Quiet Sunday in the NHL but you have to consider that Washington-Pittsburgh game to be a big win. Great timing having that game on in the early afternoon while everyone lounged around getting ready for football. It was a really fun game and the stars were certainly on display. That was a great uncontested showcase for the NHL. Here are your Studs & Duds.
Studs
Bruins Peripherals
If you haven't caught on yet the Boston Bruins are quite possibly the best team in the league when it comes to peripheral stats. They have the league's best goal differential, are tied for the league lead in PIM, are fourth in the league in SOG and boast a decent power play unit. That makes them a gold mine top to bottom. They are led by Captain Peripherals himself, Zdeno Chara. Chara contributed no points on Sunday but led the team with a plus-three rating and added two PIM and nine SOG.
Not a single Bruin had a minus rating on Sunday and the team racked up 37 PIM including nine each from Lucic, Thornton and Kelly. These are some baaaaaaad Bruins.
Hot Scartnell
Big ups to this man for really stepping up. I know Giroux (he of the three assists on Sunday) gets a lot of credit for what Hartnell has done this season but Hartnell is still playing out of his mind. Case in point, his hattrick, in one period, on Sunday. He also went plus-one, with two PPP, two PIM and piled on nine SOG. Keeping on rolling Scotty Boy.
Jonas Hiller
I had to give him the top slot in today's Studs & Duds. He's been on my shit list so long he was starting to look like Mr. Hankey. Jonas Hiller was not simply Sunday's top performing goaltender but he was downright good stopping 43 of 45 shots fired at him by the Avalanche helping to secure his fifth straight win. He also has yet to allow more than three goals in a single game since the we put up our new calendars. Can you say second half sleeper?
HM
Gabriel Landeskog for assisting on both Avalanche goals on Sunday. With only 25 points in 50 games this season Landeskog isn't getting much love but he is playing some damn fine hockey. To maintain a plus-11 rating on a crappy Avs team is quite the feat and he is on pace for 236 SOG. When this team gets its head on straight he is going to be a damn productive player.
Bobby Ryan Getzlaf - Ryan added two goals including a shortie and the game winner. Getzlaf filled in the rest with a goal, an assist, one PPP, a plus-one rating, four PIM and three SOG. Also second half sleepers.
Each one of Paul Stastny, Kyle Quincey and Peter Mueller fired six shots at Jonas Hiller on Sunday and all were turned aside. Stastny actually managed an assist but went minus-two. Both Quincey and Mueller went minus-one. Safe to say those shots did nothing but feed the beast that is Jonas Hiller.
The Biggest Sieve in the Universe
The goaltending in the Flyers-Bruins game was not particularly strong. Tim Thomas had arguably his weakest game of the season but Ilya Bryzgalov managed to suck more. He allowed five goals on 37 shots and allowed both Bruins to score on him in the shootout.
DHM
Hey, Sean Couturier, at least you weren't out there for every goal against.
Nice - on task as always. Cant much argue with your choices, however I was impressed also by the play of Krejci, Laich and Beauchemin - Laich took 39 draws and played a speck less than 28 minutes and hit the target once. Krejci chirped for a couple of points to continue his new scoring streak and put the first shootout goal behind Bryz. Beauchemin >29:15 toi, 6 hits and 2 blocks.
I don't think it's quite fair that your #1 stud makes your #2 duds - but yeah you would think at least 1 in 18 would sneak in - helluva a game again for Hiller - he is back.
22/01/12 - Studs & Duds
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