Things you need to know - Part 1
January 20, 2003
Welcome to Monday, my new day on the web site. To celebrate the most under appreciated day of the week, I've dug up some little-known, but current facts about 15 NHL teams.
We'll do the other half of the league next Monday.
Anaheim: Sure, the additions of forwards Petr Sykora and Adam Oates have helped the Ducks' playoff push. But don't forget about the forward who has been in Anaheim for years, though not necessarily in the lineup. After playing just 16 and 38 games the past two seasons, Steve Rucchin hasn't missed a game this year and is second in team scoring behind Paul Kariya.
Atlanta: Shawn McEachern wasn't a minus player in his last five seasons with the Ottawa Senators. But the Atlanta Thrashers, it says here, are not the Ottawa Senators. McEachern, at a league-worst minus-27, is one of 12 Thrashers with a plus-minus rating in double-digits; no other team had more than four players to hit such depths.
Boston: Only seven Bruins – Glen Murray (24), Joe Thornton (22), Brian Rolston (17), Mike Knuble (11), Jozef Stumpel (10) and Bryan Berard and P.J. Axelsson (nine each) – had more than six goals through 46 games. The seven players combined for 102 of Boston's 140 goals (73 per cent).
Buffalo: Rookie goalie Ryan Miller, the ex-Michigan State Spartan who holds the NCAA record for most shutouts (26 in three seasons), is rattling the cage in Buffalo. Miller is 5-3-1 with a 2.18 goals-against average and .915 save percentage since being called up – and he has lost just once in his last six decisions.
Calgary: What's the lesson Darryl Sutter has to teach the Flames? That defense wins games, sure, but you gotta score to win. Entering Jan. 20 action, the Flames were the only team in the NHL with fewer than 100 goals – they had 99 for a league-low 2.11 goals per game. Team leader Jarome Iginla is on pace for 25 goals, less than half of his NHL-best total of 52 last year.
Carolina: The Hurricanes are struggling right now, but one bright light has been the play of sophomore Erik Cole. Last year's rookie revelation in the playoffs, the young power forward is fourth in team scoring with 24 points, including 13 goals, and joins Sean Hill and tough guy Jesse Boulerice as the only Canes who aren't a minus.
Chicago: Phil Housley just keeps going, and going, and going…The 39-year-old is the highest-scoring American-born player of all-time – with 1,230 points in 1,483 games – and is third on the Hawks with 27 points in 47 games this season.
Colorado: The once-vaunted Colorado offense has been reduced to whatever Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk can produce. A potent trio, to be sure, but it's not good when three players provide 45 per cent of the goals (58 of 129).
Columbus: Congratulations to Geoff Sanderson for regaining his health (no missed games) and scoring touch (few missed nets – 22 goals). It's just too bad his timing isn't a little better – Sanderson counts just one game-winner among his goals; teammate Derrick Walser, meanwhile, a rookie defenseman, has two winners on just four goals.
Dallas: It's like Ken Hitchcock never left. The team is tops in the West, second in goals-against average (1.96) and three Stars – Jere Lehtinen (plus-26), Derian Hatcher (plus-24) and Philippe Boucher (plus-23) – are 1-2-3 in the NHL in plus-minus. Marty Turco has the best save percentage among starting goalies (.930).
Detroit: They've scored an awful pile of goals over their all-star careers, but the four and three goals credited to Luc Robitaille and Igor Larionov, respectively, as the Wings near the 50-game mark is shocking.
Edmonton: What a coincidence… Todd Marchant, the defensive specialist on the cusp of unrestricted free agency (he's a 10-year vet making less than the league average of $1.75 million), is having a career offensive season. The speed demon has nine goals and 35 points in 47 games and is tied for the team lead at plus-10. His career highs are 19 goals and 40 points.
Florida: Quick! Name the two highest-scoring North Americans on the Panthers roster. Hint: they're both teenaged rookies. If you came up with Stephen Weiss (ninth on the team with 15 points) and Jay Bouwmeester (11th, nine points), you're absolutely right.
Los Angeles: The Kings have five rookies playing regularly and contributing to the cause: forwards Alexander Frolov, Mike Cammalleri and Jared Aulin and defensemen Kip Brennan and Joe Corvo. Frolov made the team out of camp, but the rest are fill-ins. Why so many? Simply, the Kings have been ravaged by injury so far this season, especially up front where first-liners Adam Deadmarsh (missed 26 games), Jason Allison (missed 23 games) and Ziggy Palffy (missed six games) have taken turns in traction.
AI
