While you were away: Senators, Stars boast top duos; Ducks struggling
Welcome to the latest installment of While You Were Away. We’ll be tracking stories you may have missed and players who are trending up and down, as well as offering a few predictions and generally keeping you updated on all things hockey beyond your favorite team.
Today, we’re taking a look at some top-line forward pairings.
• The Ottawa Senators have good reasons to be hopeful this season. They’ve scored a healthy 3.0 goals per game so far and sit third in the Atlantic Division with a record of 3-2-1. They’re scoring in bunches too. Only two players in the NHL have had four multi-point games so far: Ottawa’s Mark Stone (#61) and Kyle Turris (#7).
Ex-coach Peter Horachek working to get back on his feet and into the NHL
pick of the 2007 draft but never in an overt way. That may be changing for the 26-year-old center.
In a league where synergy between linemates is at a premium, these two look primed to have a strong season and Turris could solidify his status as the marquee first-line center of Ottawa’s present and future.
• Is there a more exciting team to watch in the Western Conference right now than the Dallas Stars, led by the elite forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn? Each had a pair of goals in Saturday’s 4–2 win over Florida as they combined for seven points. Seguin (3-5-8 in his first five games) was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week.
Martin Jones, reunited with youth hockey rival, steps up with Sharks
, they’re not the cheapest pair as they carry an $11 million cap hit together this season. But if the Stars keep winning (they're on a three-game roll), it's doubtful that anyone will complain.
The knock on the Stars this season is their weak back end but their forwards are helping to cover for it by leading the league in goals per game and ranking tied for third in both power play percentage (33.3%) and points percentage (80.0%).
This is a team that just screams fun, electric hockey. The Stars might not get the most eyeballs in the league but if they keep up their torrid offensive pace it won’t be a surprise to see both Seguin and Benn in the hunt for the Art Ross Trophy.
• This season Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau has split up Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf at times and when he has paired them, he hasn’t given them an abundance of ice time. For good reason too: Perry and Getzlaf finally notched their first points of the season in Sunday night’s 4–1 win over the Minnesota Wild.
Claude Julien, Darryl Sutter favorites to be first coaches fired
most pressing worry right now.
It’s probably too soon to start putting his job in jeopardy but Anaheim’s offense needs to start clicking pronto. The Ducks are one of only two teams who have yet to convert on the power play. Why they aren’t relying more on their usually potent duo is beyond me and I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering about that.
#http://www.120sports.com/video/v154893560/ducks-top-the-wild