Latest Happenings this week in the NHL

So Alex Ovechkin gets a two game suspension for his knee on knee hit. The NHL is actually making one of the stars pay for his actions. A good precedent. It is a good step by the League to address the issue that all players are subject to the law.  The hit was dirty, I just don’t know for sure of the intent.  For that reason, I thought the penalty was fair. Even if it was not on purpose, it was still a dirty hit that needed to be addressed. You do not get to hear this too much from me, so you should write it down – this was the appropriate action for the NHL to take.

I would like to address the incident in Florida Vokoun getting the stick in the ear from Ballard. I have seen Ballard playing for years and I know he feels just awful for this incident. But I hope most players, if not all, will take this for a warning that we must always control our emotions. I know that everyone loses their composure sometimes, but we really have take control of what could happen. Let’s hope the players learn from this incident. Ballard is not the only player who lost his temper after making a bad play that resulted in a goal.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that he was upset, but waving sticks is never a good thing. The best news is that Vokoun is all right.  He will be out for 7 to 10 days, and let’s not be too hard on Ballard. He made a mistake, and let’s learn from it and move on.

What is happening in Calgary? The Flames are making a statement on the latest road trip, winning the first three games of the road trip. They also got points in ten straight games,  franchise record.    They went 10-2-2, the team’s best ever record in November. On another note, Kipper has had two shutouts in his last two starts, and only one goal to Phoenix before that.  According to most of their fans, the Flames will not be a contender until they beat the Sharks and the Hawks. They play the Sharks on the weekend: what happens if they beat the Sharks? Are they considered a contender then?

The three stars this week are Iggy, Thorton, and Gabby:

Gabby leads the NHL in points and is the first 20 goal scorer and has been maybe the best free agent signing of the year. Gaborik has been carrying the Rangers this season; he as been a rock for the Rangers this season.

Joe Thorton is probably is the best playmaking center.  He is having the time of his life setting up Heater.  Joe will probably get 70 assists this season, if not more. He is a pure talent and should lead the Sharks far into the playoffs this season.

Iginla has been Mr. Flame for some time, and his 20 point November only proves how valuable he is to the Flames. He has to be the best player on the Flames in order for the Flames to be successful, and for the month of November he was the best Flame.

Mr Crosby had the game against the Rangers the other night as they pounded the Rangers 8-3. Crosby had the 4 point night, which included the getting the trick. But I wanted to mention the goal he scored on the back-to-back night in New York. A terrific backhand shot, 11 seconds after Gabby opened the scoring for the Rangers. You want to talk about a momentum changer; what a goal! But I guess that’s why we call Syd the Kid.

Until next time take care.

Randy