Vladimir BYCHEK
HERO OF THE WEEK
Prior to Jonathan Chich, not a single Cree was able to break into the strongest league on the planet. And, probably, not soon there will be a fellow tribe who will be able to beat the striking achievements of the super forward “San Jose”. In the last championship, the guy became the best NHL sniper, and at the same time helped try on teammates Joe Thornton. In the spring of this year, the attacking tandem of "sharks" again went on the warpath. In three matches of the week, Chichu scored six goals and assisted partners twice more! Hunting since childhood was an integral part of Jonathan's existence. From the age of four he was taught by rustling in the grass to distinguish a partridge from a rabbit. If you look, then little has changed over the years: instead of rabbits and partridges, the Indian now deftly shoots woodpeckers and black hawks. An 84-year-old grandmother who does not miss a single broadcast can be proud of her grandson!
RUSSIAN WEEKS
Forward “Islanders” Viktor Kozlov has never been known as a sniper. His personal record - 22 goals in the championship - is not so hot an achievement for many colleagues in the profession. However, this year Togliatti has a chance to raise the bar. Throwing the puck into the goal of “Pittsburgh”, the forward “islanders” repeated the result of the season 2002/03, when he defended the colors of “Florida”. The seven matches remaining before the finish leave a good space for maneuver.
TEAM OF THE WEEK
At first glance, the non-alternative favorite of the nomination is Minnesota. Record-breaking nine-consecutive victories in the club’s history lifted Jacques Lemer’s team to the heights of the Western Conference. Perhaps the “savages" even argue for the Presidential Cup. However, now fanfare is booming not in their honor. The five Rangers wins that got into the eastern battle for survival outweigh the cloudless flight of the Minneapolis. Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shenahan and others like them have no right to make a mistake!
TOPIC OF THE WEEK
The Philadelphia tough guy's knockout of Todd Fedorak at the 21st second of the match with the Rangers not only stirred up the masses of protesters against violence in the ice arenas. He forced a new look at the role of big guys in the league of small and remote. Immediately after the lockout, against the background of frequent removals, the number of fist fights sharply crawled down. Then across the ocean loudly talked about the impending disappearance of the profession of "policeman". There it was! In the current championship, the big guys with steel fists and skulls made of titanium alloy are again in the lead roles. When the Rangers went to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, they thought of only one thing - revenge for the mercilessly kicked Jaromir Jagr. The mission of the people's avenger volunteered to fulfill Colton Orr. The 104-kilo kid before only on major holidays fell into the application of the New York club, and now he is a solid base player. And a security guarantee, insurance against all "accidents". A rare match now dispenses with scoring in boxing matches. Demand for tough guys increased. Even the Pittsburgh, which always put the mind above power, recruited George Larack to guard his young stars. So calmer.
BATTLE OF THE WEEK
Tuesday, March 20th. “Toronto” - “New Jersey”: Wade Belak takes revenge on Cam Jenssen for Tomasz Kaberle. And the battle lasts longer than a century ...
PORT OF THE WEEK
On Thursday, after the Islanders morning training session, general manager Garth Snow and head coach Ted Nolan held a long educational conversation with Alexei Yashin . “We wanted to tell him how important he is for the team and how important it is for him to play well,” Nolan clarified the situation. On Tuesday, the coach, extremely dissatisfied with the striker’s actions in the match with Tampa, transferred the illustrious veteran to ... the fourth link. “All I need is for Yashin to play as Yashin should play. He needs to get Yashin's caliber back. To play well, smart, because he is a very smart player,” Nolan put forward his demands. Yashin also began the fourth meeting with Pittsburgh in the fourth link, but he completed it in the second, in the company of Miroslav Shatan and Viktor Kozlov.
FIGURES OF THE WEEK
12 games, 65 minutes and 5 rounds of shootouts went "Edmonton" to the first spring victory. Until Friday night, when the “oilmen”, thanks to the heroism of goalkeeper Dwayne Roloson, broke the resistance of “Colorado”, they last experienced the joy of Victoria on February 23. Hitherto in the club’s glorious history, the record was a series of 11 consecutive defeats falling in the 93/94 season ... However, given the NHL’s elimination of draws, it would be more correct to equal the 14-match Edmonton unbeaten streak from the same championship. To the credit of Craig McTavish's wards, they did not reach this milestone.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“In a business like sport, if you are booed, then you are a good player. I remember how Todd Bertuzzi booed. With me, Steve Aizerman was booing crazy in Dallas. Chris Chelios is booed wherever he plays. Good hockey players are always booed ", - Columbus head coach Ken Hitchcock after a Thursday match with Detroit. In the City of Motors, the audience once again mercilessly booed Sergei Fedorov, who scored 400 goals in the “Red Wings”, but now dressed in a “blue jacket”. Total obstruction, however, did not prevent the Russian from throwing a winning puck in the 6th round of shootouts.
WAITING FOR THE WEEK
The upcoming week will be an excellent test of the combat readiness of the already staked out place in the playoffs of Detroit. Today, the “red wings" (injured, by the way, four defeats in a row!) Will cross their clubs with the leader of the Pacific division Anaheim. On Thursday, they will go to visit the best club in the Western Conference, Nashville. On Friday, they will receive the formidable Dallas in their native walls. In the East, similar circles of hell await the Islanders clinging to the bandwagon of the last wagon. Tomorrow's duel with the leader of the Atlantic division of New Jersey, Friday’s visit to the flagship of the Buffalo conference and Saturday’s battle with Ottawa will largely decide whether the “islanders” cup future will be largely decided.
CM. ALSO
Wednesday, March 21. “Los Angeles” - “Dallas”: Dustin Brown in a businesslike way removes Jussi Jokinen from the site.