NHL Early Season Over-reactions
The 2017–18 season is a few weeks old and teams are scrambling to find their place in the early shuffle. There have been a few surprises that have come with the new edition of the NHL, coming from unexpected corners of the league. Some players haves stepped up to lead their team through the early weeks, with other big guys struggling to produce. The divisional standings have also raised eyebrows across the league, with dark horses taking their place among the early NHL elite. There is obviously still more than enough time for some players and clubs to rebound, but here are some storylines picked from this season’s early returns.
The Vegas Golden Knights will win the Pacific Division
One of the biggest shockers of the opening season has been the early success of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights defeated the Chicago Blackhawks last night, giving them a record of 7–1–0, good enough for 14 points and 2nd in the Pacific division. One point behind the Los Angeles Kings. This puts them at a tie for 3rd place in the league with the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs, and 1 point ahead of the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins with 2 games in hand on the Pens. The unprecedented success of the expansion Golden Knights is a result of many players who were overlooked on their past rosters stepping up huge and trying to ignite a fanbase in the still hurting city of Las Vegas. Players such as James Neal and David Perron have contributed largely to this team’s offensive success, but it’s their defense that is winning them games. Local hero Deryk Engelland has found his stride with his hometown team and looks to be a leader with the team moving forward. Other lockdown defenseman like Jason Garrison and John Merrill have created a blueline that has traumatized high powered offenses like the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars. But if one thing could end the honeymoon for the Golden Knights it’s the current injuries they have at the goaltending spot. A leg injury to the young Malcolm Subban, and a concussion for current franchise centerpiece Marc-Andre Fleury has left more questions than answers for the time being in the crease. The Golden Knights for the foreseeable future will have to turn to unproven, fallen from grace, former Columbus second round pick Oscar Dansk. Dansk however has shown signs of greatness, winning his first career start against Chicago with two goals against. Dansk could be a temporary fix until either Fleury or Subban return. This team obviously isn’t destined for a divisional title, or even a playoff spot. But, in today’s world, you never really know.
A Lightning Player Will Win Every Major Trophy at the NHL Awards
The Tampa Bay Lightning have started the season with a chip on their shoulder after missing last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have left other clubs in the dust on their way to starting the year at 8–1–1, good enough for 17 points and the tops in the league. Their most staggering stat so far is 41 goals scored in 10 games. The mathematicians reading this article know that’s just over four goals a game, an unprecedented stat in today’s NHL. They’re on pace to score 336 goals this season. Since the turn of the millennium, only three teams have scored over 300 goals in a regular season, the most recent being the 2009–10 Washington Capitals, who won the President’s trophy that year, but were upset in the first round by the eight seeded Montreal Canadiens in 7 games. The Lightning’s goal scoring isn’t spread throughout their lineup, it’s top heavy. Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos (pictured above), and Nikita Kucherov have taken the NHL scoring list by storm in the early going. Stamkos and Kucherov are currently 1 and 2 in scoring in the NHL with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Kucherov currently leads the NHL in goals with 10, and Stamkos leads in assists with 15. If the season ended today, Stamkos would be your winner for the Art Ross and Hart trophy, for the most points in the NHL, and the league MVP. Kucherov would be the winner of the Rocket Richard for the leading goal scorer. On the back end, young goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has had a solid opening for the Bolts. He currently holds the top record in the league for goaltenders at 7–1, on top of a 2.23 GAA and .933 save percentage. Not Vezina numbers by any means, but if his team continues to support him, he could find himself in the conversation at the end of the year. The Norris contender on this squad is far and away Victor Hedman. The 26 year old was a finalist for top defenseman last year, losing to the San Jose Shark’s Brent Burns. Hedman was a bright spot on a sluggish Lightning squad last year, putting up 72 points in 79 games. If Hedman keeps that production up, he will surely be in the Norris conversation again. A team taking home every single major trophy is totally unrealistic, but if Stamkos and Kucherov keep up their scorched earth scoring style, they will surely be in the running for awards at the end of the year, and possibly lead their team to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.
Henrik Lundqvist is Done
Henrik Lundqvist has been the main-stay of the New York Rangers since he joined the team all the way back in 2005. The career of the former 205th overall pick has been an unpredictable one. A Vezina trophy in 2012, along with four other occassions he was nominated for the award and fell short, Lundqvist has always been among the league’s elite goaltenders. Being the face of a NYC team is never an easy job, ask Carmelo Anthony, but Lundqvist has taken the title of “King Henrik” with grace that only a hockey player could. But eight games in, the numbers of Lundqvist are less than stellar. “Hank” is currently 2–4–2, with a 3.11 GAA, and a .900 SV%. The Rangers have been struggling for an identity to start the season, holding a record of 2–6–2 (6 points). Just 1 point ahead of the Eastern Conference worst, Montreal Canadiens. However, Lundqvist is not largely to blame for this lack of success. The blue shirts goal differential is -11, a bad stat for this early in the season. Their blue line has been dreadful, with new addition Kevin Shattenkirk providing little help, and captain Ryan McDonagh contributing nothing to their success. However, early season lulls are nothing new for Lundqvist, this is not the first time his downfall has been discussed in the early stages of a season. Though in a list of over-reactions, this may be the most realistic reaction. Lundqvist is 35, and while goalies have greater longevity in the NHL, his lack of blue-line support may build pressure on the Rangers management to make a decision on Lundqvist, which could come as early as this trade deadline. Many teams searching for a goaltender for a playoff like the Calgary Flames or Winnipeg Jets, may be willing to take a chance on the legendary Lundqvist, depending on how their new goaltender investments, and their seasons, turn out.
The NHL season is still young, and there are still many stories with blank pages left to be written. The early season is a time for speculation, and speculate we will until more things become set in stone.
