In a week filled with physicality and prime-time performers, the best stepped up when they needed to. With under five games to go for most teams now, this past week was incredible huge for all in the Wild Card race, as well as those trying to lock up top seeds in the playoffs. Home ice will be tremendous in the playoffs, as it has been in the years past.
Who’s Hot?
1. Sergei Bobrovsky – Goalie, Columbus Blue Jackets
In four games played this week for the playoff-seeking Blue Jackets, “Bob” put together two shutouts in four days. The first shutout of the week came against his former team in the Flyers, in a 37-save blank slate on the road in Philadelphia. Bobrovsky allowed seven goals in four games, including one overtime loss to the Avalanche on Tuesday. Bobrovsky currently ranks fifth in the league with five shutouts this season, with the NHL’s tenth-best .922 goals against average.
2. Jeremy Morin – Forward, Colorado Blackhawks
In three wins this season and with start forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews out with injuries, Morin stepped up for the ‘Hawks. He totaled four points (2G, 2A) and a +4 rating. Morin only got 8:56 of ice time during the first game this week against Minnesota, but was rewarded with two straight games of more than 13 minutes of playing time later this past week.
3. The Colorado Avalanche
Before Sunday’s late shootout loss, the Avalanche had been on a six-game winning streak, which had led the league. Now, their 3-0-1 record this past week puts them on a seven-game point streak. Colorado is chasing St. Louis in search of the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs, but as it looks right now, the Avs will probably end up as the No. 2 seed, who would play the Wild in the first round, if the season ended today.
Who’s Not?
1. Ville Leino – Forward, Buffalo Sabres
Leino really could be on this list every week, but this past week made me realize how much he deserves to be on it. In 56 games played for the Sabres this season, Leino has 0 goals and 15 assists. He scored a game-deciding goal in a shootout last week, but it didn’t count for anything because it was in the shootout. For a guy who makes an average of $4.5 million per season on his current six-year contract, not providing any offense will earn him a spot on this list every week.
2. The Toronto Maple Leafs (Yes, again)
The only reason why this team deserves to be on this list for the second consecutive week is because they have essentially been playing their way out of the playoffs. Just one week ago, they were in a four-way tie for both Wild Card playoff spots, but now they have let themselves become very close to being out of the picture. The Leafs are now three points out of a playoff spot with just three games to go and no tie-breakers in hand. The problems have come down to goaltending and consistent offense, as coach Randy Carlile has been quoted as saying that he can’t believe if this team can even play worse some nights.
3. Steven Stamkos – Forward, Tampa Bay Lightning
This guy is so good that a one-point week is horrible for him. Yes, he had one goal and no assists on seven shots, during three games this past week. The Lighining are on a two-game losing streak amidst the playoff race, which might have to do with the lack of Stammer’s productivity. He was also a -5 during the three games this past week, in which he exceeded 19 minutes of ice time each game. Knowing Stamkos, he will be off this list and onto the hot list by Sunday.
Story of the week
This week’s story is not a positive one, but it is one that needs to be talked about. The Toronto Star published a story about “The 10 Reasons Why Columbus Knocking Toronto Out of the Playoffs Would Be Bad for the NHL,” which is ridiculous. I’m from Buffalo, N.Y., so I have no bias for the city whatsoever, but I think it is just ridiculous for the Star to rip apart a city that is starting to develop a hockey following just because your team isn’t good enough to put wins together down the stretch and make the playoffs.
The article was posted this week, just after the Jackets made it almost unreachable for the Maple Leafs to make the playoffs.
I don’t care what they said about the city, it has nothing to do with the product on the ice and I can say that the Blue Jackets have something that the Leafs do not, a solid goaltender. That is what helps you make the post-season.
Jealousy and bitterness is all I can sense here…
This article has since been deleted, and I have not been able to find anything about the article OR the writer. Bump buh bum..
Game of the week
This week’s game of the week was game with storylines as well as huge playoff implications down the line. This game was played on Thursday in Philadelphia between the Blue Jackets and the Flyers.
The Flyers then lead the Jackets by four points in the standings and held the last divisional playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division — this game was essentially worth four points in the playoff race for these two clubs.
Prior to Thursday, Columbus had been winless in six trips to the Wells Fargo Center, ever, and had blown a two-goal lead in a 5-4 loss in its only other trip to Philly this season.
Another angle that was played on this night was the goaltending swap. Both starting goalies, Steve Mason (PHI) and Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ), had been traded from the other teams just two off-seasons ago.
Bobrovsky stole the show, in the place he used to call home. He shutout the Flyers 2-0 in his fourth shutout of the season.
James Wisniewski scored the opening goal, in the second period, off of a great passing play on the power play, where he found himself below the circle on the goalie’s right side. He just slid the puck across to the far-post side of the net, which found the twine.
The victory-sealing goal was scored during the third period, starting by a solid keep by Wisniewski, as the puck was being pushed out of the Flyers’ defensive zone. He then passed the puck across the point to Cam Atkinson, who fired a wrist shot about a foot off the ice, which was deflected in by Brandon Dubinsky.
Bobrovsky didn’t allow a single goal by the Flyers’ offense on 37 shots fired his way.
FINAL: Columbus 2, Philadelphia 0
The recap and highlights from this game can be found here, courtesy of the NHL: http://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2013021145&navid=sb:recap
Play of the week
This week’s play of the week comes from the one and only Gustav Nyquist, of the Detroit Red Wings. He has been a machine in the last month in the goal column and he showed it here. With less than seven minutes left in the third period of a 2-2 hockey game against Boston, Nyquist used his speed to burst around Zdeno Chara, one of the best defensemen in the game, and found his way to the net, where he potted the game-winning goal for the Wings. This was huge because it secured the victory, but it also seemed to secure the team a playoff spot, without technically clinching yet.
This is what gives him the phrase “the goose is loose.”
The video can be found here, courtesy of the NHL: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hdpid=49&id=595659&intcmpid=rrm-mw-1
League Leaders
Goals
49 – Alex Ovechkin (WAS)
42 – Corey Perry (ANA)
39 – Joe Pavelski (SJS)/Max Pacioretti (MTL)
Points
102 – Sidney Crosby (PIT)
85 – Ryan Getzlaf (ANA)
82 – Tyler Seguin (DAL)
Goals Against Average
1.98 – Brian Elliot (STL)
2.02 – Cory Schneider (NJD)
2.03 – Jonathan Quick (LAK)
Save Percentage
.931 – Anton Khudobin (EDM)
.930 – Tuukka Rask (BOS)
.927 – Semyon Varlamov (COL)
Playoff Standings
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Division
1. Y - Boston Bruins — 53-18-7 (113 points)
3. X - Montreal Canadiens — 45-27-7 (97 points)
4. X - Tampa Bay Lightning — 42-27-9 (93 points)
Metropolitan Division
2. Y - Pittsburgh Penguins — 50-24-5 (105 points)
5. New York Rangers — 43-31-5 (91 points)
6. Philadelphia Flyers — 40-29-9 (89 points)
Wild Card
7. Detroit Red Wings — 37-27-14 (88 points)
8. Columbus Blue Jackets — 40-31-7 (87 points)
In the Hunt
New Jersey Devils — 34-28-16 (84 points)
Toronto Maple Leafs — 38-33-8 (84 points)
Washington Capitals — 35-30-13 (83 points)
Western Conference
Central Division
1. X - St. Louis Blues — 52-19-7 (111 points)
4. X - Colorado Avalanche— 50-21-7 (107 points)
5. X - Chicago Blackhawks — 45-19-15 (105 points)
Pacific Division
2. X - Anaheim Ducks — 50-20-8 (108 points)
3. X - San Jose Sharks — 49-21-9 (107 points)
6. X - Los Angeles Kings — 45-28-6 (96 points)
Wild Card
7. Minnesota Wild — 40-26-12 (92 points)
8. Dallas Stars — 38-29-11 (87 points)
In the Hunt
Phoenix Coyotes — 36-28-14 (86 points)
Nashville Predators — 35-32-11 (81 points)
Vancouver Canucks — 35-32-11 (81 points)
X – Clinched Playoff Spot
Y – Clinched Division
@Alex_Busch91
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