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NHL
Wednesday, December 2
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Pucking the trends: Why the Flames are smoking hot
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A.O. a No Go?
Alex Ovechkin left Monday’s game after delivering a knee-on-knee hit to Tim Gleason, and is day to day with a knee injury.
Washington Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir is reporting that Ovechkin skated on Tuesday morning but left the ice before his teammates started practice.
The Capitals went 4-2-0 in Ovechkin’s previous absence this year.
Despite Coach Bruce Boudreau’s comments that Washington would have to play a more defensive game without Ovechkin, the Caps averaged 3.67 goals/game with a 3-3 over/under mark when he was last out of the lineup.
Good news for the shorthanded Capitals is that Alex Semin and Tom Poti are returning to the lineup.
Hottest road team
The Calgary Flames have the best road record in the NHL at 10-1-2.
A major reason for the Flames’ success is the resurgent Miikka Kiprusoff. Kiprusoff is sporting a 15-5-3 record, a 2.27 GAA, a .925 save percentage and has registered back to back shutouts.
Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald says that Kiprusoff is playing as well as he did in the 2003-2004 season, when he set a modern-day record for goals-against average at 1.69.
"If he's playing that well again, the league's in trouble -- and the Flames are in good shape," said Blue Jackets (and former Calgary) defenseman Mike Commodore.
The Flames have an over/under record of 3-7-1 in their last 11 road games and 4-11-1 in their last 16 games overall.
Wild settling down
Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star Tribune described the Wild’s early struggles using the equation: new coach + new players + new philosophy + heavy road schedule = early season struggles.
Russo now sees the Wild developing an identity as a “team of battlers”: motivated newcomers and veteran leaders working hard and functioning as a team.
“We don't have the luxury of having these super-skilled players like the Ovechkins and Crosbys,” said coach Todd Richards. “We have some great players, without question, but our foundation always has to be our work ethic."
After opening the season 1-6-0, the Wild have gone a respectable 9-6-3 in their last 18 games and are 3-0-1 in their last four.
Thrashing the party
The Thrashers may be the league’s highest-scoring team, but as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out, Atlanta’s recent success has to do with strong goaltending.
Both Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavlec rank in the top 10 in save percentage, an important stat for a team that ranks last in the NHL in shots allowed.
“They [Hedberg and Pavlec] have ramped their game up and so have we,” said head coach John Anderson. “We are a little tougher around the net. [The opposition] may get a quality shot, but they are not going to get two or three.”
The Thrashers are 14-7-3 overall, and are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games.
On schedule
Dec. 4, Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins
The Avs play the Panthers on Wednesday before flying to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on Thursday. Pittsburgh has been resting since a Monday game against the New York Rangers.
Dec. 5, Vancouver Canucks at Carolina Hurricanes
The good news is you get to play the worst team in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes. The bad news? You have to fly across the continent, play games on back to back nights against two of the Eastern Conference’s toughest teams, and then play the ‘Canes after a one-day rest.
Dec. 6, Ottawa Senators at Anaheim Ducks
Ottawa will be playing its final game of a four-game, six-day road trip through California and Arizona. After facing the Coyotes on Saturday the Sens must fly to Anaheim to play a Ducks team that has won six of its last eight at the Pond.
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Wednesday, December 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pucking the trends: Why the Flames are smoking hot
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.O. a No Go?
Alex Ovechkin left Monday’s game after delivering a knee-on-knee hit to Tim Gleason, and is day to day with a knee injury.
Washington Capitals beat writer Tarik El-Bashir is reporting that Ovechkin skated on Tuesday morning but left the ice before his teammates started practice.
The Capitals went 4-2-0 in Ovechkin’s previous absence this year.
Despite Coach Bruce Boudreau’s comments that Washington would have to play a more defensive game without Ovechkin, the Caps averaged 3.67 goals/game with a 3-3 over/under mark when he was last out of the lineup.
Good news for the shorthanded Capitals is that Alex Semin and Tom Poti are returning to the lineup.
Hottest road team
The Calgary Flames have the best road record in the NHL at 10-1-2.
A major reason for the Flames’ success is the resurgent Miikka Kiprusoff. Kiprusoff is sporting a 15-5-3 record, a 2.27 GAA, a .925 save percentage and has registered back to back shutouts.
Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald says that Kiprusoff is playing as well as he did in the 2003-2004 season, when he set a modern-day record for goals-against average at 1.69.
"If he's playing that well again, the league's in trouble -- and the Flames are in good shape," said Blue Jackets (and former Calgary) defenseman Mike Commodore.
The Flames have an over/under record of 3-7-1 in their last 11 road games and 4-11-1 in their last 16 games overall.
Wild settling down
Michael Russo of the Minnesota Star Tribune described the Wild’s early struggles using the equation: new coach + new players + new philosophy + heavy road schedule = early season struggles.
Russo now sees the Wild developing an identity as a “team of battlers”: motivated newcomers and veteran leaders working hard and functioning as a team.
“We don't have the luxury of having these super-skilled players like the Ovechkins and Crosbys,” said coach Todd Richards. “We have some great players, without question, but our foundation always has to be our work ethic."
After opening the season 1-6-0, the Wild have gone a respectable 9-6-3 in their last 18 games and are 3-0-1 in their last four.
Thrashing the party
The Thrashers may be the league’s highest-scoring team, but as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out, Atlanta’s recent success has to do with strong goaltending.
Both Johan Hedberg and Ondrej Pavlec rank in the top 10 in save percentage, an important stat for a team that ranks last in the NHL in shots allowed.
“They [Hedberg and Pavlec] have ramped their game up and so have we,” said head coach John Anderson. “We are a little tougher around the net. [The opposition] may get a quality shot, but they are not going to get two or three.”
The Thrashers are 14-7-3 overall, and are 8-1-2 in their last 11 games.
On schedule
Dec. 4, Colorado Avalanche at Pittsburgh Penguins
The Avs play the Panthers on Wednesday before flying to Pittsburgh to play the Penguins on Thursday. Pittsburgh has been resting since a Monday game against the New York Rangers.
Dec. 5, Vancouver Canucks at Carolina Hurricanes
The good news is you get to play the worst team in the NHL, the Carolina Hurricanes. The bad news? You have to fly across the continent, play games on back to back nights against two of the Eastern Conference’s toughest teams, and then play the ‘Canes after a one-day rest.
Dec. 6, Ottawa Senators at Anaheim Ducks
Ottawa will be playing its final game of a four-game, six-day road trip through California and Arizona. After facing the Coyotes on Saturday the Sens must fly to Anaheim to play a Ducks team that has won six of its last eight at the Pond.
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