I figured since every other NHL related write-ups have included some mid season evaluation I would do my own. (I thought about ranting that NHL players don't care about the all-star game, but TSN beat me to it) So instead of talking about the first 60 guys on the NHL points sheet, I'd like to talk about some of the next 120 guys on that list.
First of all, Craig Anderson, goaltender from the Florida Panthers is the most under rated tender in the NHL. Anderson has posted the second best save percentage in the league with .930 (.014 points better than the starter Tomas Vokoun) has earned his team 23 points in 22 games and is in his third year of playing this good! His SVP in 07 was .931 and last year it was a mind blowing .935. His seventh year as a back-up should be his last, as I hope Anderson will land a starting job somewhere this off season.
Anderson seen here scoping out the Ice Girls, now we know why he is 7-0-1 in arenas with Ice Girls*.I would love to talk about David Krejci, however, he's just too good; his 52 points in 47 games is beyond the caliber of this blog. If you don't know him, go look him up, you'll be impressed.
Would you be surprised to know that Rene Bourque has as many points as Chris Drury, Keith Tkachuk and even Paul Stastny? Well you should, Bourque is 3 points away from his career high of 34 points and is playing some great defensive hockey for the Flames. The pride of Lac La Biche, Alberta (2 hours north of Edmonton) is playing about 17 minutes per game and making the most of it. Another 27 year old proving that age doesn't mean you can't have a breakout season.
Next we have Joakim Lindstrom of the very surprising Phoenix Coyotes (who are in the playoffs right now, weird). Lindstrom is 25 and is playing with his 3rd team in 8 months and is turning some heads in Phoenix. With 20 games into this season he has 7 goals, that’s a pace of 28 in a season, not bad.
It’s hard to not talk about Claude Lemieux, the 43 year old made waves when he signed with the Shanghi Sharks of the Chinese Hockey League in October. He played 2 games and out skated the likes of Hirogachi Namasaki, Eto Chung and Dave Rockford (beer league player from Cold Lake Alberta, brought in as a ringer). It's crazy to think that he has made a comeback and is playing with the best team in the NHL no less. Good luck to Claude!
In closing, I can't wait to see the All-Star game in Montreal as the super shootout (let's call it that for now) looks like it should be interesting. My pick for the event is Rob Schremp...oh; sorry he's still in the AHL since he can't play defense, my bad!
*not a real stat
1 comment:
those puck bunny's are awesome. dear leafs get some of those for the suits.
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