BY: JOE KONZE JR
To say that the start of the 2021 NHL season has been insane would truly be an understatement.
In the first month alone, the NHL had 35 games postponed, and at least 124 players landed on the NHL’s COVID-19 and forced multiple teams out of action. Despite a sluggish start to the season, this past week’s slate of games has us believing that there is still a lot of great hockey to be played.
I introduce to you the first installment of Dangle, Snipe, Celly, a rundown of important events that happen each week during the NHL season.
Here are five things you may have missed out on.
McDavid scores 500th point
It’s no surprise, Connor McDavid is the best player in hockey.
Selected first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, the offensive juggernaut has earned the nickname “McJesus” for his breakaway speed, balance and ability to control the puck, and elite hockey IQ.
All of these impressive traits have helped McDavid quickly establish himself as a perennial All-Star in just six seasons. On Wednesday night, against the Winnipeg Jets, McDavid added two assists – the first on a goal by Jesse Puljujarvi 3:45 into the first period, and another on Leon Draisaitl’s power-play goal at the 16:45 mark of the second period for his 501st point.
The center reached 500 points in 369 games, the same number it took Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby to reach the milestone, which is the eighth-fastest in history. The 24-year old has scored at least 100 points in three of the last four seasons, and totaled 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games last season before play stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He’s the greatest show on ice. Don’t believe me? Check out a late-night Edmonton game. You will not be disappointed.
I think Crosby will be passing the torch to him pretty soon.
Matthews’ Point Streak extends to 15 games
Auston Matthews continues to make ridiculous plays that leave us with our jaws dropped to the floor, and this might be due to his unique shot.
Matthews has incredible footwork when it comes to his shot. His feet are never centered and always moving. This allows him to create a violent and quick release at different angles with blistering power and velocity.
He’s deadly from any area on the ice.
Last night, Matthews scored two goals and added two assists in a 7-3 win over the last-place Ottawa Senators. He now has a league-leading 17 goals on the season and has scored 16 goals in 17 games to go along with 21 points, and has scored 15 times in his last 13 contests.
Matthews is tickling the twine at a blistering 50-goal pace in just a 56 game season. Imagine if this were a full 82 game season. Would we be talking a 72-goal pace?
Yikes.
Laine fitting in with Blue Jackets?
I’m not going to lie when head coach John Tortorella benched Patrik Laine for the final six minutes of a game on Feb. 8, I started to make the lazy argument that he had lost the locker room and his coaching style was outdated.
You see, after the whole Pierre-Luc Dubois fiasco that ended with the 2016 third overall pick being shipped out to the Winnipeg Jets along with a third-round pick in exchange for Laine and Jack Roslovic, this appeared to be another case of an “old boys” coach abusing his power.
How could I not jump to these conclusions?
Well, my opinion of Torts changed on Feb. 13 when I watched star forward Laine take the ice for the Blue Jackets and tussle with Chicago Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel and snipe a beautiful bar down goal in a 3-2 win.
For a guy that is most known for his lethal shot right-handed shot and dominant offensive play, it was nice to see Laine back to his old self.
Production was never an issue for Laine as he amassed 250 points (140 goals, 110 assists) in 306 NHL games since being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets just couldn’t find a role that showcased his skills.
Time will tell if this a good fit for Laine, but hockey fans should like this situation for him so far. There is still a lot of the season left to be played. But I wanted to say one last thing before I wrap this up.
Sorry, Torts. I promise not to criticize you ever again.
Jack Roslovic is a menace
I promise you I am not a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, but it’s hard not to talk about the emergence of Jack Roslovic.
Roslovic, a Columbus, OH native, struggled to find success behind a star-studded lineup in Winnipeg. But since his arrival in Columbus, as part of Dubois/Laine deal, he has a become mainstay in a prominent role for Blue Jackets.
In 11 games for Columbus, Roslovic, the 25th overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft, has tallied four goals, six assists, and 10 points. Up until Feb. 13, Roslovic was riding a six-game point streak.
His ability to stickhandle around defenders makes it impossible for defenders to size him up and he is very patient and poise with the puck in the offensive zone.
With Roslovic starting to get top-six minutes and Laine buying into Tortorella’s system, the Dubois days are a distant memory.
Columbus is back in the conversation, folks.
Kopitar on fire with six point streak
The Los Angeles Kings aren’t a cup contender, but their star center Anze Kopitar is making hockey enjoyable in the Golden State again.
The 33-year old, who is most known for his filthy hands, shiftiness, and two-way creative play, is on fire this season and continues to anchor a Kings team that is in the middle of a solid rebuild.
In last night’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes, Kopitar added an assist and three shots on goal in a 3-2 shootout win. In the shootout, Kopitar had one of the three goals for the Kings. Kopitar is currently riding a six-game point streak with three goals and four assists. This season, he has four goals, 15 assists, 36 shots, and a plus-2 rating in 15 games played this season.
Kopitar has been known to go on cold steaks from time to time, but right now, we’re just going to appreciate that the Kings are somewhat relevant again.
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