PHOTO BY SCOTT VANKOUGHNETT
The season is still extremely young but that doesn’t mean everything is going as expected. Some players and teams are doing much better or a lot worse than what we expected. Here are the 10 biggest things that have surprised me so far.
10 – Ryan Smyth – LAK
Smyth was traded from Colorado to LA over the summer for defenseman Kyle Quincey. He waived his no-trade clause to be moved to the “Golden State.” The early returns are good for the Kings and Smyth. Playing alongside Anze Kopitar, Smyth is experiencing a mini resurgence with five goals and nine points over six games.
9 – Sean Avery – NYR
Avery missed the first four games of the regular season recovering from an injury sustained during preseason. In his three games since being back, Avery has two goals and three points. He was also named first star in one of his games. The big surprise, however, is that Avery hasn’t spent a single minute in the penalty box.
8 – Detroit/Vancouver
For two teams that were supposed to be battling for the top of the Western conference they have gotten off to unusually slow starts. Both teams have losing records (2-3-0) and have serious injury problems. Detroit lost sniper Johan Franzen for up to four months with a major knee injury. The Canucks have lost, Daniel Sedin for four to six weeks with a broken foot; Sami Salo for two to three weeks with a knee injury; Pavol Demitra who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery; Jannik Hansen who is out six to eight weeks with three broken fingers sustained during a preseason fight and Mathieu Schneider who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
7 – Washington Capitals
The Capitals (2-2-2) are expected to do big things this season. Unfortunately for them they have lost four straight games and are trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the division. Simeon Varlamov has gotten off to a horrific start. He’s started two forgettable games allowing 8 goals in just a game and a half. So, for now the goalie controversy is over and the number one job belongs to Jose Theodore who has put up decent numbers. Ovechkin and Backstrom have been true to form. It’s the rest of the team that has struggled keeping the puck out of their net.
6 – Tim Thomas – BOS
The reigning Vezina and Jennings trophy winner has struggled mightily early this season. He has started just three of the team’s five games and has a gaudy 4.00 GAA and .868 SV%. The only consolation for him is that rookie backup Tuuka Rask’s numbers are almost as awful. It also doesn’t help that his team has averaged just over three goals for per game.
5 – Ilya Bryzgalov – PHX
With all of the distractions the Coyotes have faced no one would fault them for a slow start. What’s happened is the complete opposite. Bryzgalov has gotten off to a terrific start. He’s won three of four starts and has a 0.98 GAA and .960 SV%. Now if he can get some offense in front of him the Coyotes will be set. They have scored just 11 goals in five games.
4 – New York Rangers
The Rangers (6-1-0) are on top of the Eastern conference. They have won six straight. It’s their longest winning streak since ’05-’06. Marion Gaborik is lighting it up on Broadway with six goals and four assists. The player benefiting the most from him is Vinny Prospal. He signed on over the summer to play for his former Lightning coach, John Tortorella. Prospal has equaled Gaborik with 10 points in seven games. Another pleasant surprise is that $8 million man Wade Redden is at least earning some of his money with a goal and three points.
3 – Toronto Maple Leafs
There were a few people who expected the Leafs to compete for a playoff spot. The majority had them around 12 in the East. No one expected them to get off to the worst start in franchise history, 0-5-1. Burke “bolstered” the Leafs’ defense this summer with the additions of Komisarek, Beauchemin and Exelby. The trio is a combined -10 thus far. The goaltending has been atrocious, their penalty killing is dead last at a paltry 58.3% kill rate and there’s no scoring to speak of. The only good news for the Leafs is that Phil Kessel has started skating with the team.
2 – Colorado Avalanche
A consensus pick to finish as a lottery pick for next spring’s NHL Entry Draft, Colorado has been a pleasant surprise. The Av’s (4-1-1) lead the Western conference. They have allowed just 13 goals over six games scoring 21 times. 18-year-olds, Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly have not looked out of place with three assists apiece. Rookie head coach Joe Sacco (who many questioned the hiring of, myself included) has everyone buying in to his apparent defense first system. It looks more run and gun to me. Wojtek Wolski looks to finally be making the next step in his career and is using his entire 6’3” 210lbs. frame.
1 – Michael Del Zotto
The 19-year-old Stouffville, ON native wasn’t supposed to make the Rangers this season. However, he forced his way into the lineup and hasn’t looked back. After dropping to 20 in the ’08 NHL Entry Draft Del Zotto has felt like he has something to prove. Especially after being passed over for team Canada at last year’s WJC. He has averaged over 14 minutes a game and is quarterbacking the Rangers’ power play. He leads all NHL rookies with seven points in seven games. That’s four more points than the aforementioned $8 million man, Wade Redden. And, two more points than former teammate and first-overall pick, John Tavares.
Topics: Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Ilya Bryzgalov, Los Angeles Kings, Michael Del Zotto, New York Rangers, Ryan Smyth, Sean Avery, Tim Thomas, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals
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