Ottawa played woeful as their record (1-6-1 on an 8-game road trip, now 2-7-1 in their last 10) indicates. What happened to this team? No defense is one, I assume, but the big guns aren't playing well. Daniel Alfredsson was called out by his coach after their loss in Boston the other night. Dany Heatley has done nothing lately except earning an unearned spot on the All-Star team, and Jason Spezza threw the puck out of the zone and down the ice with 2 minutes left in the game and the team down two goals.
It was said today that Dmitri Kalinin is now a +6 in his last 8 games. While he is now an impressive -10, let it be known that Dave Maloney said this about him during a broadcast last week (and I'm paraphrasing since it was a week ago): Kalinin is having another good game for him. He'll never play mistake-free hockey, but he has been better as of late.
I love how Steve Valiquette stepped in against Buffalo and played a great game. I was nervous to have him in after he got bombed on with 5 straight goals against Toronto a few months ago, and I think Tom Renney was also because he didn't play for a long time after that. However, when called upon every other time, he has played nearly lights out.
Two shutouts for Lundqvist in 3 games is good form, and I'm glad he got the first out of the way, much like Brandon Dubinsky's goal will hopefully knock down the dam and more can come.
This blog lobbied for Petr Prucha from the beginning of the season, and I'm glad to see that crow is not on my dinner plate for tomorrow. He has 5 points in the 6 games since he's been back in the lineup. Oddly enough, the one game in which he was blanked (Friday vs. Buffalo) was the one in which he played the most, getting 17:23 in ice time. Words can't express how happy I am to see him playing well.
I don't know if they still put missing people on milk cartons anywhere except in cartoons, but if they do, can someone put a picture of Scott Gomez on one for me?
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Brendan Shanahan, a Devil? What's next, they re-sign Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik? Exactly. This in no way shores up the Devils team, even if people say he is a "born leader" and a "locker room presence". Did the leadership and playoff experience of Shanahan, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury, and Gomez get the Rangers anything except an early playoff exit last year?
Shanahan had nothing left in the tank as of mid-January 2008. He was hurt in his knee and his back, he was slowing down, and he brought nothing to the table. I hate to say that because he is a legend and was a great guy in New York, but he was just a waste of ice time at the end of last season, and unless a great cure for old age and creaky bones was discovered in late-2008, then I'm afraid it's more of the same.
I don't get the Shanahan signing for New Jersey. They've been scoring a lot of goals (at least by Devils standards) lately, why mess with what's working? I guess they really are trying to create a team full of returning Devils. Next, they'll bring Sean Burke back to tend the nets until Brodeur comes back.
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