Thursday night's game between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins marked another media-friendly battle featuring Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. During the bout however, neither player registered a single point. I love it! Hockey is a team sport and not one individual can carry his squad every night. I understand the NHL's need for poster boys, superstars and such, but this game was a perfect synecdoche for the league. Each game, 19 players suit up and skate their hearts out. Here's a toast to those who deserve more recognition.
Anaheim Ducks
#23 Francois Beauchemin
Beauchemin is averaging over 26 minutes a game for the Ducks. Although he's currently negative-eight right now, it's not bad considering his ice time and Anaheim's overall goal differential (-24). He consistently plays against the opponent's top line and throws his body around well, averaging over two hits a game.
Boston Bruins
#23 Chris Kelly
Kelly has recently garnered attention from NHL fans for his recent point production, however he's always been a valuable asset. He's a terrific penalty killer and drives pucks hard to the net. Kelly is a responsible and reliable two-way forward.
Buffalo Sabres
#8 Cody McCormick
Laugh all you want, McCormick is a hard worker. On paper, he looks useless. He averages the least amount of ice time per game for the Sabres. He only has two assists on the year. He doesn't play the power play or penalty kill - nor is he relied upon at the end of a close game. However, McCormick grinds out important 4th-line minutes and if the Sabres need a swing in momentum, they look to this guy.
Calgary Flames
#5 Mark Giordano
Giordano plays top-pair minutes and is relied upon for every situation that presents itself in a game. He's a crucial piece to Calgary's power play and can activate the offense from the back-end. Giordano also plays a physical game in addition to his offensive skills.
Carolina Hurricanes
#36 Jussi Jokinen
Jokinen is second on his team in scoring, but doesn't receive an incredible amount of ice time. He has tremendous vision and, in my opinion, is one of the most underrated playmakers in the game. Jokinen is especially valuable on the power play - leading his team with seven points.
Chicago Blackhawks
#36 Dave Bolland
Bolland averages the most minutes shorthanded for the 'Hawks. Like Chris Kelly, he's an extremely reliable two-way center with an offensive upside. He plays the power play well and grinds out even-strength minutes. He has a nice set of hands too.
Colorado Avalanche
#44 Ryan Wilson
This season, Wilson is getting some well-deserved attention due to his point production, but overall, his play is very strong. He makes smart decisions coming out of his own end and plays a mean, physical game. Wilson is not the club's go-to-guy for the power play or penalty kill, but definitely has the ability to play in those situations. He leads the Avalanche with a plus-five.
Columbus Blue Jackets
#51 Fedor Tyutin
Tyutin is a solid defenseman who's relied upon for every situation. He plays in the most crucial moments of games and averages over 24 minutes of ice time. On a team that's struggling severely, he is only a negative-three. His contract extension proves his worth to this club.
Dallas Stars
#29 Steve Ott
Ott's always in the dirtiest areas of the rink, usually the crease. Game in and game out, he's battling in front of the net. He plays shorthanded, with the man advantage and can fight when needed. Behind Mike Ribiero, he averages the most ice time of any Star forward. Ott is a workhorse.
Detroit Red Wings
#43 Darren Helm
Helm is one of the fastest players in the game and never stops skating. He averages more shorthanded ice time than any other Red Wing forward. Helm may only have five points on the season, but he's definitely prevented many more than that.
Edmonton Oilers
#77 Tom Gilbert
Gilbert has been a consistent, reliable defenseman in the Oiler organization for five years now. I hate to keep mentioning ice time, but Gilbert is the leader on his team in that category. With so many youngsters in the lineup, the club will be relying more heavily on him in the future. He's also on pace for a career-high in points this season - 40.
Florida Panthers
#52 Jason Garrison
After the Florida Panther's summer spending, Garrison was lost behind big names like Brian Campbell and Ed Jovanovski. Not anymore. He plays in all situations throughout the course of a game. Garrison's also shown his offensive skills this season with eight goals - half of those coming on the power play. His plus-10 leads all Panther defenseman.
Los Angeles Kings
#33 Willie Mitchell
Mitchell is a shorthanded genius. He obviously averages the most shorthanded ice time on his team, but is also tops in general ice time. His plus-4 shows his defensive prowess. Mitchell isn't overly physical, but plays smart positional hockey.
Minnesota Wild
#9 Mikko Koivu
I know he's not necessarily underappreciated because of his captaincy, but I don't know that it's possible to ever appreciate a player like him enough. He leads a group of defensive forwards and is easily one of the best two-way centers in the game. He also dominates the power play with his vision. Koivu does absolutely everything.
Montreal Canadiens
#14 Tomas Plekanec
Like Koivu, Plekanec doesn't necessarily get overlooked, but definitely deserves more credit. He averages more time on ice in every situation than any other forward on the team. He's taken 147 more face-offs than the next center on the team and is a fantastic playmaker.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment