Games of the week:
Atlanta Thrashers—Despite the tragic death of Dan Snyder, and potentially losing scoring stud Dany Heatley for the season, the surging Thrashers, under Coach Bob Hartley, have roared ahead to a 3-0-2-0 record.
Philadelphia Flyers—After two shutouts by new goalie Jeff Hackett, and a strong start by their veteran forwards, the Flyers are one of the few remaining unbeaten teams in the league.
Tampa Bay Lightning—Despite being benched in last year’s playoffs, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin is still the man between the pipes for Tampa Bay. He has shown he is up to the task, allowing a stingy 1.34 goals against average in his first three games, allowing Tampa Bay to go 3-0-0-0.
Stumblin’:
New York Rangers—What can a $69 million payroll (tops in the league) buy? Well, it won’t be a playoff spot (for the seventh straight year) if the Rangers keep it up. Despite a star-studded lineup, the Rangers continue their early struggles, taking five games to win their first, and only scoring eight goals in the process.
Colorado Avalanche—Despite signing flashy forwards Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne in the offseason at bargain-basement prices, the Avalanche has grappled with inconsistency, and their 2-2 start isn’t what the Colorado faithful had hoped for. They may continue to be mediocre without a proven goalie.
Mighty Ducks of Anahiem—Last year’s one-game-short Cinderella season is only a distant memory, as the bell has tolled midnight already. The Ducks only have five goals in five games, going 0-4-0-1, despite the signing of Sergei Federov, and the re-signing of playoff darling Jean-Sebastian Giguere, who has a sub-par .896 save percentage.
Rollin’:
Ziggy Palffy, Los Angeles Kings—two goals and eight assists in five games. All eight assists have come on the power play. The Kings will need Palffy to continue this stellar production if they want to get back into the playoffs.
Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers—Despite the shell-shock everyone on the team must be facing in the wake of their tragedy, Kovalchuk has been firing on all cylinders. He has five goals (four on the power play) and two assists in Atlanta’s first five games.
Stu Barnes, Dallas Stars—Barnes must be glad to be out of Buffalo, as he is a plus seven with five goals in six games.
On Fire:
Curtis Joseph, Detroit Red Wings—Before last season, he signed a four year, $32 million deal to back-stop the Detroit Red Wings to another Stanley Cup in the wake of Dominik Hasek’s retirement. Now, with Hasek back from the Czech Republic as Detroit’s number one goalie, and Joseph nursing an ankle injury, Joseph was sent down to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. Ouch.
Arturs Irbe, Caroline Hurricanes—Two seasons removed from being a key factor in Carolina’s stunning run to the Stanley Cup Finals, the 36-year-old Latvian was recently sent down to Johnstown of the ECHL, a step below the AHL.
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames—The 2001-2002 NHL scoring champ has yet to register a point in the team’s first four games, which is unacceptable for the Flames, a mediocre team at best.
Ice Cold:
Derian Hatcher, Detroit Red Wings—One of the most highly sought-after free agents this offseason, the Red Wings’ newest force on the blue line will miss 4-6 months after suffering an ACL tear.
Al MacInnis, St. Louis Blues—The newly appointed captain of St. Louis may miss the rest of the season after undergoing an October 17 operation to repair a torn retina in his left eye. MacInnis has had similar problems in the past, and is expected to be given plenty of recovery time.
Key Injuries:
Adam Oates ’85, the highest scoring NHL player among those who played collegiate hockey, remains unsigned. He may retire at age 41 if he receives no offers.
Joe Juneau ’91 has three assists in five games with the Montreal Canadiens.
Matt Murley ’02 and Brian Pothier ’00 have both started the season up in the NHL, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators, respectively.
Brad Tapper ’01 and Eric Healey ’98 are playing together with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and have combined for five points in four games.
Marc Cavosie ’03 has two points in two games for the AHL’s Houston Aeros, affiliate of the Minnesota Wild.
Neil Little ’94 is 2-2 in four games with the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms with one shutout, a .935 save percentage and a sparkling 1.77 GAA.
The Ex-Files:
