Down go the Devils

All good things must come to an end, and so did the Devils winning streak thankfully. The team that had started the season off by winning nine straight road games finally left Philadelphia with a big L. The Flyers were able to win 3-2 last night, and the Devils not only lost the game, but lost to a division rival in the process.

The nine straight on the road to start a season was second only to the 2006 Buffalo Sabres team who won 10 straight. The Devils players will all say the right things, but you know that this was in their heads, and for a guy like Martin Brodeur this was another achievement he surely wanted on his resume. Though he was not the goalie during the sixth win on the road at the Boston Bruins.

The loss also ended a winning streak that the Devils were on, as they were not only going for the record-tying tenth road victory, but also their ninth straight win overall. The streak was good enough to push the Devils into the thick of things in the standings, as they now find themselves in a five-way tie for second place in the NHL with 28 points.

No rest for the weary, as the Devils will be back on the road in their next two games Thursday and Saturday at Nashville and Dallas respectively. Two teams that they will easily be favored to beat.

Hurricane Season Over Already Down South?

Usually those in the Carolina region can not wait to hear that hurricane season is over, but the bad part is you might be talking about the hockey team when you say it. The Carolina Hurricanes are now 2-12-4, and there does not seem to be an end in sight. The top four players are all injured, and the team is simply just not looking good. They are win less in November, and have lost 14 games in a row, dating back to October 10.

So when does a season officially be called done, over, finito, finished? Three of the other four teams in their division are over .500, and the team is dropping like flies. Unfortunately you have to look at a team, 17 games in, almost a quarter of the season, and say that it is already a "next-year" scenario.

The thing that now has to be worried about is how did it get so bad so quickly. This is a team that won the Stanley Cup back in 2006, THREE YEARS AGO, and lost to the eventual champs last year in the Pittsburgh Penguins. How does a team fall so far, so quickly? This really boggles my mind, despite the injury knowledge.

Despite the success the Hurricanes did not raise ticket prices, and yet as can be expected in the economy and with this start the attendance is down. So far the average attendance is about 84% capacity, and on the decline, especially in comparison to last year's attendance.

It is very depressing to have this idea of a season being over in November, especially for a franchise that has seen such success in recent years. Just really helps you realize the thin line that teams have between the top and the bottom of the league these days.

Crosby or Malkin?

I know that Sid the Kid is the future of the NHL, their way to get back into the headlines, and last year it even worked. The question has to be raised though, or at least I think so, is he even the best on his team? Is he the player that really gets them going?

There are always players that look better around stars, that the Michael Jordans of the world make look better. But can that not be the same for "stars" being made to look better by those around them?

Evgeni Malkin was just as much a reason that the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, if not more perhaps. He had two goals and six assists in the finals, compared to Crosby's one goal and two assists, and was named the Stanley Cup Finals MVP. One might look at that and say that Malkin took control of the team and series to lead them to a come from behind win.

While I know Crosby advocators will come out of the woodwork and talk about his season stats, and say he has had over 100 points in three of his four years, they will overlook Malkin. In his first three years he has had over 100 points twice, and in his rookie year had a more than respectable 85 points.

Then you look at this year, since Malkin was injured they have a 2-5 record, and have not scored a power play goal without him. With an overall record of 12-7 my grade school math can figure out that they were 10-2 with Malkin in the lineup.

Crosby may be the more flashy of the two, but flashy does not always equal the best.