11/18/11- Studs & Duds

[TK12555]

With only six teams in action, Friday night was one of the more quiet times in the NHL. However, amid the action three studs and three duds were present. Here are Friday's Studs and Duds.

Studs

3) Flames Win: "Curtisy" of Glencross

The 2011-2012 NHL season has not been ideal for the Calgary Flames. Considered one of the weaker teams in the league, the Flames only had amassed 15 points in 17 games, with no man taking charge. Jarome Iginla has been held pointless in many games, and nobody on the team has taken charge of scoring goals. Facing Chicago on Friday, one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, somebody needed to step up to grab the win. That man was Curtis Glencross.

Glencross had a fantastic game, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist in the Flames' 5-2 victory over the 'Hawks. Glencross also had a great fantasy statline, going +2, recording 4 shots and 2 penalty minutes. Overall, it was a fantastic game for Glencross and the Flames as a whole, showing that one player stepping up can lead a team to victory. If Glencross could have more nights like these, the Flames could start to rack up the points.

2) History Doesn't Repeat Itself

Two weeks ago, the Stars-Avalanche game was one the craziest event of the night, with Dallas winning a thrilling game 7-6. Many players had multi-point games, and the goaltending was horrendous. Coming off of that loss in their previous meeting, the Avalanche were determined to come out on top. Coming off of a 1-0 loss against the Wild, the Avs opted to start backup J.S. Giguere for a second consecutive night, hoping that history would not repeat itself. Fortunately, it did not.

Giguere stopped 24 shots, and Chuck Kobasew scored a 1st period goal that stood as a winner, as Colorado beat Dallas 3-0. The Avs did not let November 4th repeat itself, and were more defensively responsible in every aspect. With the win, the Avalanche got their 19th point of the season, putting them back into the playoff race in the Western Conference.

1) Suitable Replacement

On Saturday, Sabres' fans had their worst nightmare become a reality: the injury of star goaltender Ryan Miller. Miller has been the heart and soul of the Sabres' team over the past few years, and has become synonymous with the team. However, his collision with Milan Lucic has given him a concussion, vaulting young goaltender Jhonas Enroth to the top of the depth chart. Enroth, who had not lost a regulation game in over a year, had one of the toughest games of his career on Wednesday. Allowing 3 goals on 15 shots, he was pulled early and further worried those who support the Buffalo Sabres' organization.

However, Enroth further proved on Friday that he is a fully capable NHL goaltender, and one that can have the confidence of the Buffalo Sabres. Stopping 34 of 34 shots, Jhonas earned first star honours by recording a shutout. In a game where his offensive support was lacking, Enroth single-handedly won the game for his team. With this win, there should be no reason that the Sabres have any worry with Jhonas Enroth.

Duds

3) Chicago Blackhawks= Negative

Amongst their unfortunate loss, the Chicago Blackhawks had many players finish with negative ratings. In fact, of the 18 players with ice time tonight, 12 players finished with a negative rating. Most notably, Duncan Keith finished a -4, a league worst on Friday. This was merely a mental lapse by the Blackhawks' team, and shouldn't be a legitimate cause for concern. However, if this becomes a recurring theme, there will start to be reason to worry.

2) Ruining their Chances

Entering the 3rd period, the Dallas Stars found themselves trailing by a goal. While it's never a good situation to be in, the ability to recover from that situation is completely feasible. With just 1 shot, the game could turn from a loss into a completely new game. Failing to score in the first 10 minutes of the period, the Stars had to have a very solid 2nd half to send the game to overtime. However, that "solid half" was not possible due to the excessive amount of penalties.

With just over 7 minutes to go in the game, experienced veteran Brendan Morrow took a cross checking penalty. With only 10 seconds to go in the penalty, the Avalanche scored to take a 2-0 lead. Just 30 seconds later, Adam Pardy was sent to the box for high sticking, killing a precious 2 minutes off of the clock. Finally, with 1 minute and 45 seconds to go in the game, Robidas ruined all hope for a comeback, taking an interference penalty. In an absolutely infuriating sequence, the Stars killed their own chances. However, this was just the cherry on top of a poor streak for the Dallas Stars.

1) Dimming Stars

On Tuesday, November 8th, the Dallas Stars played one of their best games of the year. With Michael Ryder and Jamie Benn leading the way, the Stars beat the Capitals 5-2. This victory was their 4th consecutive win, in which the team had scored 20 goals. However, the team lost to Goligoski's former team 3-1 the following game, in which the defenseman was injured. From there, things have gone very downhill.

With their 3-0 loss to the Avalanche, Dallas has some very ugly statistics over the past few games. In the past 4 games, the Stars have been outscored 19-3. Their last goal was scored in the 2nd period against the Red Wings, a goal by Brendan Morrow. That goal was scored 7 and a half periods ago, a goalless streak of around 148 minutes. With this streak, the Stars have quickly dropped in the standings, and will continue to do so if this continues.

Point Of Interest

Only one point of interest tonight: In their 34 shot effort, the Carolina Hurricanes had every player on the team but 1 (Anthony Stewart) record a shot.

[keytolife]

Damn you Duncan Keith!

Awesome Studs and Duds TK!! Keep it coming.