NHL: Ovechkin Slump Among Top 10 Storylines in Season's 2nd Half
With the first half of the NHL season now firmly in the past, we've already closed the book on several questions that surrounded various teams and players at the season's start.
Would Philadelphia fall flat after an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Finals last season?
Apparently not.
Currently leading the Eastern Conference in points, Philly looks as primed as anyone to make yet another long run to the Cup.
After the copious amount of drama surrounding the Ilya Kovalchuk signing in New Jersey, would he prove to everyone it was all worth it?
Um, no.
Kovalchuk's and New Jersey's season has been an utter disaster, and they are dead last in the league in points.
Though many questions have already been answered, several plot lines have yet to come to an end as the NHL moves forward into the back-nine of the season.
Many of these questions won't be answered until after game 82 is in the books. However, if you're looking for a side of intrigue and speculation to go along with the rest of the NHL season, there are 10 such story lines that should provide adequate amounts of both.
What follows is a not-so-organized list—that is, these are not necessarily ranked according to importance—of questions that currently surround players and teams, the answers to which could provide even bigger questions for various teams over the summer.
***Spoiler-alert***Sorry Maple Leafs fans, as I've had all the Toronto rumors and trade-scenarios I can stomach this season, don't expect any Leafs-related stories in this piece!
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Will 2010-11 Be Nicklas Lidstrom's Last Season?
1 of 10
Last year about this time, Red Wings fans were asking the same question and prayed to the Hockey Gods that the answer would be "no".
As it turns out, the gods smiled on Hockeytown over the summer, as Lidstrom agreed to stay on for at least one more season.
That he would continue to be a reliable, stabilizing force on the blue-line was certain.
However, that he'd be well on his way towards a seventh Norris Trophy midway through the season was wholly unexpected.
If this is Lidstrom's last season in the NHL, he's certainly going out in legendary fashion.
Whether you're a Red Wings fan or not, make sure to take some time to catch a Wings game or two before the season is out. It just might be your last chance to see the best defenseman in NHL history not named "Orr" play the game.
Will Ilya Kovalchuk Score 20 Goals?
2 of 10
That his and his team's season is a train wreck has already been established.
However, to what degree the misery and carnage will rise to is yet to be seen.
There's nothing that can save Kovy or the Devils' season at this point; however, he could at least make an attempt to end the season as a 20-goal scorer.
Though far below the expected 40+ he was supposed to bring to the swamp, reaching the 20 mark would at least keep his career-long streak of 20+ goal seasons active.
This is cold comfort for a team and fans who expected so much more out of their season. But it's about all they can hope for at this point.
I guess now is as good a time as any to mention that Kovalchuk is on pace for only 18 goals to end the season.
And you thought this wasn't a question worth asking.
Will the San Jose Sharks Make the Playoffs?
3 of 10
A year ago, this question could have served as the very definition of stupidity.
The Sharks were once again many pundits' favorites (including this one) to finally win it all in 2010.
However, a sweep at the hands of the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals spun the Sharks' future into uncertainty.
This year's version of the team is not nearly as deep on the blue-line, and though forwards Patrick Marleau, Danny Heatley and Joe Thornton remain a potent trio of talent, their production has collectively dipped compared to last year.
Then there's what GM Doug Wilson hoped would be their secret weapon in net, Antti Niemi.
The Stanley Cup winning goalie and former Blackhawk was supposed to bring some of his championship swagger with him from Chicago upon relocating to California.
To date, Niemi, with the whole of his team, has struggled with consistency and doesn't resemble the goalie the Sharks thought they were getting.
The Sharks currently sit three points out of a playoff spot and are dead last in the Pacific Division.
They have time to right their ship and finish in the top eight in the Western Conference, but whether or not they will is very much up in the air.
Speaking of Chicago goalies...
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Is Corey Crawford Pulling an 'Antti Niemi' In Chicago This Year?
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For the second straight year, it looks as if the man the Blackhawks expected to be the No. 1 guy between the pipes is being supplanted by yet another young, unknown upstart.
Corey Crawford has been bouncing around the Chicago organization since 2005. However, until this year, he wasn't expected to be a permanent addition to the big club.
Once the 'Hawks signed Marty Turco to be the team's starter, Crawford was expected to benefit from his experience and guidance in the hopes that he would some day develop into the team's top man in net.
Apparently, in Chicago, the future is now.
On the strength of back-to-back shutouts and a half-season of solid play, Crawford has effectively stolen the reins away from his would-be mentor in Turco, who has largely struggled playing net in the Second City.
That Crawford's season will end the same way Niemi's did a year ago seems unlikely. However, he is following in his footsteps as the second straight 'Hawks rookie goalie to steal the top job away from a veteran net-minder.
Are the Los Angeles Kings Really for Real?
5 of 10
In Hollywood, on-again, off-again relationships are the norm and provide reliable fodder for tabloid headlines.
However, it's LA's hockey team's on-again, off-again relationship with success this season that is becoming a story in itself.
The Kings have the right mix of young talent and veteran leadership to take a serious run at the Stanley Cup this year.
Early on this season, they looked almost unbeatable, and many felt they had finally become members of the NHL Elite.
However, they have since struggled mightily with consistency and look more like a team trying to figure out who they are than a team poised for NHL stardom.
The Kings have the potential to be the super-threat many expected them to be.
But, if they continue to spend the rest of the season trying to find themselves, they'll likely end up outside of the playoffs looking in.
Will Tampa Bay Win the Southeast Division?
6 of 10
First-year GM Steve Yzerman was supposed to use this season to at least bring the Tampa Bay Lightning back to respectability.
That that could come by way of a division title seemed too much to hope for.
Indeed, Steve Yzerman's presence alone in Tampa Bay seems to have done wonders for his team's confidence, as they are 26-13-5 and beating out the Washington Capitals for the Southeast Division lead.
While the Capitals' eight-game losing streak certainly helped pave the way for the Bolts' rise to the top, the team itself is playing well enough to rightly deserve the success they've had.
No one in their right hockey-mind would have suggested at the beginning of the season that anyone but the Washington Capitals could win the Southeast Division. But halfway through the year, it seems entirely possible that the Lightning could end the season looking down on the mighty Washington Capitals.
Speaking of the Capitals...
Will Alexander Ovechkin Ever Get Hot?
7 of 10
For most players, getting out their calculator and discovering they're on pace for an 80 point season is reason to get excited.
But when you're Alexander Ovechkin, you start checking the batteries to make sure the damn thing is working properly.
Ovechkin's most "disappointing" season came in his sophomore year when he scored only 46 goals among 92 points.
Since then, he's been a 100-plus point player scoring no less than 50 goals a year.
If he continues at his current pace, he might pot 30 goals for the Caps.
Ovechkin hasn't scored more than three points in a single game the entire season, and while he's certainly got a fair share of teammates who should be able to pick up the slack, he must pick up his game if the Caps are to have the success they so desperately desire.
Ovechkin is capable of exploding for a powerful second half of the season.
As far as Washington's success is concerned, he has to.
How Many More Games Until Cory Clouston Gets Fired?
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That Cory Clouston's head is now firmly positioned on the chopping block is certain.
How long it will take for the ax to fall on the Senators' head coach is still a mystery.
Smack-dab in the middle of an abysmal season, the Senators don't have many options that would readily turn their season around.
Perhaps their only hope, and it's a long-shot at that, is to divest themselves of their head coach.
The Senators have plenty of blame to spread around when looking for reasons their season is in the toilet.
From shaky goal tending to a lackluster offense, there aren't many, if any, positives to point at in Ottawa these days.
Firing their coach may be a desperate move, but it's really the only one the Sens have to make.
Be it one more game or 10, Clouston is almost guaranteed to be jobless at the season's end.
Can Vancouver Stay This Hot The Rest of the Way?
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If you're a Vancouver Canucks fan, you've got to be loving life.
Far and away the league's most powerful team for most of the season, the Canucks show no signs of slowing down on what could be a President's Trophy-worthy pace this year.
Blessed with depth, superior fire power, great goal tending and, above all, good health, the 'Nucks look poised to finish the season as the "team to beat" come April.
Sure, there are still going to be questions surrounding Roberto Luongo's playoff chops. But if his team goes into the postseason as hot as they are now, even a less-than-stellar Bobby Lou in net is something this team can overcome.
On the other hand, one may worry that the Canucks are peaking too soon, and perhaps the law of averages will have them set to suffer an extended slide at the end of the season.
Indeed, it seems that only a turn of bad fate could put the damper on the 'Nucks juggernaut-of-a-season.
Still, this team may not slow down until they run straight into a big silver mug in June.
How Many More Headshots Will We See This Season?
10 of 10If you believe the NHL, then you'd believe that they are really cracking down on hits to the head this season.
If you'd believe this, then you'd also agree that the three "head shot suspensions" to date are proof that the crackdown is working as, clearly, there have only been three shots to the head thrown this season.
If you do believe all of this, let me know. I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.
Despite their promise, which I believe is well intentioned, the NHL has really not done anything to curb the problem of head shots and their resulting injuries this season.
Clearly far more than three such plays have occurred this season, and though they may have resulted in a penalty during the game, the league and the officials are obviously confused about how and even if to take further disciplinary action on the perpetrators.
Some are hoping that the sidelining of the league's best player due to a concussion ostensibly sustained via a shot to the head will be enough to finally force the league to take the "zero-tolerance" stance they are said to have on such actions.
Still, even if Sidney Crosby's concussion can help bring the appropriate attention to the issue, the NHL still seems unsure of how and when to enforce the rule such that it eliminates these hits from the game.
As the season moves on, it seems all but certain we will continue to see head shots delivered on the ice.
The question is, how many will we see before the league really does something about it?
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