Green keeps Caps going
by John KreiserGreen scored twice in the Capitals' 3-1 victory Saturday against Florida, giving him goals in six consecutive games -- a franchise record and a feat no NHL defenseman has accomplished since Hall of Famer Ray Bourque did it in 1984.
Green had 4 goals and 6 points in Washington's three games last week. His 19 goals are more than any defenseman scored all last season, when he topped the charts with 18 goals. Green is also tops among defensemen with 46 points, despite playing in only 41 games. The defenseman missed 13 games due to a shoulder injury. Green has 10 points in his last four games and 13 during his six-game goal-scoring streak.
Just what Washington's opponents need -- someone other than Alex Ovechkin to worry about.
Five up -- Five players who've been producing:
Marian Hossa -- Hossa has been on a tear, scoring 6 goals in Detroit's four games last week while going plus-6. He reminded the Pittsburgh Penguins, with who he excelled in the Stanley Cup Final last spring, just how much they missed him by getting the backbreaking goal in Sunday's 3-0 win.
Ryan Kesler -- The Canucks played just twice last week, but that didn't stop Kesler from piling up the points. He finished with 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points while averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time per game.
Chris Mason -- Mason got off to a horrible start this season, but he's played well enough during the past three weeks to take the No. 1 goaltending job in St. Louis. He went 2-0-2 last week, allowing just four goals on 95 shots, and is 5-1-2 since Jan. 19 -- a span during which he's cut his goals-against average from 3.16 to 2.54 and boosted his save percentage from .900 to .917.
Ryan Miller -- A key reason that the Buffalo Sabres have rebounded from their slump has been the play of Miller, who went 2-0-1 with an 0.98 GAA in three games last week, allowing just four goals on 94 shots. He's 7-2-1 in his last 10 decisions.
Jere Lehtinen -- One reason the Dallas Stars have been rejuvenated recently is the play of Lehtinen, who missed most of the first half of the season with injuries. The veteran right wing has an eight-game points streak and was 2-5-7 in four games last week, including five points in back-to-back wins against the Rangers and Predators.
Five down -- Five players who've struggled:
Bryan Little -- Atlanta's "Little White Russian" line has been as cold as a Siberian winter. Little, who had been hot until mid-January, has gone eight games without a point. Todd White's assist Sunday was his first point in eight games, and Slava Kozlov's goal Sunday was his first since Jan. 2.
Miroslav Satan -- Satan has been a disappointment for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who haven't gotten the scoring they expected from him. Satan had no points in four games last week and has just one goal in his last 10 games.
Dustin Byfuglien -- Byfuglien' s offensive production has dropped way off since the start of the new year. He hasn't had a point in Chicago's last eight games, hasn't scored a goal in 11 and has just two points in the Hawks' last 15 games.
Wade Redden --- The Rangers signed Redden to a long-term contract last summer in the hope he could give them some offense from the blue line. It hasn't happened. Redden is without a point in New York's last seven games, hasn't scored a goal since Oct. 10 and is on pace for his lowest offensive numbers since 1997-98.
Miikka Kiprusoff -- The NHL's winningest goaltender is in a bit of a slump. He dropped three decisions last week before getting a game off Saturday (the Flames lost that one, too), allowing 11 goals in the three losses.
Injuries, news and notes -- It's flu season, and NHL teams aren't immune to illnesses. It's not unusual to see a team lose two or three players suddenly (as Philadelphia did on Feb. 4) -- or for a player miss a few games.
Returning -- All-Star defenseman Dan Boyle returned to San Jose's lineup Thursday after missing the Sharks' first three games after the break. The Sharks hope to get center Jeremy Roenick, out since undergoing shoulder surgery Dec. 14, back into the lineup during their upcoming road trip. ... Buffalo defenseman Teppo Numminen returned Wednesday after missing six games with a broken jaw. ... Tampa Bay forward Gary Roberts also returned Wednesday; the 42-year-old missed 30 games and more than two months after elbow surgery. ... Islanders goaltender Joey MacDonald was back in the net Thursday for the first time since leaving a Jan. 13 game against the Rangers with a groin injury. Forward Sean Bergenheim returned Saturday from a strained muscle in his side that cost him six games. ... Detroit forward Henrik Zetterberg returned Wednesday after sitting out three games with back spasms. ... Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin returned Saturday after missing 10 days with a sprained ankle. ... Los Angeles hopes rookie forward Oscar Moller will be ready to play Tuesday. He's missed more than a month with a broken collarbone sustained during the World Junior Championships. ... Montreal's Mathieu Dandenault has been cleared to play after missing nearly two months with a broken left arm. ...
The week ahead -- It's a hectic week for a lot of teams -- nine clubs play four games this week; only three play just two.
Games to watch:
New York Rangers at New Jersey (Feb. 9) -- A national TV audience (Versus) will see if the Rangers can slow down the Devils, who beat Henrik Lundqvist eight times in their last meeting Dec. 12.
San Jose at Boston (Feb. 10) -- Versus will also be on hand when the two best teams in the NHL (by points) meet for the only time this season. It's also just the second time former Bruin Joe Thornton will be playing a game in Boston since the November 2005 deal that sent him to San Jose.
Montreal at Edmonton (Feb. 11) -- The Canadiens complete a rare swing through Alberta with their first visit to Rexall Place since Dec. 15, 2005. It's the second game of a six-game trip for Montreal.
Dallas at Chicago (Feb. 14) -- After eight in a row on the road, the Blackhawks finally get to play a home game for the first time since Jan. 21. In contrast, the Stars are coming off a four-game homestand.
Tough week ahead:
Calgary Flames -- After starting the week at home against the Canadiens, the Flames hit the road for three games in four nights, visiting both Southern California teams before a game at Phoenix.
Montreal Canadiens -- The Habs' playoff aspirations figure to get a severe test this week: They play four games, three in Western Canada and one at Colorado, to start a six-game trip.
San Jose Sharks -- While Montreal goes West, the Sharks come East for four games, including three in four nights, against a tough group of opponents -- the easiest one is the defending Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Easy week ahead:
Buffalo Sabres -- After their recent six-game trip, the Sabres will be glad to spend a week at home hosting Ottawa, San Jose and Carolina.
Pittsburgh Penguins -- The pace slows for the Penguins, who play just twice -- hosting San Jose on Wednesday and visiting Toronto three days later.
Tampa Bay Lightning -- The Bolts get to spend a week away from winter's snow and cold, with all three of their games at home.