NHL Power Rankings: Pittsburgh Falls From Number One, Anaheim Surprises.
By Trin Potratz
Previous Ranking: 6 (-5)
Team Record: (43-24-9)
Goals For:
208
Goals Against:
188
Special Teams
PP: (20.2 percent) (11th)
PK: (80.4 percent) (20th)
Injury List
Al Montoya – Lower-Body – Day-to-Day
Nikita Nesterov – Undisclosed – Day-to-Day
Brian Flynn – Upper-Body – Day-to-Day
Statistical Leaders in 2016-17
Top Forward: Max Pacioretty (76gp 34g 29a 63pts)
Top Defenseman: Shea Weber (76gp 17g 25a 42pts)
Top Rookie: Artturi Lehkonen (67gp 14g 8a 22pts)
Top Goaltender: Carey Price (35 wins 2.23GAA .924 save percentage)
Player of the Week: D Andrei Markov (3gp 2g 2a 4pts)
Montreal put up a much needed 2-1-0 record last week since they sit first in the Atlantic with a few teams nipping at their heels. And in doing so Andrei Markov was solid, actually carrying the team offensively. But both Max Pacioretty and rookie Artturi Lehkonen were great as well. Carey Price played in all three games and in doing so was pretty close to perfect.
Price obviously earned the 2-1-0 record but what’s great for him is the fact he posted a .939 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against-average. Something he will have to continue doing, even in the playoffs. Another surprise is the fact defenseman Andrei Markov carried the team offensively with four points in three games as well as putting up a plus-two rating. Both Pacioretty and Lehkonen had themselves three-point weeks but combined for an even rating. This week the Canadiens have a chance to put a serious gap between them and the rest of the East as they have a very easy week. They start the week against Florida, Tampa Bay, then another game against Florida before finishing against Buffalo.
Weekly Prospect Profile: Simon Bourque, Saint John (QMJHL)
2016-17 stats: 30gp 7g 21a 28pts
Simon Bourque had a terrific year this year in the QMJHL, he started the season with Rimouski putting up 28 points in 29 games but was later traded to Saint John where he put up another 28 points but this time in 30 games. That’s 56 points in 59 games, not bad for a defenseman. He has a tremendous on-ice vision and can move the puck extremely well, he can read plays often before they happen. What else is great is the fact that his defensive skills are just as good.