NHL Team Of The Month: February 2008

Without further deal, here are the best of the best at each position for the month of February:

• Center: Evgeni Malkin (14 GP, 9 G, 17 A, 20 PIM, 12 PPP)
  
• Right Wing: Alexei Kovalev (14 GP, 7 G, 14 A, 12 PPP)
  
• Left Wing: Thomas Vanek (15 GP, 13 G, 7 A, 11 PPP, 4 GWG)
  
• Defense: Dion Phaneuf (14 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 52 PIM, 7 PPP, 2 GWG)
  
• Defense: Zdeno Chara (12 GP, 8 G, 3 A, 20 PIM, 6 PPP)
  
• Goalie: Jean-Sebastien Giguere (10 GP, 8 W, 1.28 GAA, .949 SV%, 2 SO)
  

Comments:

• Malkin was in a class by himself in February. He was dominant game in and game out for the Pens. He's the main reason Pittsburgh is still challenging for the best record in the East.
• Kovalev and Vanek have been carrying their respective teams lately. Although Vanek is doing it with a lot less help.
• Phaneuf has taken advantage of Nicklas Lidstrom's absence to stake his claim to the title of best defenseman in the NHL, while Chara is quietly having an outstanding year.
• Giguere has been unconscious for the Ducks of late. Those numbers speak for themselves.

The NHL Announces All-Star Game Starters

The fan votes have all been counted and the NHL has announced the starters for the upcoming All-Star Game in Atlanta. The starters are:

Eastern Conference

• Sidney Crosby
• Vincent Lecavalier
• Daniel Alfredsson
• Andrei Markov
• Zdeno Chara
• Martin Brodeur

Western Conference

• Henrik Zetterberg
• Pavel Datsyuk
• Jarome Iginla
• Nicklas Lidstrom
• Dion Phaneuf
• Roberto Luongo

All things considered these are actually pretty solid picks by the fans as all 12 players are definitely deserving of the trip to Atlanta. I would probably stick hometown boy Ilya Kovalchuk in instead of Alfredsson, but Ilya will make the team any way so it's not that big of a deal. At first I didn't think too highly of Markov being voted in, but it's not that much of a reach when you look at the numbers. Of course if Sergei Gonchar had been on the ballot (I'll never understand why he wasn't) then maybe things would have been different.

NHL Team Of The Month: November 2007

With the quarter mark of this season in the rear view mirror, it's time to name the Team of the Month for November:

• Center: Vincent Lecavalier (14 GP, 9 G, 16 A, 7 PPP)
  
• Right Wing: Martin Erat (12 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 4 GWG)
  
• Left Wing: Ilya Kovalchuk (12 GP, 14 G, 8 A, 8 PPP)
  
• Defense: Sergei Gonchar (12 GP, 4 G, 11 A, +5, 9 PPP)
  
• Defense: Zdeno Chara (13 GP, 3 G, 7 A, +7, 4 PPP)
  
• Goalie: Roberto Luongo (12 GP, 8 W, 1.56 GAA, .940 SV%, 4 SO)

Comments:

• Lecavalier and Kovalchuk were both out of their minds in November. They were no brainers for Team of the Month honors.
• Martin Erat has been quietly sensational for the Predators. Four game winners in a single month is great for anyone. Where would they be without his offense?
  
• Chara and Gonchar both had outstanding months. Gonchar's +5 is especially noteworthy considering he does most of his scoring with the man advantage. Maybe it's time for people to start giving him some credit for his defense.
• Luongo gets the nod over Henrik Lundqvist because he takes the ice every game knowing he has to steal points for the beat up and goal-starved Canucks. Lundqvist has a bit more margin for error on most nights. It also doesn't hurt that Luongo closed out November with a three game shutout streak.