Senators' work ethic suffering
This week's starting lineup, how to fix the Capitals and an explanation of defensemen positioning.
What's wrong with Ottawa and what's right with Vancouver?
This is a very talented team, but some players aren't carrying their share of the scoring load. Forward Martin Havlat's production has been sorely lacking this season as he's only scored nine points this season with just two goals. Luckily for the Senators, Marian Hossa is playing excellent hockey. He has 24 points including 10 goals and is currently projected to have a career-high 98 points.
The biggest problem on this team seems to be their lack of a work ethic. They aren't working very hard and seem to think their talent will win them games. That's not going to happen in the NHL. The Senators have to come to the rink every day as if it was a normal job and work their butts off to win. Head coach Jacques Martin may have to shake this team up. Currently, they are too comfortable and need to start worrying about their season.
On the flip side of the coin, Vancouver is playing terrific hockey. They are atop the Northwest Division standings and the Western Conference playoff race with 30 points. This team has a ton of weapons as evidenced by their 10 players with 10 points or more. They play great defense and have only allowed 52 goals this season. Their defensemen have great skating ability and can shoot the puck. Heck, three of their defensemen (Ed Jovanovski, Mattias Ohlund and Brent Sopel) have scored at least 10 points this season. Right now the Canucks are hitting on all cylinders.
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| Roloson |
Dwayne Roloson, Minnesota Wild: Roloson is playing great hockey with a 1.98 GAA, .931 save percentage and five wins. He's outplaying fellow goalie Manny Fernandez by far this season. As far as I'm concerned he's the Wild's starter.
Defensemen
Roman Hamrlik, New York Islanders: This guy doesn't get enough ink. His numbers may not be spectacular, but he's providing all the hustle plays the Islanders need to win games. He's got a plus-7 rating for the month of November.
Chris Pronger, St Louis Blues: With the Blues missing Al MacInnis and Keith Tkachuk (who recently returned from a suspension), they needed someone to step up his play. Pronger has filled the void left by the two stars with 12 points and invaluable on-ice leadership. He's doing a great job, digging out pucks from the corners and creating turnovers.
Forwards
Jason King, Vancouver Canucks: One of the best young forwards in the game, King is tied for 6th in the NHL in goals with 11 and has scored 14 points this season. The 22-year old is making his presence felt in the NHL and is rapidly growing into one of the best forwards in the league regardless of age.
Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets: It's amazing that this kid is only 19 years old. Through 21 games, he's already scored 14 points with 12 goals. If he stays on this pace, he'll easily eclipse the 39 points he scored in his rookie season.
Matthew Stajan, Toronto Maple Leafs: Another talented 19-year old, Stajan is playing very well. He's very good on draws and is playing good defense for the Maple Leafs. His plus/minus is a plus-5 and he looks like he's going to become an excellent forward in this league.
Plus: Owner Ted Leonsis of the Washington Capitals and the Heritage Classic
Leonsis blasted his team in the Washington Times, basically saying the team stinks. It was about time someone in the organization put some pressure on the players. They've underachieved this season and need to be held accountable. I wish he'd have done it six or seven games ago.
On a more positive note, the Edmonton Oilers' outdoor game was an unbelievable night for hockey and a great idea. Fans braved below freezing conditions to see two great hockey games. Anyone who didn't get a chance to see can do so Saturday on ESPN Classic, starting at 5 p.m. ET.
Minus: Injuries and underachieving players
There are so many talented players underachieving and not playing well. The first name that comes to mind is Jaromir Jagr who has had a terrible season thus far. Through 21 games he only has 20 points and a plus/minus of minus-1. More is expected from one of the highest-paid players in the game.
Also injuries are decimating the NHL season. Derian Hatcher, Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya and Al MacInnis have all missed time this season with either nagging or serious injuries. These are players who need to be out there producing and creating excitement for their teams and for the NHL.
Barry --
In your "Puckology" department, could you please explain how coaches decide which side a defenseman should play?
-- Joe, Denver, Colo.
There are a couple of considerations that go into the coaches decision as to which side a defenseman will play. The coach has to figure out if a defenseman can play more than just one side. Some players are more gifted on a certain side of the ice. For instance, I had trouble playing the left side because I wasn't a very good puck handler and I wasn't comfortable bringing the puck up on my backhand side.
Also, it can have a lot to do with numbers. Right-handed defensemen are at a premium in this league. They are extremely difficult to find and many players who would normally play left-handed are forced to make the switch for their teams. If there are only left-handed defensemen on a team, then three of them will be forced to play on their wrong side.
Hey, Barry:
How would you fix the Capitals?
-- Anthony, Washington, D.C
Anthony, thanks for the question. The Capitals need a wakeup call badly. They are underachieving and playing terrible hockey. It's amazing that one of the highest-paid teams in the NHL is tied for last in the league with 14 points with the Penguins, which is ironically one of the lowest-paid teams. The Capitals aren't playing with any pride at all and are flatter than water on a plate.
To show the players the organization means business, I'd trade one of the superstars. Since Jagr's contract probably makes him unmovable and Sergei Gonchar is too valuable defensively, then I'd move forward Peter Bondra. His salary is low enough that a team would be more likely to take it on and it would show the players that no one is safe.
Any move they make is a good one because the team's chemistry is terrible. If the trade is possible, in return I'd try to get a young defenseman to pair up with Gonchar. The younger the defenseman the better because a younger player is more likely to have a smaller salary and this team needs to pinch pennies wherever they can.
Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN. He'll answer selected questions submitted to his e-mail bag each week. Also, click here to send Barry a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
