Each week we take a look at three players that are on fire, the best sound bite from the previous week, our must-see highlight of the weekend and which upcoming game NHL fans should circle on their calendar.
Three to See
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
For the Washington Capitals and their fans, the play of their captain Alex Ovechkin must be a sight for sore eyes.
Ovechkin looks to be getting closer to his old self as he had nine points on seven goals and two assists. With his two goals on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ovechkin now has 25 goals (tied for first in the league) and 18 assists for 43 points (sixth in the league).
Ovechkin will look to lead his Capitals to victories this week against the Montreal Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
After getting off to somewhat of a slow start this season, it looks like New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist has found his game.
In four games this week, ‘King Henrik’ went 3-0-1 and had an incredible 48-save performance against the Hurricanes on Saturday night in Carolina. On the season, Lundqvist is 17-13-3 with a 2.07 GAA (sixth in the league) and a .928 save percentage (third in the league).
This week, Lundqvist and the Blueshirts will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (twice) and the New York Islanders.
Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks
One goaltender in the NHL that is not getting the credit he deserves is San Jose Sharks’ masked man Antti Niemi.
In four games this week, Niemi had three wins and stopped 107 of 116 shots. This season, Niemi is 19-8-6 with a 2.14 GAA (seventh in the league), a .924 save percentage (eighth in the league) and three shutouts (fifth in the league).
This week, Niemi and the Sharks will take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars.
Streak of the week
Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a streak ended this week in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Going into Tuesday night’s tilt against the Sabres, the Penguins had won 15-straight games. That streak came to a grinding halt as the Sabres topped the Pens 4-1.
While Jarome Iginla did end up scoring his first goal as a Penguin, that would be the only bright spot for Pittsburgh.
Biting sound
“We’re working towards what we are trying to accomplish, and we still have a ways to go. We still have much we can do better. But we are excited to be in this position.”
— New York Islanders’ superstar John Tavares on his team’s recent success and their chances at making the playoffs this season.
Weekend rewind
After it was cancelled because of the lockout this season, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings will make the Winter Classic happen again as it was announced on Sunday that the two teams would participate in the 2014 event at Michigan Stadium on Jan. 1.
This is certainly a nice gesture by the league considering the game was taken away from them because of the lockout. Now, the league is making it up to them and also announced that HBO would once again be doing “24/7” with Sportsnet airing the documentary in Canada.
Too bad former Leafs’ general manager Brian Burke won’t be around for this.
Save the date
Saturday, April 13: New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders
For the first time in what seems like forever, both the New York Rangers and New York Islanders hold one of the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference. This Saturday night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the two teams will go at it in what will more than likely feel like a playoff atmosphere.
Both teams are playing extremely well this season and, while the Blueshirts lead the season series 2-1, the Islanders played the Rangers well in two of three games. With a lot on the line because of the impending playoffs, the Islanders will be sure to bring their best effort this Saturday night.
Rink roundup
— When the Rangers traded Marian Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Derick Brassard, John Moore and Derek Dorsett while also acquiring San Jose Sharks’ forward Ryan Clowe at the deadline, many wondered how the team’s new offence would look against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. The new Rangers had quite a night as Brassard, Moore and Clowe combined for seven points as New York walloped the Penguins 6-1.
— How about those San Jose Sharks? Going into Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Stars, which they lost in a shootout, the Sharks had won seven straight and are tied for fourth place in the Western Conference.
— Just how bad are the NHL’s Southeast and Northwest Divisions? While two teams in each is fighting to win the division title and a spot in the playoffs, the other six teams do not have a prayer at making the post-season this year.
— Speaking of bad teams, it looks like the Calgary Flames have all but hit rock bottom. The team has just 30 points this season and is one point behind the league’s worst two teams, the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers.
