The League’s stars got off to a strong start in January, but the coronavirus has postponed the season and left four teams out of the race this week. Next month, the N.H.L. Plan to use the serene vistas of Lake Tahoe as a backdrop for two outdoor games. But the 19 days of competition in January brought some chaos to the league table.
Since the start of the season on January 13, dozens of players have been placed on the list of absentees of the Covid-19 protocol, including players who have tested positive and those who are being monitored for close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.
Despite the shape and shortened schedule changes, the season has had its share of staples. Most of the top league teams from last season continued to perform well, and top performers such as Connor McDavid of Edmonton and Leon Dracitel increased their scoring pace to a rare level, and continued his attacking dominance from last season.
The table had to be rewritten.
that. It was a rocky way to resume and the unrest did not end once the 2021 season was defined. The league made rescheduling decisions on a case-by-case basis. Unlike the N.B.A. He is N.H.L. He did not specify the minimum number of players who would be dressed to play a game. that. Avoid some cancellations by providing training packages for each team.
For Vegas at first, only the coaching team was affected, and the team played their match against the St. Louis Blues on January 26th with their general manager and minor league coaching team behind the bench. After adding at least three coaches and players to the Covid-19 roster, three matches of the Golden Knights have been postponed.
The league announced earlier this week that the Devils’ matches would be postponed on Saturday at least. The team that last played on Sunday included 14 players on Tuesday’s Covid absentee list. Buffalo Sabers, the youngest devil opponent, won’t play again until Monday. The league on Wednesday postponed the Wildes matches on Tuesday at least. On Thursday evening, the league announced that Colorado matches would be postponed until February 11 as the players entered virus records.
The league stars made a good start and two traded.
Few things were certain in these troubled times. But Edmonton Oilers’ two-headed monster, Draisaitl, the most dominant and most valuable player, and McDavid, M.V.P. 2016-17, she was once again totally strong.
How high is the score for this tandem? The pair ended the month with an 8-5 win over Ottawa Senators, 11 points clear. Last January, they scored 43 points in 11 games, with MacDavid averaging two points per game and Dricitel down one point from that segment. McDavid’s eight goals tied him in order with Brock Boeser from Vancouver in January, and his 14 assists were only the second after Draisaitl’s 15.
To put the duo’s Edmonton performance in context, the Anaheim Ducks skaters scored 41 points in January, which means Draisaitl and McDavid left the entire team behind.
Toronto Maple Leaves striker Mitchell Marner and Colorado midfielder Nathan McKinnon were among the top five goalscorers in January, but Mackinnon will miss him in early February with a lower body injury.
Najm also took part in an impressive deal as Winnipeg Jets sent sniper Patrick Lane and former first-round winner Jack Ruslovich to Columbus Blue Jackets for midfielder Pierre-Luc Dubois.
On the net, most teams have a more start between the top two goalkeepers. Carolina Peter Marazic, Vegas Marc-Andre Florey and Vancouver Thatcher Demco did well in Zug. Mrazek and Fleury scored goals – against averaging one or less – also finishing first and second in the percentages – while Demko did the same in his last three starts. Colorado’s Philip Groupware led the league with six wins.
Kings Center Anzi Kopitar, 33, is also back at its best, taking advantage of Los Angeles veterans with a 10-month 10-month layoff. His 11 assists in January were his fourth highest in NH. He had more than one child prodigy from defenders Cal McCar of Colorado and Queen Hughes of Vancouver, who finished first and second in the Calder Trophy vote last year.
