The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Here is the second in a three-part series examining the NHL's 30 members ahead of the All-Star Game in Ottawa. The third and final part will appear Monday. Boston Bruins The 2011 Stanley Cup champs are not quite heavy favourites to repeat, but they've got to be on any thinking person's list. If ever there were a team that scores by committee, it is these Bruins. Five talented players _ teen Tyler Seguin, centreman Patrice Bergeron, big winger Milan Lucic, two-way David Krejci and agitator Brad Marchand _ are competing for the team scoring lead. It's obviously working; Boston, at this writing, is the NHL's top-scoring team. On the blueline, towering Zdeno Chara is enjoying another Norris-caliber campaign as Joe Corvo, Dennis Seidenberg and Andrew Ference shine. And what more can be said about Tim Thomas? The 37-year-old's other-worldly goaltending is so good, it is positively scary. And backup Tuukka Rask has been even better! Stellar! At the very least the Bruins should progress deep into the playoffs. And in the final analysis, not much stands in between them and a repeat championshipÉ though in hockey, nothing is ever for certain. Pleasant Surprise: Rich Peverley Biggest Disappoint-ment: Johnny Boychuk Carolina Hurricanes Since capturing Lord Stanley's mug in post-lockout 2006, only once have the 'Canes had fewer than 88 points in a season. Trouble is, in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference, that has translated into precisely one playoff berth. Well, the playoffs aren't something Carolina will have to worry about this year, as they are an NHL bottom feeder. Cam Ward has been atrocious in goal with a GAA (as of this writing) of 3.15. Eric Staal is on pace for his worst season in eight years, while Jussi Jokinen is hardly up to snuff. And only one blueliner has a plus-rating. As of this writing the Hurricanes have allowed the most goals of any team in the league. They are in the bottom half in goals-for. And they have the second-worst road record. It's not as though coach Kirk Muller has nothing to work with. A team with the likes of Staal, Ward and Jeff Skinner is capable of better. But it appears GM Jim Rutherford is resigned to a rebuilding program. It will need to focus on bolstering the blueline and, if Ward continues to falter, an amendment in net. Pleasant Surprise: Chad LaRose Biggest Disappoint-ment: Cam Ward Columbus Blue Jackets Well, so much for that plan. If the Jackets thought their surprise acquisition of former 46-goal man Jeff Carter was the missing piece of their puzzle, they were sorely mistaken. Even before Carter's injury woes, Columbus was stinking up the joint. It's hard to imagine them finishing anywhere but last place in the league, which will at least give them a solid shot at the first overall draft pick come June. The Blue Jackets are, as of this writing, in the NHL's bottom four for goals-for and goals-against. Goalie Steve Mason, once thought to be the future of the franchise, is having by far the most atrocious year of his career, putting his veryÊfuture in the NHL in some doubt. Columbus has often had no choice but to turn to Curtis Sanford, who is actually putting up honourable numbers considering the NHL's worst defence skates in front of him. Elsewhere, the real franchise player, winger Rick Nash, has been utterly ordinary with a frightful plus-minus to boot. Vinny Prospal is also a minus player who isn't exactly setting the ice on fire. The same goes for the usually reliable RJ Umberger. Let's face it, when Fedor Tyutin is one of your leading scorers, you know you're in trouble. Pleasant Surprise: James Wisniewski Biggest Disappoint-ment: Steve Mason Edmonton Oilers Oh, talent-laden young Oilers, when will you finally arrive? There is so much to like about the Edmonton roster, yet so much disenchantment with the fact they will in all likelihood be playoff outsiders once more. To be sure, the Oilers have had some bad breaks. Injuries have sidelined and limited the effectiveness of both Ales Hemsky and Ryan Whitney, and Devan Dubnyk has been a feeble back-up to Nikolai Khabibulin. But how is a team with Jordan Eberle, Calder candidate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff not at least in serious post-season contention? See 'Defen...' on pg. 5 Continued from pg. 4 The answer is probably a lack of experience, at least on the part of Eberle, The Nooge and Hall. Defence is another concern. As of this writing, of the 11 blueliners who have donned blue and orange this campaign, only three have a positive plus-minus. Fortunately, the hot-and-cold Khabibulin, at 38, has been mostly hot, though his teammates have too often been unable to hold up their end of the bargain. Oilers fans will have to be patient as their team continues to grow and gel into the contenders they are destined to become. There is just too much talent here for Edmonton to languish forever. Pleasant Surprise: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Biggest Disappoint-ment: Devan Dubnyk Los Angeles Kings Talk about underachieving. For a team with this much potential to be unassured of a playoff spot is almost criminal. Let's start with goaltender Jonathan Quick, who is living up to his name with a Vezina-caliber season. He has kept the Kings in more games than they had any right being in. Thanks to Quick, L.A. has among the best goals-against records in the NHL. So scoring goals, not keeping them out, is where the troubles lay. Guys like Simon Gagne, Jarret Stoll, Justin Williams, Mike Richards and Dustin Brown need to find their game or be shipped elsewhere. On the blueline, the Kings are reliable enough with Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and Willie Mitchell, though there is room for another talented veteran presence. If you're an L.A. fan, you've got to be disappointed (more than usual) this season. Unless the highly talented Kings straighten themselves out, they could find themselves missing the boat much like the Ottawa Senators of the 2000s. Pleasant Surprise: Slava Voynov Biggest Disappoint-ment: Jarret Stoll New Jersey Devils For so many years the Devils enjoyed the Brodeur advantage. But with Marty now 39 and frequently injured, it is clear New Jersey can no longer rely quite as heavily on the future Hall of Famer. Brodeur's numbers this year are decidedly un-Brodeur like and actually fall behind those of backup Johan Hedberg. Still, the Devils remain more than respectable in the standings; indeed it would be rather shocking if they were to falter so badly as to miss the post-season for the second straight season. Scoring goals isn't much of a problem, not with Patrik Elias, Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and upstart rookie (and Calder candidate) Adam Henrique up front. Their defensive corps is able, if unimpressive, littered with guys casual hockey fans have never heard of. Don't be surprised if the Devils steal a playoff round, but do be surprised if they accomplish much more. As for Brodeur, he has no plans to retire, but unless his play progresses, it's debatable whether New Jersey will want him back. Pleasant Surprise: Adam Henrique Biggest Disappoint-ment: Martin Brodeur Philadelphia Flyers You can't put a good team down. Two years after losing a Stanley Cup many thought they should have had, the Flyers remain a top contender. Offensively, Philly is a powerhouse. Defensively, they have room for improvement, but more on that shortly. As of this writing, only four teams have scored more goals this season than the Broadstreet Bullies. Back from a concussion, Art Ross candidate Claude Giroux could notch 100 points. Scott Hartnell is on pace for his best season yet. Danny Briere, though not outstanding, is enjoying a decent campaign. And how about the comeback kid, the nearly 40-year-old Jaromir Jagr, on pace for 70-plus points? Kimmo Timonen, Andrej Meszaros and Matt Carle have ably held the defensive fort following Chris Pronger's season-ending concussion. These guys have been so good they have made everyone forget about Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, a key investment by the Flyers, has faltered at times, but young Sergei Bobrovsky has been there to pick up the pieces as needed. Advanced play from Bryzgalov will be key to ensuring supremacy for the boys in orange this spring. Pleasant Surprise: Jaromir Jagr Biggest Disappoint-ment: Ilya Bryzgalov San Jose Sharks Twice in recent years I have wrongly pegged the Sharks to win the Cup, but would a third time be the charm? San Jose has an awfully stingy goals-against record. At this writing they have let in an average of just 2.35 goals per game thanks to an unyielding defence and the staggering work of Antti Niemi in front of the mesh. The Sharks are also among the top-scoring clubs in the West. I'm through defending Joe Thornton as a clutch performer, but the man is leading his team in points. Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture and Joe Pavelski are enjoying good offensive campaigns, though grinder Ryane Clowe and Michal Handzus are not, as the U.S. Army would say, being all that they can be. See 'Shar...' on pg. 15
