Giroux and Nugent-Hopkins Shine in Friday Action in the NHL

The youth movement in the NHL was in the spotlight on Friday in the victory of the Flyers over the Habs and the Oilers over the Wild.  The youngsters which are shining in this new NHL season are showing in the scorecards on a nightly basis.

Claude Giroux is proving to be a sensation for this year's edition of the Philadelphia Flyers.  The guys is a machine.  He tallied two more goals against the Habs in a 3-1 victory on Friday night.  The kid is young, fast, and he has great hockey sense.  He is the leader of the youth movement in Philly and we think he could easily become the heart and soul of the Flyers for years to come.  The burden on Giroux was huge after the blockbuster trades by Philly in the post season.  His maturity in dealing with the new responsibilities should give Flyer fans something to look forward to for years.

The young guns for the Edmonton OIlers came to life on Friday night again and carried the Alberta boys to a 5-2 win over the Wild.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall notched goals for Edmonton for a team that seems to be a clear contender in their division.  The success in Edmonton is the product of years of planning with smart drafting and trades.  The kids on the Oilers squad are the future of hockey in this great market and the addition of Ryan Smyth has proven to be the leadership influence which was needed to get to the next level.  We really this team and the fact that they can bounce back from adversity so easily.  Just like Giroux in Philadelphia; Nugent-Hopkins and Hall show maturity beyond their years and unlimited potential.  

Experience or Youth in the NHL ? – Part 2

In part 1 we looked at 3 veteran players in Nick Lidstrom, Nikolai Khabibulin and Jaromir Jagr who had been tearing up the league so far this season. Now it’s time to look at the future of the NHL and the young stars that are playing like stars today and hopefully will for a long time into the future.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Everyone has been raving about the play of last year’s number 1 draft pick and so they should be. In an Edmonton line up that might have shocked everyone so far with their lofty position he sits 2^nd in points after 15 games. (7+6=13). Not bad to say Edmonton hasn’t banged in the goals despite winning a lot of games. He has formed a formidable understanding with line mates Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall as they are quickly becoming one of the most feared lines in the NHL.

This guy is only 18 years old but he hasn’t been fazed since entering the big league and although he may lack in the physical attributes hockey players gain through experience he has skill and pace in abundance. At some point I’m sure teams will start to look for tactical match ups to try to nullify this skill and Nugent-Hopkins will face periods where his scoring proficiency fades, but don’t expect these periods to be too lengthy. Let’s hope he keeps up his rate of almost a point a game for years to come.

Gabriel Landeskog

The Avalanche are another team buzzing with young players this year and their 1^st round pick (2^nd overall) from last season has also started the season well.

Landeskog has been steady on the Avalanche line up and whilst not setting the scoring charts alight to the extent Nugent-Hopkins has he still scored 5+3=8 in his opening 16 games. He has spent almost all of that time on a line with O’Reilly and Winnik  - not with the top echelon of Statsny, Duchene or Hejduk so 8 points so far is an excellent return.  The Avalanche however have been getting scoring from all over the ice so aren’t as reliant as the Oilers are for their star rookie to score. Both players have however been getting roughly the same ice time per game at around 17-18 minutes. Good all round play from the rookie has meant he has earned his playing time and expect the points to build up as he gains more experience in the NHL.

Erik Gustafsson

Looking around the league for rookie defencemen that were doing the business for their team was tough but what I have seen from this guy in the 5 games he has played has been good solid D play. Replacing Chris Pronger as he has is always going to be a tough job for anyone let alone a 22 year old rookie. Apart from his 1^st game against Winnipeg where he was on the ice for 2 of the goals against he has played solidly, putting up almost 20 minutes a game and in his last outing had a +6 rating. He Because of that effort he currently leads rookie defencemen with a total +6 rating.

I may have overlooked the likes of Mark Smith at Nashville, John Tavares at New York Islanders, Sean Couturier at Philadelphia and Jonas Enroth at Buffalo for this report. These are 4 more of the young breed in the NHL that have had fantastic starts for their clubs and are putting up the stats so far.

However, I picked Gustafsson to finish off my Experience / Youth All Star Line through the opening games. The line up now complete, here is how it looks!

Khabibulin - Netminder
Lidstrom - Defence
Gustafsson - Defence
Landeskog -Wing
Nugent-Hopkins -Centre
Jagr - Wing

Not a bad starting line up going into a game at the minute, I’d say. Looking at this too – 5 out of the 6 are European born players.

Have a go yourself – 3 veterans and 3 rookies for a starting line up and see what you come up with!

- Adam Yates

THE EDMONTON OILERS ARE SHOWING THE NHL THAT THEY HAVE ARRIVED

During the last two years, many NHL teams thought a game in Edmonton was a guaranteed victory.  The Oilers were so bad that they finished in last place during those two years and the Edmonton faithful suffered through many lopsided losses.  It looks like the suffering and waiting has paid off for Oiler fans as this year's team seems to have turned the tide.  The Oilers have a young team which is loaded with prospects and anchored by veterans and this group is challenging all comers.  We think something special is happening in Alberta's capital and all the other NHL teams need to pay attention.

The NHL likes the flash of excitement from young snipers.  The league likes to see flash players score a ton of goals and the fans love it even more. Every NHL team that has won or challenged for the Cup in the last few years has had the help of some serious scoring punch. The Penguins have Crosby, the Capitals have Ovechkin and the Oilers have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.  On top of Nugent-Hopkins; Edmonton has Eberle and Hall.  Smart drafting is threatening to turn the Oilers into a powerhouse.  It is isn't going to happen overnight but Oilers' management is off to a great start with the Nugent-Hopkins, Hall, and Eberle line.

Last night, the Oilers won again by a score of 3-1 over the Colorado Avalanche.   This victory came on the heels of a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Until they played the Oilers, the red hot Capitals were undefeated.  We expect that these boys will make the playoffs this year and surprise everyone with a strong showing.  Lock and load Oilers fans; you are set for an exciting season and soon enough the Cup will make its return to the Edmonton area.

DECISION TIME FOR THE NHL's STARS OF TOMORROW

For a handful of teenagers, making it through the coming weekend with their current NHL teams will mean mission accomplished. Some of the NHL's top young stars are nearing their 10th game of the season, if they play in that 10th game their teams will most likely keep them on the squad for the season as the first year of their entry level contract will be used.

The most interesting story is Edmonton. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins leads all rookies in scoring with 8 points in 8 games, which leads the Oilers as well. Nugent-Hopkins has no idea if he is staying in Edmonton or heading down the highway to Red Deer of the WHL. Thursday night against the Washington Capitals is game number nine for Nugent-Hopkins. Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche plays his 9th game tonight in Calgary. Landeskog has 5 points so far this season. Avs GM Greg Sherman has already said that Landeskog would likely be staying put. Also tonight in Montreal Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers plays his 9th game of the season against the struggling Montreal Canadiens. The top pick from the QMJHL in last Junes entry draft has 4 points and it is widely expected that he would also remain with the Flyers. Another player expected to stick with the big club is Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Johansen. Johansen, who has 3 points in 6 games, has been playing top 6 minutes since Jeff Carter fractured his foot. Game 9 for Johansen is Sunday at home against Anahiem. Adam Larsson in New Jersey has 2 games left to make his case to stay with the Devils. He has 0 points so far this season. The Devils play Thursday in Phoenix and Saturday in Dallas.

Some of the other big name players from this past draft already had their future decided this week. Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets was returned to the Barrie Colts of the OHL and Mika Zibanejad of the Ottawa Senators was sent back to Sweden. Brett Connolly recieved better news from the Tampa Bay Lightning as Steve Yzerman made it official that Connolly would remainn with the Lightning.

- Mike Lord

THE EDMONTON OILERS AND MAPLE LEAFS ARE PLAYOFF BOUND - WE FEEL IT

Every talking head on ESPN and TSN can call a game or season after it has happened.  Only real fans can look at a team and see the potential before it comes to past. We see top of the line hockey potential in the Oilers and the Maple Leafs. The turnarounds in Edmonton and Toronto are for real.  Both squads have suffered through years of mediocrity and their respective success this year is the result of smart drafting and trading.  We expect both teams to make the playoffs this year. 

Rookie sensation Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is giving the young Oiler team an example to follow.  His quiet demeanour is very similar to another young star who hit Edmonton with a thunderclap; Wayne Gretzky.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doesn't talk smack on the ice.  He lets his stick do the talking.  He has joined Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall to form an offensive trio which has put Edmonton back on the NHL hockey map.  Gone are the days when a trip to play the Oilers was a day off for the visitors.  Competitors have to be on top of their game now when they enter Rexhall Place.  The Oilers can put the puck in the net and now that Nikolai Khabibulin is playing better ; this team could cause issues to others in this year's playoff race.  We think it is just a matter of time before the boys in Edmonton taste Stanley Cup success.  If they can keep these young stars for a stretch and foster a team spirit; the Stanley Cup could be headed to Alberta's capital sometime after 2014-2015.

Toronto's success is due to some key veterans playing at the top of their game and a the aggressive play of a hot young goalie.   This year's edition of the Buds is being led by Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul, and James Reimer.  Kessel and Lupul are lighting the lamp at a an impressive rate.  Reimer has been solid in the net  and is play has been complimented by experienced blue liners like Dion Phaneuf.  High powered offense plus air tight defense means the Leafs will be on the winning side of many confrontations this year. This version of the Leafs is going to make the playoffs and fans at the Air Canada Center will finally have something to cheer about  when springtime rolls around.  If they can stay injury free and some of their rookies pitch in; the Leafs could post a serious challenge for other squads come playoff time.  

Rangers blanked by the Bulin Wall in loss to Oilers

New York Rangers (2-2-2) ran into the Bulin Wall, as they were blanked by Nikolai Khabibulin and the Edmonton Oilers (3-2-2) in hockey action on Saturday night. The loss for the Blueshirts completed a bad day for the Metropolitan area hockey teams, as the three local teams could not pick up a victory.

New York and Edmonton were stalemated, until the 10:09 mark of the second period of play when 18-year-old Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (5) found the back of the net for the lead. The rookie-sensation leads all NHL first year players in goals thus far this season.

The Rangers had their best opportunity of the night when they had a 5-on-3 advantage for 58 seconds of play in the second period. Helping to give the Blueshirts that advantage was the speed of Marian Gaborik, who induced the penalty.

Corey Potter, who was once a part of the Rangers roster, iced the victory for the Oilers at the 4:03 mark, connecting on a 52 foot slap shot for the eventual 2-0 victory.

In what was one of the scariest moments for the Blueshirts faithful, was around the 11:30 mark, when keeper Henrik Lundqvist exited the game. The King needed to leave directly, instead of reporting into his bench.

It was reported on the MSG network that ‘Hank’ was suffering from cramps in his legs; thankfully the cager along with the team will have a day off before their next game.

The tour of Canada ends for New York on Monday, with a trip to Winnipeg to take on the Jets. Face-off is slated for 8:30 p.m. with the game scheduled to air on the MSG network.

Stacy Podelski

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