Maybe Calgary captain Jarome Iginla should petition a NHL to start a deteriorate after — say, Nov. 1.
For a third year in a row, Iginla had a less-than-fantastic October. He finished a month with usually 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists), a third time in as many seasons that he’s struggled by a opening month of a season: Iginla has usually 8 goals and 20 points total in 32 games during a past 3 Octobers and hasn’t scored some-more than 4 goals in any of those 3 Octobers. It’s a large change from a 3 prior Octobers, when he had 19 goals and 42 points in a same series of games.
The good news for Iginla and a Flames is that Nov follows Oct — and with it comes their captain’s scoring touch. He had a camber of goals in Thursday’s 4-1 win during Detroit and is 2-2-4 this month, relating his descent numbers for all of October.
The Flames can usually wish Iginla’s prolongation in Nov continues — though there’s story on their side: Iginla had 8 goals and 13 points final Nov and piled adult 13 goals and 20 points in Nov 2009.
Clipped Wings – Iginla pennyless out of his unemployment Thursday in Detroit. The Wings are still perplexing to find a heal for theirs.
Thursday’s detriment was a sixth in a quarrel (0-5-1) for a Wings, their longest movement given they had a same record during a six-game widen from Feb. 7 to Feb. 17, 2008. Even some-more extraordinary was that this year’s unemployment came after a Wings started 5-0-0.
Detroit’s problem is simple: no goals. The Wings have been outscored 22-6 during a losing streak. They scored usually 23 goals in their initial 10 games, a franchise’s lowest descent start given a 1975-76 bar scored 18 opposite a same 10-game span.
The miss of goals has zero to do with a miss of opportunities. The Wings are averaging some-more than 35 shots a game, and Thursday night (29) was a initial time they had reduction than 31.
The one good feeling for a Wings: The final time they forsaken 6 in a row, they went on to win a Stanley Cup.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
A ancestral ‘Stanley Cup hangover’
By John Kreiser – NHL.com Columnist
Of a 17 fortifying champs given 1994, Boston already is positive of carrying a misfortune record by 10 games. Go inside this and other numerical oddities from a NHL’s opening month. READ MORE ›
- Numbers: Ovi, Vokoun, Kessel all underneath microscope
- Historic opening for Jagr, Maple Leafs
- A demeanour during a initial 6 years of a shootout
Lost Island — The Wings’ scoring problems dark in comparison to those of a New York Islanders, who became a final group to strech a 10-game symbol Thursday when they mislaid 3-0 to Winnipeg during home.
The Isles finished their initial 10 games with usually 18 goals, their lowest outlay by 10 games given entering a NHL in 1972. Thursday’s detriment noted a third time in 7 home games this deteriorate that a Islanders have unsuccessful to score.
All or zero — Talk about a group that scores in fits and starts.
The Boston Bruins scored 5 times on Tuesday in their 5-3 feat opposite a Ottawa Senators — usually a third time this deteriorate they’ve scored some-more than 3 goals. Those 3 games (4-1 opposite Tampa Bay and 6-2 opposite Toronto, as good as Tuesday’s win), have constructed 15 of a Bruins’ 26 non-shootout goals and 3 of their 4 victories. In a other 8 games, Boston is 1-7-0 (the sole win was a 3-2 shootout feat during Chicago) and scored usually 11 times.
Oil’s sharp — Like a Islanders, a Edmonton Oilers have a bucket of immature talent. Unlike their rivals from a 1980s, a Oilers’ immature talent is putting wins on a board.
Thursday’s 3-0 feat during Los Angeles gave a Oilers an 8-2-2 record by 12 games — a conspicuous pitch from a same indicate final season, when Edmonton was 4-6-2 on a approach to a second true last-place finish in a altogether standings. The Oilers didn’t get their eighth win final deteriorate until Dec. 1.
The win during L.A. was their sixth in a row, something a Oilers hadn’t achieved given Mar 2002. They’ve outscored opponents 17-6 during a streak.
Unlike a Oilers of a excellence days, this group is winning with defense. Edmonton has authorised a League-low 16 non-shootout goals, and available some-more than dual in a diversion usually once. After 12 games final season, a Oilers had surrendered 39 goals, including 3 or some-more 8 times.
While No. 1 breeze collect Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has gotten a lot of a courtesy with 5 goals and 11 points, it’s a oldest Oiler, goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who’s been a genuine difference-maker. He’s 6-0-2 in 8 starts with an imaginary 0.98 goals-against average, a .963 save commission and dual shutouts — a distant cry from final season’s 10-32-4 record, 3.40 GAA and .890 save percentage.
Hat’s on – Where have all a shawl tricks gone?
Toronto’s Joffrey Lupul scored 3 goals in a second duration of Wednesday night’s 5-3 feat during New Jersey, creation him usually a fourth actor in a season’s initial 4 weeks to ring adult a shawl trick.
The 3 shawl tricks in October’s 159 games were a outrageous dump from a 12 put adult by NHL shooters in 156 games during a initial month of final season.
Saturday in a Big Apple – The Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers have been battling any other given 1926, so a Saturday night assembly between a dual is zero out of a ordinary. But a plcae is.
The Canadiens come to Madison Square Garden for usually a 11th Saturday revisit in what will be their 303rd outing to New York. It’s usually a third Saturday diversion between a teams in New York given 1964. In contrast, a teams have met 194 times on Sunday night in New York.
The Rangers compensate a lapse revisit dual weeks from now in their 303rd regular-season outing to Montreal — and a 203rd to be played on a Saturday night.
Practice creates ideal – Whether it’s with Atlanta or Winnipeg, goaltender Ondrej Pavelec‘s tip to success seems to be to face a lot of shots. Pavelec faced 42 shots Monday night and responded by heading a Jets to a 4-3 shootout win. He’s now faced 40 or some-more shots 21 times in his career and has 13 wins and 4 overtime/shootout waste — though when confronting fewer than 40 shots, he’s usually 31-51-13. Pavelec has left accurately one year but a law detriment when confronting 40 or some-more shots (Nov. 4, 2010 vs. Columbus), and has won a final 8 times a antithesis has taken 40 or some-more shots, including both times this season.
