Vladimir BYCHEK
HERO OF THE WEEK
Two on-game units are a combat incentive for Nashville forward David Legwand. The first player selected by the "predators" in the draft, and the first Enkhael player to realize the bullet in overtime, he always and everywhere strives to be a leader. Last week, Leggand's solo topped overseas charts. Saturday's match with “Chicago” gave the 26-year-old striker the first hat-trick in his career, put the guy on the top line of the list of the best snipers in club history, and his team - in the flagships of the regular championship. The hegemony of “Buffalo” and “Anaheim”, succeeding each other on the national hockey throne since the end of October last year, has been violated, and this was largely due to David's bombing surge. Over the four games of the week, the Nashville energizer scored 9 (5 + 4) points and had a +6 utility rating. In addition, he has three winning goals and a couple of titles of the first star of the evening!
TEAM OF THE WEEK
The choice in this nomination is obvious even to the nightstand. The fast-footed “Nashville” gave the championship the only thing that it lacked until complete happiness - an additional intrigue in the struggle for the Presidential Cup. The team of Barry Trotz not only squeezed Detroit to the second step in the division, but also skillfully took advantage of the personnel and creative crisis in the Anaheim and Buffalo camps. And she did this, almost without resorting to the services of goalkeeper Tomasz Vokoun, who recovered from an injury. His understudy Chris Mason caught such a crazy courage that putting him on a bench is a crime. The strike link of the “predators” has also contributed to the celebration on Tennessee Street: over the past 20 matches, Martin Erat, Paul Kariya and David Legvand have scored 29 goals! For comparison - after starting 29 meetings of the season, the “flying three” accounted for 19 goals.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK
They won three matches in their native walls and lost more matches at the equator of the season than for the entire last championship. Each week, “Philadelphia” writes new lines to the club’s anti-record book, digging deeper into the tournament grave. It’s a paradox, but in the year of their 40th anniversary, “pilots” for the first time in history can finish last. Now a gap of 11 points separates them from the penultimate “Los Angeles” and the whole abyss - 19 points - from “Florida”, the closest competitor to the Eastern Conference. There are more reasons for the crash than gray hair on the head of former Philadelphia mentor Ken Hitchcock. Kate Primo finished his career and the team lost its soul. Eric Desjardins hung skates on a nail - and there was no person who determined the club’s defense according to Hitchcock. Endless injuries contributed to the emergency call to the elite of ten newcomers, many of whom have not yet grown to such a high level. Add here the misadventures of Peter Forsberg. Take into account the fact that 15 players at once flyers work out the last year under the contract. What is left? Broken trough in which you can try to catch a goldfish at the nearest draft. It’s only a pity that the times of phenomena-wizards of the caliber of Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby are gone.
RUSSIAN WEEKS
Four assistant points scored Wednesday in a victorious battle with Nashville seemed to prematurely guarantee Detroit striker Pavel Datsyuk a second consecutive title. There it was! Saturday's spurt of the Pittsburgh rookie Evgeni Malkin , who scored more in a duel with Toronto, scored all the red-winged cards. The Russian “penguin” ended the week with 8 (2 + 6) points in three games and proved that he was able to consistently replenish the scorer’s piggy bank without Sid Crosby’s fraternal help. The attackers go on the ice at different levels, but this did not stop Malkin from throwing five goals and making seven assists in the last five meetings. Now he has nothing to blame for head coach Michel Terrien, who recently complained about Zhenya’s "drug" dependence on the Canadian child prodigy.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK
January 18th. San Jose - The Phoenix. 101-pound "shark" Rob Davison smashes the 95-pound "coyote" by Josh Gratton .
NUMBER OF THE WEEK
Tampa's rivals had 13 attempts this season to break through lightning goalie Juhan Holmqvist. None of them were successful! The Swede dryly won three series of hockey penalties in which he participated, and made the best league forwards be afraid, which means respecting themselves. On Thursday, for example, Brian Gionta and Patrick Eliash from “New Jersey” did not even hit the target ...
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Pushkarev had his own agenda. At a nightclub in the pharmacy club, he saw himself exclusively in the NHL and did not want to do anything that the coaches talked about,” Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi in an interview with Los Angeles Times. - To put things in order, I sent my assistant Ron Hekstoll there. Time passed and there was no news from Hex. I remember I stood on the Canadian-American border and my patience ran out. I dialed Hex's number and shouted into the phone: " Everything! Drive him from there! I don’t want to see among my guys anymore. ”I got out of the car and shouted so that the border guards began to show serious anxiety. They surrounded me, put their ears in whistle, but I still heard the answer:“ Calm down. I take it on myself. ”I continue to shout, but Hex retorted:“ Believe me, I can handle him. ”Time has shown that Hex is such a respected person that even Russians like Pushkarev listen to his opinion. Now with the striker, everyone ok. They even made a joke at the club that Pushkarev was Ron’s son. But seriously, I think Hex saw himself as a boy in his youth. " After a call from the American Hockey League, 21-year-old native of Ust-Kamenogorsk Konstantin Pushkarev scored 3 (1 + 2) points in 8 matches.
WAITING FOR THE WEEK
Spotlight - The All-Star Show in Dallas. On Tuesday, the best young talents of the league will compete against each other, including, I want to believe, the Russians Yevgeny Malkin and Alexander Radulov will not get lost. Then the brightest NHL luminaries will appear on the ice of American Airlines Center, and fans will witness fiery contests in speed, accuracy and ability to control the puck. The climax of the festive week - The All-Star Game - is scheduled for Wednesday. 55th in a row, it will be held in the East-West format, and it is gratifying that Alexander Ovechkin was elected to the starting five of the Eastern Conference. It is a pity, the Russian representative of All Stars is limited to it ... The regular season will resume on Friday, and will immediately demand new feats from Ovechkin: for two nights in a row his “Washington” will fight with the authorized holder of the Stanley Cup “Carolina”. For the capital's club, rolled into the basements of the conference, each point is worth its weight in gold. The picture of the week is complemented by an anniversary that cannot be passed. On January 25, the oldest acting NHL player - Detroit defender Chris Chelios - will hit 45. Congratulations!
CM. ALSO
January 15. Boston - Buffalo. Goalkeeper guests Ryan Miller reflects the “dead” throw of Paul Mary. Ladies and gentlemen, hurry to see - the first contender for the title of the year's save!