Posted by Sean Allen, Special to ESPN.com
Since the NHL came back from it's lockout/hiatus, we have been barraged with the Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin storyline. Which one is better? Who will be the ambassador of the game? But it seems this season that perhaps the two young stars aren't even the best players on their own team.
Evgeni Malkin had a four-point night for the Penguins to bring him to 30 points in 17 games. Sidney Crosby managed a single assist to bring his total to 22 points in 17 games. Malkin has four more power-play points than Crosby, trumps him by three shots on goal and is plus-5 compared to Crosby's plus-3. It's not like the Russian is running away from Crosby for overall numbers, but it's a decent margin.
Alexander Semin missed Saturday's contest, but overall has 27 points in 16 games. Ovechkin had a three-point night Saturday for a total of 18 points in 15 games. The two Russian wingers have identical plus/minus (plus-17) and penalty minute totals (12), and Semin has six power-play points compared to Ovechkin's two. Despite the fact that Ovechkin has been on fire lately, Semin still has a solid lead on him. Semin, though, has a long way to go as far as consistency and staying healthy are concerned before he can included in this debate.
It doesn't seem right to mention Ovechkin versus Crosby without tossing Malkin's name into the mix too. Since the All-Star break last season, Malkin has 79 points in 50 regular season games. Ovechkin, for his part, has 65 points in 47 games (Crosby, who was hurt for some of that time, has 31 points in 24 games and Semin who never fully recovered from ankle woes last season has 49 points in 48 games). Malkin has easily been the best player in the league since that time and he needs to be included in any debate about the best in the game right now.
Quick addendum though: it was this time last year when Vincent Lecavalier ripped off 21 points in eight games and the same questions about his inclusion in the best-in-game debate started to surface. Vinny finished with a great year, but nowhere near the level that Ovechkin did (or Crosby the year before). That's why I'd like to see Malkin maintain this pace until this season's All-Star break, before we can officially induct him into the Ovechkin-Crosby club.
I also wanted to include a note in the headlining section here for you to head to your league page and check Philippe Boucher's availability. The defensive swap of Boucher and Darryl Sydor between the Penguins and the Stars might be the spark Boucher needs to get his season going. Although he has been plagued by injury this season and last, it was 2006-07 when he had 19 goals and 51 points as the power-play catalyst for the Stars. He was also a plus-28 player with 16 goals the season immediately after the lockout. With Ryan Whitney still out for a while and Sergei Gonchar's return a long way away; Boucher has a chance to really light things up in Steel Town. He's owned in 87 percent of ESPN leagues.
Ice Chips
It seems that my statements about Ovechkin in Monday's Open Ice were just in the nick of time. Since then, Ovechkin has rocketed from two to seven goals and from eight to 18 points. In other words, that's five goals and 10 points in four games including two goals and an assist on Saturday. … Semin was missed the third period of Friday's contest as well, with an upper-body injury. Keep an eye on how this injury develops, as Semin's stats were dragged down last season by a lingering ankle problem. I realize the ankle is not located in the "upper body", but it's an example of how he doesn't have the best track record of rehabbing from injuries. … Scott Clemmensen started his second straight game in place of Kevin Weekes. Finishing with the win is certainly a good start, but allowing five goals on 30 shots probably doesn't earn him any long-term credibility. The Devils may start looking externally for goaltending help soon. … Jaroslav Halak got the start for Montreal and looked solid despite a 2-1 loss to Philadelphia. Carey Price had allowed 12 goals in his past three starts (two six goal games sandwiching a shutout) and Halak may have earned himself another start. With a 2.47 goals-against average and .917 save percentage, Halak is certainly worth stashing as a backup in deep leagues. … Canuck's winger Pavol Demitra managed three assists in his first contest since October 19. Demitra helped out with a Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin goal, so it doesn't look like his linemates are etched in stone. Get him back into your lineup immediately -- while he is still healthy. … Vesa Toskala looked anaemic for the Leafs, stopping just five of nine shots through a period and a half. These four-goal kinds of outings are happening a bit too frequently for Toskala lately, and he should be downgraded to a No. 3 fantasy goaltender until we see more defense from the Leafs. … Matt Stajan managed a goal for the losing Leafs, extending his point streak to six games. In fact, he has a point in 11 of his past 12 games and 17 points over that span. It's time to admit he is a legitimate member of Toronto's top unit. … After giving up three goals in consecutive games against the Islanders, Ottawa's Alex Auld has opened the door for Martin Gerber to get another shot at starting. Look for Gerber to be in net Monday against the Rangers, and if he comes away a winner in a low scoring affair, we will see him again before too long. If you play in a deep league where goaltending is a premium, a speculative add of Gerber might not be a bad idea. Of course, hold onto Auld for now as the 10 goals in three games could just be a small blight on an otherwise strong ascension to being fantasy relevant. … Joey MacDonald got the win for the Islanders by stopping 38 of 40 Senators' shots. Now, despite the lack of fanfare for Rick DiPietro's replacement on Long Island, MacDonald is proving to be a strong asset for those in search of a boost to save percentage. His 2.82 goal-against average also isn't terrible. … Who is the most valuable fantasy defenseman donning the Bruins jersey? The correct answer is Dennis Wideman. Both he and Zdeno Chara accounted for Boston's two goals in their 3-2 shootout loss to the Rangers. It was Chara's second goal of the season and Wideman's fifth. Through 17 games Wideman has nine points (on pace for 43), is plus-8 and has six penalty minutes. Chara has seven points (on pace for 34), is even and has 18 penalty minutes. The extra points and plus/minus make Wideman the clear choice at this point. However, Chara is outpacing Wideman 43 to 31 for shots on goal, so this may turn out to be a bit of a horse race, but those of you who trusted Wideman's second-half numbers from last season while drafting him will certainly be rewarded. … Jordan Staal's two goals in the Penguins baby blue uniforms gives him seven goals on the season; all coming in the past six games. It was February 4 last season when Staal hit the seven-goal threshold, and it was November 18 in 2006-07 when he scored his seventh. So, which version of Staal do you think we are looking at this season? It's the good version. … Don't look now, but Alex Goligoski has six points in six November games as the Penguins main catalyst on defense. With the arrival of Philippe Boucher and optimistic reports of Ryan Whitney's return from a foot injury now might be the time to try and shop Goligoski. That goes for Kris Letang too; who was held off the score sheet Saturday to end a five-game assist streak. … Ryan Miller allowed four goals on 24 shots in the 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh. Since back-to-back shutouts to begin November, he has a 3.52 GAA average and an .880 save percentage. His overall ratios continue to be inflated by a ridiculous start to the season and Miller remains a sell-high goaltender. … Rick Nash scored his eighth goal of the season in Columbus' 3-2 loss to Minnesota. That's three straight games with a tally. The fact that Nash can have a nine-game goalless drought and still have eight goals and 15 points in 18 games should tell you something. Once he has a hot streak to polarize his cold one, Nash will be back on pace for a career season. … The Blue Jackets gave Steve Mason what might be one last look before he goes back to the AHL for regular work. With Pascal Leclaire back it would be a shame to have Mason riding the pine and not seeing regular pucks. Leclaire looked aces on Friday and was likely given the rest Saturday after facing 37 shots in his return from an ankle injury. Noting Leclaire's injury history, we could see Mason again this season, but for now Leclaire will get back down to business and should approach top-tier No. 2 goalie status. … Loui Eriksson managed two goals to leave him alone as the goals leader on the Dallas Stars with eight. He doesn't look like a 60-point guy, but a 30-goal season is a reasonable expectation and he would be a good addition to any deep-league fantasy team. Think of him as Brad Boyes-lite. … Marty Turco is slowly turning the corner, as he allowed two goals on 27 shots in a 3-2 win over Phoenix to bounce back from a three-goal loss to L.A. on Thursday. Turco has allowed 11 goals over five games for a 2.18 GAA average over that span. Trade for him while his overall numbers still look terrible. … Mike Ribeiro assisted on all three Dallas goals to quickly climb back over the point-per-game pace we expect him to be on. … Dwayne Roloson coughed up a late goal to Darcy Tucker and promptly lost the shootout as the Oilers fell to Colorado 3-2. This likely means a start for Mathieu Garon in the short term, and if he also fails the Oilers in some way, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers would be back between the pipes. Keep a close eye on the battle as the Oil square off with defending-champion Detroit twice in three games before Thursday. … For deep-league owners, the Erik Ersberg experiment will continue in L.A., as he played admirably in a 3-2 loss to Nashville. The final tally was an empty-netter, so Ersberg has still allowed more than two goals only once in six starts; winning four of them. Ride him while he's hot. … Looking at Sunday's slate, pick up Steve Stamkos if he is available. A high-tempo game, as interim-coach Rick Tocchet plans to play, would bode well for someone who may just be one of the best young skaters in the game. If someone dropped Stamkos based on his disappointing start, this may be the last chance to snap him up. Brian Boucher and the red-hot Johan Hedberg top the list of available goalies to slot in.
Sean Allen is a fantasy baseball and hockey analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.
