By Josh Heller
Staff Writer
1. Lundqvist Returns From Injury, Rangers Clinch
The King has re-claimed his throne, and the Prince is willing to part with it.
After partially tearing a blood vessel in his neck and missing about two month’s worth of action, superstar goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has made his return to the New York Rangers. Lundqvist says that any health risk he may have had, such as the risk of a stroke, has completely passed and that he feels pretty good physically. Although he will obviously be welcomed back with open arms, Lundqvist and Ranger fans alike said that Lundqvist need not rush to return, thanks to the amazing play of backup goaltender Cam Talbot.
In his 2014-15 campaign, Talbot has posted outstanding numbers, boasting a 20-8-4 record as of March 28, with a goals-against average of 2.16 and a save percentage of .928. Talbot also has recorded five shutouts. These GAA, save percentage, and shutout numbers are good enough to all belong in the top 10 among NHL goalies.
In the absence of Lundqvist, the Rangers were forced to call up 20-year-old goalie Mackenzie Skapski. Skapski started only two games in Lundqvist’s absence, both against the Buffalo Sabres.
In the first game, Skapski gave up one goal, and the Rangers got the win, 3-1. In the second, Skapski posted his first shutout, as the Rangers blanked the Sabres 2-0. Following the announcement that Lundqvist would back up Talbot when the Rangers visited the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers sent Skapski back down to Hartford. Then, in his first game back with the Wolf Pack, Skapski posted a shutout in a 5-0 win.
With a healthy Lundqvist and a calm, composed Talbot to back him up, the Rangers have one of the top goaltending tandems in the league. This tandem actually pushed the Rangers to become the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff spot.
Standouts for the team, such as Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, and Chris Kredier, along with new acquisitions Keith Yandle and James Sheppard have really helped to Rangers to elevate towards the top of the league, not just the conference.
The Rangers are poised to win the Metropolitan Division and clinch home-ice advantage in the wide-open Eastern Conference, and many analysts peg them to return to where they were last season.
2. The Hamburglar Takes League By Storm
The hottest goalie in the NHL is one who posted horrible stats in the AHL, but boasts the coolest nickname in the league.
Andrew Hammond started the season in the AHL, playing for the Binghamton Senators. In 25 games played in the AHL this season, Hammond posted a 7-13-2 record with a GAA of 3.51 and a save percentage of .898. Meanwhile, in his first 17 games played in the NHL, Hammond has a 14-1-1 record with a GAA of 1.92 and a save percentage of .938.
Hammond got the nickname “The Hamburglar” back in his college days at Bowling Green. Influenced by his nickname, Hammond got the Hamburglar McDonalds character painted on his goalie mask.
After his incredible start with the Senators, the fans started a tradition of throwing hamburgers on the ice after a Senators win, which has recently died down. McDonald’s caught wind of this, and have since given Hammond free McDonald’s food for life.
Hammond’s heroics, fueled by injuries to goalies Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner, have helped to push the Senators ahead of the Boston Bruins for the last playoff spot in the East, making for an entertaining end to the season.
3. Nichushkin to Return Soon for Stars
If Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Dallas Stars soon, the rest of the league should watch out.
On November 6, Nichushkin suffered a groin injury which has left him sidelined until now. After showing great progress, the Stars sent last year’s shining rookie to the AHL Texas Stars for a conditioning assignment.
In his 79 games as a rookie in 2013-14, Nichushkin played alongside superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, and he totaled 14 goals and 20 assists, along with a plus/minus rating of +20. Nichushkin was well-known for his speed, shot, and pure strength, as being 6’4” and weighing 210 pounds will pack a bit of a punch.
As of March 28, the Stars sit with 82 points, which puts them sixth in the division, and eight points away from the final wild card spot.
One of the biggest problems with the Stars this year has been defense and goaltending, but in order to win a hockey game, you need to score more goals than the other team. Nichushkin, alongside Benn and Seguin, definitely help the Stars to score more goals.
