|
|
Minnesota Wild forward Devin Setoguchi faces a fine hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety Tuesday morning for an incident in Sunday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Setoguchi was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Detroit's Kyle Quincey at 15:16 of the second period. Quincey left the game briefly, but returned in the third period.
Chicago is the best team in the NHL. That's neither breaking news nor a controversial opinion, and once again, the Blackhawks are the top team in the Super 16 power rankings.
There wasn't much movement near the top, but the Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild and Phoenix Coyotes are making appearances in the top 16 while the San Jose Sharks, ranked as high as No. 2, are out of the mix completely after losing seven straight games.
Here's the complete list, which features three Atlantic Division teams in the top seven.
| RANK | TEAM |
LAST WEEK | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
1 | Chicago Blackhawks: There aren't many superlatives to describe the Blackhawks, who have yet to suffer a loss in anything but a shootout this season. Here's a nugget tweeted by NBC's Liam McHugh -- since acquiring defenseman Johnny Oduya last season, the Blackhawks are 24-2-7 with him in the lineup. |
| 2 |  |
5 | Anaheim Ducks: Not only are the Ducks surging, but they finally get a lengthy stretch at home after playing nine of their 14 games on the road. After a 3-2 shootout win in Nashville on Saturday, they returned home to Southern California, a place they won't have to leave again until March 1. |
Former Los Angeles Kings owner Jerry Buss died Monday at age 80.
Buss, who bought both the Kings and the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, had been hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for cancer, though his assistant Bob Steiner reported the immediate cause of death as kidney failure.
The Kings finished second in the Norris Division in each of the first two seasons Buss owned the team, including a 99-point season in 1980-81, a 25-point improvement. Overall, they made the Stanley Cup Playoffs five times during his tenure.
Buss owned the Kings for eight years before selling to Bruce McNall in 1987, a year before the trade for Wayne Gretzky revolutionized hockey in California.
NEW YORK -- New York Islanders center John Tavares, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Viktor Fasth and Carolina Hurricanes center Jiri Tlusty have been named the NHL's 'Three Stars' for the period ending Feb. 17.
FIRST STAR -- JOHN TAVARES, C, NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Tavares notched seven points in three games last week, including a League-leading five goals, as the Islanders (6-7-1) won two of three starts. Tavares recorded one goal and one assist in a 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes Feb. 11 and scored once during regulation and again in the shootout as the Islanders defeated the New York Rangers 4-3 at Madison Square Garden Feb. 14. He closed the week by recording his fourth career hat trick, including the game-winning goal, and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Feb. 16. The first overall selection in the 2009 NHL Draft leads the Islanders with 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 14 games. He is on a five-game goal-scoring streak (7 G), has 11 goals in his past 10 games and has scored in each of his past five road contests (6 G).
Every Monday during the season, NHL.com fantasy hockey contributor Matt Sitkoff will provide you with fantasy hockey advice in his weekly piece: "Fantasy All-Access." From the waiver wire watch to roster trends and prospect rumblings, Sitkoff is here to help you all season long.
Some of the top fantasy players have continued to struggle past the quarter mark, but that just means you can target them and buy low on a superstar that could lead you to a fantasy championship.
Claude Giroux has not scored a goal in seven straight games, his longest streak since he went without a goal in 12 straight from Jan. 5 to Feb. 2 last season. There's no doubt Giroux, whose average draft position in Yahoo! Leagues was fifth overall, has struggled without his linemates from last season, but a key to buying low on him is that one of his wingers, Scott Hartnell, has been skating and could return soon.
Another top-line center struggling to find the back of the net is Henrik Sedin. Sedin, whose average draft position was 16.7 in Yahoo! Leagues, scored his first goal of the season Sunday and has only 24 shots on goal, infuriating his owners. One thing to consider, however, is typically the most productive month of his career is March, when he's scored 34 goals and 142 points in 159 career games.
John Tavares is doing everything he possibly can to get the New York Islanders into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2007.
The first player taken in the 2009 NHL Draft is the biggest reason the Islanders’ five-game losing streak is now a two-game winning streak. He had a regulation goal and the shootout clincher in a 4-3 victory against the Rangers on Thursday, then scored three times on Saturday in a 5-1 victory against New Jersey.
For the week, he had six goals and two assists for eight points -- and enters this week riding a five-game goal-scoring streak. His 11 goals have him tied with Pittsburgh’s James Neal in the League goal-scoring, one behind Buffalo’s Thomas Vanek.
Five up -- Five other players who had a good week:
Viktor Fasth-- Anaheim’s first-year goaltender is 30, meaning he’s too old to win the Calder Trophy. He’s had to settle for one of the great career starts in NHL history. Fasth allowed two goals in each of his three starts last week and won all three, giving him an 8-0-0 record. He’s one win short of matching the NHL record for most consecutive victories at the start of a career.
With the Slovenian national team clinching its first Olympic hockey berth, and Jarmo Kekalainen becoming the NHL's first European-born full-time general manager, the global hockey community continues to expand.
But one small group from Montreal is doing even more to demonstrate the reach of the sport.
It was just over a year ago that a few hockey players took on the mission of affecting positive change around the world and pursuing cultural exchange through the game they love. They founded Hockey Without Borders, a non-profit organization that already has made a mark internationally.
Participating in a free hockey clinic with dozens of area children in New York's Central Park, former NHL player Nick Fotiu can't help but smile. Growing up in nearby Staten Island, NY, he never had anything like this.
When young Nick Fotiu wanted to play hockey growing up in New York, he and his friends opened up a neighborhood fire hydrant to flood a lot and create a makeshift rink. No, it was not legal.
Since becoming the first New York-born player to play for the Rangers in 1976, Fotiu has been an active participant in the area's hockey community, primarily through his work with Rangers alumni and USA Hockey.
"It's a real thrill for me to come out here. At Rockefeller Center or Central Park, wherever," said the 60-year-old Fotiu. "Being with the kids is what it's all about. I tell them, it's not only hockey that makes it fun. It's the jokes you play. It's all part of the game."
The game of hockey has grown tremendously in the tri-state area since Fotiu first came into the League. Whereas Fotiu was something of a novelty through parts of his NHL career, the sport has since been flooded by players from the region.
Kicking off a national day of celebration, the National Hockey League, USA Hockey and the New York Rangers all descended on the fabled Trump Rink in historic Central Park to provide a picturesque hub for Hockey Day in America.
The rink did not just provide an outdoor studio for NBC and NBC Sports Network, who together are broadcasting an NHL triple-header as part of the Hockey Day in America festivities. The park also hosted one of the countless grassroots hockey events taking place across the country.
Split squarely down the middle, Trump Rink hosted a day-long open public skate side-by-side with a youth hockey clinic overseen by USA Hockey and featuring former Rangers like Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Dan Blackburn and Ron Greschner.
"USA Hockey gets the kids involved. And what a great place to get involved, Central Park in New York City," said Fotiu, who became the first New York-born Rangers player in 1976. "I help out and we make it a little more fun. That's what hockey is about. Having fun."
Friday marked the start of the sixth annual Hockey Weekend Across America, presented by CCM, an event that has grown in its scope and influence in a very short time. Spearheaded by USA Hockey and the National Hockey League, the big weekend will celebrate hockey across the country.
Each day of the festive weekend has a different theme. Friday was "Wear Your Favorite Jersey Day," when fans across the United States were encouraged to show their support by donning their prized jerseys and submitting photos on Facebook and Twitter, using the hashtag #HWAA.
Saturday is "Try Hockey Day," a unique opportunity for men, women and children across the nation to experience the game. With some 200 rinks nationwide hosting free clinics, thousands of people will have the opportunity to enjoy hockey. A list of participating rinks is available for those interested in being involved at HockeyWeekendAcrossAmerica.com.
