Neutral Zone Wrap: Week 6
Bad comedy and hockey have always gone together like ice cream and pickles. History has always existed with items that sound good on their own but end up causing heartburn and remorse when combined. From Sean Avery’s(notes) regrettable comments about relationships to any of Jeremy Roenick’s(notes) diatribes on officiating to John Tortorella’s famous media scrums, the NHL has had its share of unintentional humor. Now we hear the story of Alexander Ovechkin, one of the league’s centerpieces and arguably its most public star, passing along “info” in an interview saying he would be out four to five weeks with his current injury. The immediate reaction was definitely one of shock, since most people expected Ovie to be sidelined for no more than a week or two. Media and bloggers alike debated the validity of his comments, with a fair share claiming the Russian star was only kidding. After the ice chips settled, it was confirmed to be a joke and the world released a collective sigh. For those who believed Ovechkin’s original statement, could you have really believed a person who once produced this Oscar-worthy performance?
Something’s rotting on the East Coast – and it ain’t the seafood. Once upon a time, the consensus believed the Leafs possessed the saddest squad. But the days have passed and the losses have mounted where it’s now obvious the Hurricanes are the lowest of the low. Everything would be finer for Carolina if they didn’t have so many casualties, but at least other lineups have managed better. Captain Eric Staal(notes) (upper-body doohickey or something) is out indefinitely, perennial point-per-game producer Ray Whitney(notes) (same as Staal) joins him on the sideline, and now franchise goalie Cam Ward(notes) (lacerated leg) is on the shelf for up to a month. So that leaves their leading scorer as … Jussi Jokinen(notes)?!? Yep, 10 points will put you atop of the charts in Flavor Country. Manny Legace(notes) was doing his rounds in the minors and was acquired Monday. Fantasy owners will be interested to hear he’ll see immediate action, since the Canes’ only other option is Michael Leighton(notes) and his 72 games of NHL experience.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, Roberto Luongo(notes) is back in uniform for the Canucks. Perfect timing, since he returned right after Andrew Raycroft(notes) surrendered four goals in the first eight minutes of Tuesday’s thrashing by the Blues. Steve Bernier(notes) (flu) also saw action and was inserted in his old spot with Henrik Sedin(notes), but it didn’t spark any offense. The other twin, Daniel Sedin(notes) (broken foot), is slated to be on the ice sometime in the next week. The recurring problem in Vancouver involves the fact that the top two lines are producing (79 points among the current top-six), but the attack drops off significantly after that. Hotshot rookie Michael Grabner(notes) broke an ankle just as he was getting off the ground (five points in nine). Can’t really blame the others, since only Kyle Wellwood(notes) (one in 15) would qualify as having offensive potential. The buzz has the Canucks chasing Peter Forsberg(notes) in his latest comeback, but let’s see how well the 36-year old center’s feet hold up in the Swedish Elite League before making predictions regarding his triumphant return to this continent.
When Rick DiPietro(notes) reappears, we know which goalie will be voted off the Island. The talk around town claimed Martin Biron(notes) would be the odd man out, and all signs indicate his impending exit. He was signed for one season under the condition he would be traded if and when DiPietro became healthy enough to play. Fair enough, since the Islanders have more invested in the American keeper than the collective holdings on Wall Street. The hockey team isn’t at or near the bottom, so it’s doing something right (5-2-3 in the Islanders’ latest run). We know about the main producers, but the lineup regularly changes enough to allow for decent weekly pickups. Frans Nielsen(notes) has produced a modest turnout (seven points in 12), while Jack Hillen(notes) (five points) is a reasonable short-term D replacement who at least gets a sniff on the power play. Stay away from Doug Weight(notes) (more upper-body failure), who is physically cursed and will be out for at least another week.
A healthy Chicago is a productive Chicago. Just ask the ‘Hawks how they feel about Jonathan Toews(notes) coming back. That’s right: his appearance Monday (with a goal) helped lead the Blackhawks to a dominating 4-1 victory over L.A. Betcha they can’t wait for Marian Hossa(notes) to jump on the ice, but they’ll have to be patient. Dave Bolland’s(notes) recent setback (back surgery) will have him sidelined for 3-4 months, but it’s not as if the void creates instant fantasy opportunities for other forwards. Both John Madden(notes) (five points) and Colin Fraser(notes) (three) have always played a more defensive style, while Tomas Kopecky(notes) (two, minus-6) isn’t receiving the opportunities. Maybe recalling Jack Skille (two points in five games in the big leagues and four in seven in the AHL) or promoting veteran Mark Cullen(notes) (leads Rockford with 14 and produced 16 in 29 with Chicago in 2005-06) will boost lower-level scoring.
After weeks of deliberation, the Rangers finally get their due in this column. Unfortunately, it comes during a mini-slump (2-4), where Chris Drury(notes) suffered another concussion and the team learned that Brandon Dubinsky(notes) (broken hand) will be out 4-6 weeks. But they still have Marian Gaborik(notes) (team-leading 22 points) and he never gets injured, right? No one would have predicted Vaclav Prospal(notes) to sit near the top of the league in assists (16), a trend that will continue only until other stars around the NHL catch up to the Blueshirts in games played. Michael Del Zotto(notes) (13 points) and Daniel Girardi(notes) (eight) are part of the future, but they’re not lighting it up of late (two combined points over the last six). Wade Redden(notes) (five) and Michal Rozsival(notes) (four) are sinking further into quicksand, probably weighed down by their massive contracts (at a total of $14 million this season alone). The Rangers are also rumored to be in the yet-to-be-determined Forsberg sweepstakes, but they’d be better off pursuing recently-minted Hall-of-Famer Brian Leetch or pulling a car out of the Hudson River.
Evan Berofsky enjoys writing. Seriously. When he’s not trying to shove hockey miscellany down your throat, he gets his kicks playing tournament Scrabbleä . If you have anything to say about Evan’s work (or need any hot word tips), feel free to contact him at eberofsky@yahoo.com.
