January 16, 2008
01-16-08 Inside the NHL Boxscores
- I'll just keep banging on this drum... if the Southeast division is as bad as everyone thinks it is, then how/why does it keep beating teams at the top of the standings. Last night, Atlanta beat Detroit on the Wings' home ice, and Washington swept their season series against Ottawa.
- Goal of the night: check out Alexander Semin's first tally of last night's game. For the first time all season, Semin looks healthy, and now that the Caps have lost Michael Nylander, they'll need a healthy Semin and a production Backstrom to take Nylander's place on the points sheet.
- Given his performance in last year's playoffs and his play over the past two games where Ottawa has given him a chance to show he's a real #1, I just don't see how can Ray Emery be the goalie of the present for this Ottawa team. They've got to take their chances with Gerber or someone else. Emery plays just too small in his net, and gives up too many soft goals that'll kill a playoff series.
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After last night's loss to Atlanta, much is being made today about Chris Osgood's performance since he signed his new contract:
"Just prior to signing his three-year contract, goaltender Chris Osgood gave up nine goals in 157 shots. Since then, in two starts including Tuesday, Osgood has given up nine goals on 45 shots."
I, for one, am not seeing this as more than coincidence. Osgood's play hasn't been particularly poor, the Wings are just in a bit of a rut right now. And Osgood was so good early on in the season, its impossible to think he could have continued all year at that pace. - Kari Lehtonen really deserved a shutout vs the Wings last night, and he would have earned it if Atlanta had played any defense on Detroit's only goal. Lehtonen had already made two or three great saves before the puck bounced out near the point and onto Niklas Kronwall's stick. Lehtonen made 46 saves on the night, many of them difficult ones.
- Following up on Lehtonen's 46 save night, one interesting trend about the surging Thrashers, they are almost always outshot. In only 7 games this season has Atlanta recorded more shots on goal than their opponent. They are 6-1-0 in those 7 games, and 15-21-2 in games when they are outshot. In two games they've matched shot totals, 10/23 @TOR and 10/30 @MON. Both were ATL victories. The seven games they've outshot their opponent this season: FLA(2), TB, OTT, PIT, BOS, and STL. The only loss when outshooting opponent was one of those games against Florida.
- Last night's home win over San Jose was really a good indication of how far the Coyotes have come this season. Back in novemeber, they lost three straight games by a combined score of 1-15. All three losses were at the hands of the Sharks. But ever since mid December, the Yotes have found their game. A big reason for the turn around: improved team confidence and improved goaltending. That third loss to SJ came on November 15th. Ilya Bryzgalov was picked up off waivers on November 17th.
- With Anaheim's 4-2 win over Dallas last night, the Ducks are now 10-2-2 since acquiring Doug Weight and getting Scott Niedermeyer back in the lineup. They've also won 7 straight at home. While Niedermeyer has been a big help, don't overlook the impact Weight has made on this young group of forwards. He's had 8 points in 14 games with the Ducks, but the biggest benefit has been to Todd Bertuzzi's game. Big Bert has a goal in each his last three games, points in 9 of his last 11 games.
- Jose Theodore has started six straight games now for the Avs. COL is 4-2-0 in those six and in both losses, Jose gave up a combined total of 3 goals. In December, Peter Budaj got his chance to be the #1 when he got 7 straight starts. The Avs went 5-1-1 in those seven. So who knows how the decision are being made in Avalancheville. Either way, they're getting good goaltending.
- Stat of the night: Colorado's power play entered last night's game having converted on 4 of its last 56 chances (7.14%). To their rescue was Tampa's penalty kill which allow both goals to Colorado on the PP. The third goal of the game was an empty netter.
- Kris Beech scored last night in his return to Columbus, just a week after being put on waivers by the Blue Jackets.
- The Canucks are 0-15 this season when trailing after 2 periods.
