December 10, 2007
12-10-07 | Inside NHL Boxscores
- With the Lightning in Toronto for tonight's game, the Canadian press is writing about what many in the US already know: Vinny Lecavalier is the best player in the NHL right now. He was last year too, even though the league failed to recognize the Rocket Richard Trophy winner as even a finalist for the Hart Trophy. The voters apparently decided that two goaltenders (Brodeur, Luongo) deserved to be nominated for an award that would end up going to a 19 year old who saw less than a period's worth of ice time on the penalty kill al l season. Sid had a good year last year, but he's yet to achieve as complete of a game as Lecavalier has been playing at. Ironically, this Globe and Mail story about Vinny accidentally calls him 'Crosby'.
- Something interesting about Alex Auld's game saving debut with Boston, as the Bruins defeated the Leaves on HNIC Saturday: Auld wore his goalie mask from Phoenix instead of one of those awful, white ones that goalies usually end up forced to wear after being traded.
- Fantasy hockey note: Dustin Byfuglien is a 246 pound defenseman who's been skating the wing on Chicago's top line lately. In the Hawks' 2-3 loss to Calgary last night, he skated over 17 minutes last night and scored his 7th goal of the season. Byfuglien has some offensive talent (8 points in 6 games) but the ability to stick a forward on your roster's defense is his most valuable fantasy asset right now. Here's one hoping he sticks on that Havlat and Lang line.
- Rarely do players from an NHL draft have such an immediate impact on the league in that same year, but CBC put together 12 teams who have benefited greatly from this year's crop.
- Carolina played back to back games Saturday and Sunday, and although they split those games 1-1, the Hurricanes' new second line of Cole Whitney and Cullen came alive. Cole had 3 goals and an assist, Cullen had 3 assists, and Whitney had 2 goals and an assist over the weekend.
- Jarret Stoll and Raffi Torres were both healthy scratches for the Oilers in Saturday's 3-4 loss to the Blues. Both will be dressed tonight in Dallas.
- Corey Perry only played 11 minutes Saturday night in the Ducks 2-4 loss in Nashville. Perry was benched for much of the third period.
- After alternating goalies for almost the season's first 25 games, Jose Theodore has started 4 out of the last 5 for Colorado and may be nailing down the starting job. The Avs have won 3 of those 4 games.
- Another team will movement on the goaltender front is Detroit. Dominick Hasek started three straight for the Wings. All three games ended in victories, thanks in part to Hasek and in part to a defense that limited opponents to under 20 shots in each game. Chris Osgood will start tonight in Nashville as the Wings will play their third game in four nights.
- One unintended consequence of the Pens' release of Mark Reechi is that Jordan Staal may be homeless as a result. What will he do?
