Monday, March 14, 2011

Who's Hot & Not In The NHL Post All-Star

It has been 6 weeks since the NHL All-Star game, and here are the best and worst performances since the midway mark. Kane and Toews are heating up, Perry and Getzlaf have been outstanding, and the playoffs are just a few weeks away. Hockey is starting to get exciting!

Hot Forwards

1. Jonathon Toews, CHI (29 PTS in 19 GP): Has been the best player in the NHL post All-Star break.

2. Cory Perry, ANA (24 PTS in 17 GP): If this team misses the playoffs, nobody can say that it is because they didn't get enough from Cory Perry.

3. Daniel Sedin, VAN (25 PTS in 20 GP): He's going to win the Hart trophy.

4. Patrick Kane, CHI (23 PTS in 19 GP): Kane and Toews flourish when Chicago gets secondary scoring.

5. Ryan Getzlaf, ANA (20 PTS in 14 GP): Biggest problem for Anaheim is Cam Fowler drying up and Hiller out with injury. Getzlaf and Perry have been incredible.

6. Alex Ovechkin, WAS (22 PTS in 19 GP): Finally Ovie is coming into form.

7. Henrik Sedin, VAN (22 PTS in 20 GP): The twins are the most entertaining show on ice right now in the NHL.

8. Ilya Kovalchuck, NJ (22 PTS in 19 GP): Scoring at same pace as Ovechkin post All-Star. Do we credit Lemaire?

9. Martin St. Louis, TB (21 PTS in 18 GP): Marty has been outscoring Stamkos for several weeks.

10. Michael Grabner, NYI (21 PTS in 21 GP): Nobody has scoring more goals in the NHL since the All-Star break.

Honourable mentions: Milan Lucic, Andy MacDonald, Drew Stafford, Bobby Ryan, John Tavares, Anze Kopitar, Martin Erat, and David Krejci.

Hot Goalies

1. Anti Niemi, SJ (13 W, .928 SVPCT): A big reason that San Jose has shot up the standings, playing fantastic hockey.

2. Mikka Kiprusoff, CGY (12 W, .922 SVPCT): A few months ago I declared he was no longer an elite goaltender. Since then, he has done everything in his power to prove me wrong.

3. Ilya Bryzgalov, PHO (11 W, .923 SVPCT): The reason Phoenix is sitting in a playoff spot.

4. Carey Price, MON (9 W, .937 SVPCT): The reason Montreal is sitting in a playoff spot.

5. James Reimer, TOR (9 W, .917 SVPCT): He's the reason Toronto is taking a run at a playoff spot. Goalie of the future?

Honourable mentions: Jimmy Howard, Pekka Rhinne, Roberto Luongo, Corey Crawford, and Jonathon Quick.

Cold Forwards:

1. Mike Fischer, NSH (6 PTS in 19 GP): Mr Underwood is not doing much to help his new team make the playoffs.

2. Valterri Filpulla, DET (2 PTS in 12 GP): Not earning his contract.

3. Matt Duchene, COL (6 PTS in 16 GP): Hasn't been the same since Fleischman went down.

4. Collin Wilson, NSH (5 PTS in 19 GP): Not the breakout season some were predicting.

5. Dustin Brown, LA (8 PTS in 18 GP): LA has enough depth that Brown's slump hasn't hurt the team, but he's better than this.

Cold Goaltenders:

1. Ondrej Pavelec, ATL: Compare 1st half to 2nd half, and it is an incredible nose dive...no pun intended...

2. Sergei Bobrovsky, PHI: Not going to win rookie of the year.

3. Jaroslav Halak, STL: Has gone cold in 2nd half.

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