goals against — read: two shutouts — make the Swiss arguably the most dangerous club to unseat a top-four team in the quarters.
1. Drew Doughty, Canada
On a high-powered Canadian club, few would expect the NHL’s 20th-highest scoring defenceman to lead the club’s offence. Yet that’s exactly what has happened. Doughty is clearly an offensive threat on the Los Angeles Kings, and one could make the case that his offensive game is the sole reason why Canada avoided playing in Tuesday’s elimination round.
Doughty’s four goals are tied with Kessel for second most in Olympic play — he scored twice in Canada’s 2-1 overtime win over the Fins that kept Team Canada unbeaten in the tournament. Doughty also sports a plus-3 rating.