Hoc-key Re-cap
Losing team of the week-the Carolina Hurricanes have always been a streaky team, winning the 2006 Stanley Cup with a rookie goalie by simply outlasting the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers on their way to the title, then missing the next two postseasons with Mets style collapses before rallying down the stretch last season and making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Still, it’s kind of unusual for a team to be so streaky that they could go on a 14 game losing streak. The good news for the ‘Canes: the streak ended on Sunday with a 5-4 SO win over Minnesota and have a 4 game point streak thanks to SO losses to the Islanders on Friday, Montreal on Tuesday and a SO win over Toronto on Thursday. The bad news: their star forward and goalie, Eric Staal and Cam Ward, are out with serious injuries, along with one of their backup goalies, Michael Leighton.
Speaking of streaks-at the other end of the win column, the New Jersey Devils finally lost their first road game of the year on Monday, 3-2 to Philadelphia. The Devils were one game away from tying Buffalo’s record of 10 straight road wins to start the season.
Are you sure you aren’t doing this wrong?-the good news for Chicago Blackhawks fans: the team is close to signing Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to contract extensions and is about to sign one of its players to what could be a 13-year deal. The not quite as good news: neither Kane or Toews is said player, with defenseman Duncan Keith getting the Ovechkin/DiPietro-length deal.
Odds and ends-Alexander Oveckin and Ilya Kovalchuk are back, making Southeast Division games infinitely more watchable, Anaheim’s owner, Henry Samueli, is out of jail and back in control of the team and Brendan Shanahan finally retired.
Duncan Keith is the best D man they have, better than Seabrook, and 10x’s better than that waste of money Campbell. Keith is great on O, and terrific defending, i would have no complaints about locking him up long term.
Fair enough, I’m just saying that if the Hawks were even going to think of another 10+ year deal after what happened when they signed Hossa, it might have been a good idea to make sure their team’s answers to Crosby and Malkin were the ones getting first crack at it.