Saturday, December 3, 2011

NHL: Who's Hot In November

Who were the hottest players in the NHL for November 2011? I was tempted to put Crosby on the list but he only played in 5 games, scoring 11 PTS. He'll likely make my list for the hottest players in December. Joffrey Lupul is the real star of the month, while Boston and Detroit were the hottest teams.

1) Joffrey Lupul, Tor - Led the NHL in scoring for the month of November, far exceeding anyone's expectations. He even outscored linemate Phil Kessel by 5 PTS in the month.

2) Evgeni Malkin, Pit - 16 PTS in 12 GP, and you could argue that Malkin is back. He's been a force, which comes at exactly the perfect time with Sidney returning to the roster. Pittsburgh is a scary team.

3) Steven Stamkos, TB - His 10 goals in November led the NHL after a slow start to the season. He has officially returned to form.

4) Kris Versteeg, Fla - Came out of nowhere to score 15 PTS in November, as Leaf fans glance uncomfortably at Florida box scores. Do I expect Versteeg to stay on fire and Theodore to continue his best season in 10 years? No.

5) Jonathon Toews, Chi - Toews and Kane have been been re-united on the first line and are magnificent to watch. Chicago has to be considered one of the strongest Cup contenders in the West.

6) Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edm - You may as well engrave his name on the Calder trophy right now and get it over with. Can Ryan Smyth's career year continue at this pace?

7) Zdeno Chara, Bos - Led all D-men in scoring last month for the NHL's best team of the month. He's a monster.

8) Jordan Eberle, Edm - The Hopkins/Eberle combination is going to be great for years to come. His shooting percentage has been extraordinary.

9) Pavel Datsyuk, Det - He has 13 PTS in his last 8 games and suddenly Detroit has won 7 in a row. Johan Franzen also heating up.

10) Tyler Seguin, Bos - A point per game and a whopping +12 for the month, this player is the real deal. He should have been the #1 pick in that draft.

No comments:

Post a Comment