The ice crews have had a busy season, having to pick up an unprecedented number of hats this year. In a season that began with Rangers rookie Derek Stepan scoring three goals in his first career game on opening night, an unbelievable number of players have been following suit this season. In fact, last night, there were two hat tricks scored in the same game, a 7-6 Islanders win over the Sabres in overtime, by arguably the two hottest players in the league right now.
1. Michael Grabner-New York Islanders. In my last post, I made it clear that both the Canucks and the Panthers missed out big time by letting this 23-year-old winger walk. And he is certainly paying off big time for the Islanders, earning the NHL's 1st Star of the Week honors. So far this season, the Austrian rookie has 24 goals, 33 points, and a +10 in 52 games for a team that is third to last in the league standings right now. But the Islanders have won 3 in a row, and Grabner is the biggest reason for this modest streak.
Grabner has some impressive streaks of his own right now. Grabner has scored at least one goal in 5 straight games, at least two goals in 3 straight games, and scored a hat trick in his last game (by the way, his final goal last night was the game-winner in overtime). In those 5 games, he has 9 goals, 11 points, and is a +7. Grabner's stellar production is now a month old. In his last 15 games since January 13, has 15 goals, 21 points, and is a +13. He has goals in 10 of those 15 games, points in 13, is a plus in 10, and a minus in only 2. Grabner is on pace to play 78 games this season, scoring 36 goals and 50 points. Not bad for a rookie that two teams wouldn't give a chance.
2. Drew Stafford-Buffalo Sabres. Although he was not one of the NHL's Stars of Last Night (not sure how Todd Bertuzzi beat him out for Third...), Drew Stafford WAS named Second Star of the week behind Grabner. Grabner had the last laugh, but Drew Stafford scored the goal that sent the game into overtime, capping off his second hat trick in 3 games. On the season, Stafford leads the league with 4 hat tricks, scoring all 4 in a span of just 60 days. He has scored goals in 3 of his last 4 games, all of which were multigoal games, scoring 8 goals in a span of only 4 games. After missing 14 out of 15 games in November and December, Stafford quickly shook off a month's worth of rust and celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring all three goals in a 3-2 overtime win over the Bruins, his first hat trick of the season, and the third of his career. When the two teams next met on New Year's day, Stafford proved deadly again, notching his second hat trick in 8 games in a 7-6 shootout victory for the Sabres. Stafford's next hat trick was against the Southeast-leading Tampa Bay Lightning last Tuesday night, and he notched number four last night against the Islanders. In the new year, Stafford has 13 goals and 18 points in 14 games. Despite missing 18 games this season, the 25-year-old Wisconsin-native has already set a career high in goals (23) in just 36 games, in this his fifth season in the league. In 35 games, he has 23 goals, 33 points, and is a +2. He leads the team in goals, one goal ahead of two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek, who unlike Stafford, has played in all 54 games for the Sabres this season. He is on pace to play 64 games, scoring 41 goals and 59 points. Had he not missed any action, his projected numbers for an 82-game season would be 52 goals and 75 points. Just plain filthy.
Speaking of Stafford, his Sabres have been playing some great hockey of late, after an extremely disappointing start to the season. The Sabres started the season with high hopes despite a frst-round exit in the post-seaon at the hands of the Boston Bruins. They had finished the season atop the Northeast Division and took home both the Vezina Trophy for Goaltender of the Year Ryan Miller and the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year Tyler Myers. The Sabres got off to an extremely rocky start this season, but since have righted the ship and are back on track for another post-season bid. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and now sit in 10th place in the East, 2 points behind Atlanta, and 4 points out of the final playoff spot, currently occupied by Carolina. This Buffalo team has great resolve, overcoming a huge deficit in the standings, and their thrilling victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning last week (above mentioned for Stafford's third hatty of the season), which I was able to watch on Versus, was a microcosm of their whole season.
The Sabres looked plain awful at the start, dominated by the clearly superior Tampa Bay offense led by Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis for the better part of 2 periods. Down 3-1, Vanek managed a goal late in the second period, giving the Sabres a little life going into the locker room. Something awoke in the Sabres then, and they came out firing on all cylinders to start the third period. Suddenly the tables turned completely and the struggling Sabres scored 6 unanswered goals, before finally letting in one final Lightning goal, hanging on for the 7-4 win in Tampa.
The way the Sabres have been playing recently, I don't know that I'd expect the Sabres to pull the trigger on too many deals, with the deadline now two weeks from today. Stafford's name had been one that was floating around in some rumors, but with the way he's been lighting the lamp, I can't see why Buffalo would want to part with him. Tim Connolly could potentially be moved. He is extremely skilled, but also extremely oft-injured, and he carries a hefty contract. When he's healthy, he's lethal, but that isn't very often. The Sabres may be looking to unload him onto another team for some cheaper, more reliable talent. I would be extremely surprised if Craig Rivet isn't moved to another team by the deadline. The Buffalo captain has only played 23 games this season. And believe it or not, those 31 games he hasn't played, he has NOT been injured. He has been a healthy scratch. Lindy Ruff made the bold move of sitting his captain a while back when his team wasn;t playing well, and he has stuck with that strategy. Still a skilled veteran defenseman with leadership and experience, there are many teams that would love to add him to their blue line.
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