An Alex Ovechkin fan from Canada went the extra mile to meet her longtime idol.
A fan in attendance at Washington Capitals morning skate Wednesday held up a sign noting that she had taken three different flights and traveled 4,662 kilometers - that's about 2,897 miles - just to meet Ovechkin.
The girl got her wish: Ovechkin took time to sign an autograph and pose for pictures with her.
You can bet this fan will be pulling for Ovechkin in his club's tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. The 31-year-old is just one point away from hitting 1,000 in his career.
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Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Wednesday, January 11 (all advanced statistics courtesy of Corsica.Hockeyand apply to 5v5 situations):
Dynamic Duos
C Nicklas Backstrom (52K) & LW Alex Ovechkin (73K), Capitals (vs. Penguins): Ovechkin has three goals and four assists during Washington's six-game winning streak. He has 28 goals in 46 career games against Pittsburgh. Marc-Andre Fleury has been absolutely horrendous on the road this season.
C Sidney Crosby (62K) & LW Conor Sheary (29K), Penguins (at Capitals): While Ovechkin's numbers vs. Pittsburgh are impressive, Crosby, as usual, has the edge. He has 55 points in 39 career games against Ovi and the Caps. His price is lowered because of how well Braden Holtby is playing right now, so users need to buy low.
C Joe Pavelski (72K) & RW Timo Meier (25K), Sharks (at Flames): San Jose's top prospect, Meier, is getting a chance to play on the top line with Joe Thornton and Pavelski. He hasn't been able to capitalize yet, but he is averaging exactly three shots per game and getting 3.11 iSCF60 (individual scoring chances for per 60 minutes).
Bargain Plays
G Carey Price (76K), Canadiens (at Jets): It's not everyday that the best goaltender on the planet is 1K above the minimum price. Squad Uppers need to take advantage. Price did get shelled in his last start and Montreal is banged up, but don't overthink the best goalie in the world at 76K.
LW Phillip Danault (26K), Canadiens (at Jets): Montreal's forward depth, specifically down the middle, has been tested. Danault has been granted a glorious opportunity to center the Habs' top line between Max Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov. He has five points in his last six games and is getting 3.47 iSCF60 this season.
D Jacob Trouba (30K), Jets (vs. Canadiens): Trouba has 10 points in his last 13 games. In addition to his offense, he will contribute a handful of hits and blocks each night, adding to his value in Squad Up.
Top Fades
G Marc-Andre Fleury (91K), Penguins (at Capitals): As previously mentioned, Fleury has been terrible on the road this season. He has an .886 SV% and a 3.83 GAA in 10 games away from home. Do not put your trust in him against the streaking Capitals.
C Mathieu Perreault (45K), Jets (at Canadiens): Perreault has just 10 points in 29 games this season. He is -12 and fails to contribute in any secondary statistics. Do not invest 45K in him.
LW Max Pacioretty (75K), Canadiens (at Jets): At 75K, it's going to take a lot for Pacioretty to return value. Connor Hellebuyck has a .924 SV% and a 2.32 GAA at home this year. You're better off paying 2K less for Ovechkin.
Contrarian Options
C John Tavares (82K), Islanders (vs. Panthers): Priced at 20K more than Crosby, Tavares will likely go unowned. However, Johnny T has 19 points in 22 home games this year.
RW Blake Wheeler (59K), Jets (vs. Canadiens): Wheeler has 11 points in his last 11 games, but he will likely be faded as long as Carey Price is in the opposing crease. Wheeler contributes in more than just goals and assists though, as he has 57 hits, 26 blocks and 26 PIMs. Expect the Jets' captain to continue to step up in Patrik Laine's absence.
D Kris Letang (40K), Penguins (at Capitals): Letang is questionable to play with an illness, so his ownership will be lower than the Marianas Trench. He has 22 points in 27 games this season and is always capable of a multi-point night.
With four wins in their last 10 games and losses in three of their past five, the St. Louis Blues are anything but happy about their play of late.
The club dropped a 5-3 contest to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, a game they were out-shot handily 38-17 and one that looks to have pushed the team to its limit.
"It's frustrating," captain Alex Pietrangelo said, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. "We're tired of talking about it, we're tired of answering the questions from outside our locker room.
"We need to be better, especially early on."
One of the team's growing concerns has been the play of goaltender Jake Allen, who was pulled for the second time in four games on Tuesday after conceding three goals on 11 shots in the first period.
"He's not stopping the puck," head coach Ken Hitchcock said of Allen following the loss to Boston. "He's having a tough go of it. We can jump all over him or rally around him. We have a choice.
"Thank God Hutts is playing hard or we'd be in really tough shape."
Of course Allen himself is well aware his play hasn't been up to snuff.
"It's frustrating for me," Allen said, according to Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I really always have high expectations for myself. I always set the bar really high. I've got to be better."
With Tuesday's game in the books, the Blues concluded a six-game road swing that saw the club go 3-3-0. The team has been stellar on home ice this season with a 16-5-4 record, but has seen a complete contrast on the road, going 5-10-1.
A three-game home stand could help turn things back in the Blues' favor, but Hitchcock isn't sold on the idea.
"I don't know about that. You are what you are," the Blues bench boss said.
Nevertheless, the Blues will host all three California clubs over the next week in games St. Louis must win if the team hopes to hold down its current playoff spot.
With just about half of the 2016-17 season in the bag, NHL awards talk is bound to heat up. Since the quarter mark of the season, there has been a lot of reshuffling as far as the favorites to bring home the hardware goes.
Here are the six individuals most deserving of the game's six major awards at the halfway mark of the season.
Hart Trophy - Connor McDavid
Who else?
Connor McDavid has made the transition from rookie to arguably the most talented player in the league in just one season. He's on his way to picking up the Art Ross Trophy for likely the first of many times.
With the award's recipient being defined as "the player judged most valuable to his team," it's no question McDavid fits the bill for the Hart, as the Oilers have their young phenom to thank for what should be their first trip to the playoffs in 12 years.
Vezina Trophy- Devan Dubnyk
The Minnesota Wild netminder is doing it all. He paces all goalies with a .939 save percentage and 1.80 goals-against average, while his five shutouts are tied for tops in the league.
Above all, he has his club within striking distance of the Central Division lead after claiming a wild-card berth last season.
Norris Trophy - Brent Burns
The Norris Trophy will be heading back to California, this time washing up in San Jose.
Brent Burns is crushing the competition in the defenseman scoring race with 16 goals and 42 points. He's put up a league-leading 163 shots and is on pace to hit the 30-goal plateau - a mark that has been a rarity for any d-man.
He's the only blue-liner with more than 10 games played averaging at least a point per game, and has done so while remaining defensively sound in his own end of the rink.
Calder Trophy - Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews is well on his way to breaking multiple Toronto Maple Leafs rookie records. As far as the rookie scoring race is concerned, the 19-year-old currently shares the lead with Patrik Laine at 21 goals and is just two points behind the Winnipeg Jets sniper with three games in hand.
He's quickly becoming the Maple Leafs' best player and with Laine now sidelined with a concussion, Matthews could very well run away with the Calder.
Selke Trophy - Brad Marchand
He's a pest among pests, but you can't deny the value that Brad Marchand brings with his impeccable two-way game.
The Boston Bruins forward has transformed into a player that can torch clubs at both ends of the rink. He holds the second-best Corsi-for rating in the league at 61.3% and is always a threat to score shorthanded.
Jack Adams Award - John Tortorella
It's hard to argue that any coach is more worthy of the Jack Adams than John Tortorella. The Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss has morphed his team from a 27th-place club to a first-place powerhouse in one season.
He's made strategic moves that have certainly paid off, such as removing the club's game-day skates, and for the first time in a long time, the colorful head coach appears to have kept his temper in check. Winning will do that.
It's expected that Datsyuk will be recognized when the NHL reveals its list of the 100 Greatest Players as part of its centennial anniversary celebration.
Wanting to be closer to his family, Datsyuk returned to Russia last summer on a two-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg, ending a brilliant 14-year tenure with the Detroit Red Wings organization.
He scored 314 goals and 918 points in 953 games with the Red Wings, winning two Stanley Cups. He also won the Lady Byng Trophy in four straight seasons, and took home the Selke Trophy three times.
The first half of the 2016-17 campaign officially ended Tuesday night, with half the 1,230 games on the regular-season schedule now in the books.
Before you know it, it'll be spring, and you'll be talking about the playoffs, and dreaming of the Stanley Cup. We can't wait, either.
Here are five storylines that dominated the last quarter of 2016 and the first 10 days of 2017:
Auston and Patrik
The kids, they dominate the NHL so fast.
Grown men and women have been walking around Toronto and Winnipeg for the past few months saying "Auston Matthews" and "Patrik Laine" out loud, without reason, just because. It's weird.
But also understandable. Toronto and Winnipeg are two hockey-mad cities, and they've been gifted two remarkable talents, who will hopefully bring glory back to the Maple Leafs, and for the first time to the reincarnated Jets.
Hockey fans may have thought themselves spoiled when Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel came along last season, but Matthews and Laine are proving the encore's better than the original.
The top two picks in the 2016 draft are equal at 21 goals, good for a tie for third in the NHL, and are one-two in rookie scoring, Laine's 37 points are two more than Matthews, with the Toronto phenom holding three games in hand.
That Maple Leafs-Jets Stanley Cup Final, when it happens, is going to be something.
Columbus rising
These aren't your daddy's Blue Jackets.
After all, Columbus could find itself one day on "Jeopardy," in the "NHL team milestones" category for $600.
This team went on a 16-game winning streak from Nov. 29, 2016 to Jan. 3, 2017, one shy of the NHL record of 17 set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Who are the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sixteen games. The Blue Jackets! Crazy, right?
John Tortorella's turned over a mellow leaf, and halfway through the season Columbus is the NHL's best team, and owns the league's best goal differential. The Blue Jackets are third in goals per game, third in goals against, and boast the league's top power play. They're for real.
Sid and the new kid
Connor McDavid's the heir apparent. But Sidney Crosby isn't ready to give up his throne.
Through the first three months of the season, No. 87 and No. 97 have delivered stellar performance after stellar performance, battling for the NHL scoring lead. And it's been damn fun to watch.
It's taken McDavid no time at all to prove himself as one of the league's best players. In fact, he'd probably own the title if it wasn't for Crosby, who is scoring goals at the highest rate of his career.
Crosby's played only 33 games and has 22 goals, good for a ridiculous 0.79 per game average. McDavid's got the Art Ross Trophy halfway through the season, his 48 points four more than Crosby, although he's played 10 more games.
Forget about the debate over who's better. Instead, sit back, relax, and enjoy watching these two generational talents do what they do.
Goalie gods
The goalies have figured this whole goaltending thing out.
Carey Price is healthy and has the Montreal Canadiens in first place. Devan Dubnyk is stopping pucks at almost a .940 clip, and the Minnesota Wild own the West's best goal differential (plus-38). Braden Holtby's .931 trails only Dubnyk, his five shutouts are tied for tops, and he's got the Washington Capitals within three points of Columbus.
The list goes on and on and on. Sergei Bobrovsky's healthy and is arguably the biggest factor in the Blue Jackets' success. Tuukka Rask is keeping the Boston Bruins alive, while Corey Crawford is quietly having one of the best seasons of his career in Chicago.
Roberto Luongo is not aging, at all, and Toronto and Edmonton have competent goalies in Frederik Andersen and Cam Talbot.
You can choose to look at the state of hockey and lament the lack of goals scored on a nightly basis. Or you can marvel at the golden age of goaltending we're in.
The Metro
Through play Tuesday, four teams in the Western Conference have 50 or more points - two in the Central and two in the Pacific. In the East, Montreal's 56 points pace the Atlantic. Then there's the Metropolitan Division.
Four Metro teams - Columbus, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the New York Rangers - have 57 points or more. And the Philadelphia Flyers will hit 50 with their next win.
Columbus sets the standard with 16 wins in a row, but each of the top Metro teams has gone streaking. The Flyers won 10 in a row from Nov. 27 through Dec. 14, the Penguins reeled off seven straight wins to open December (and are currently on a five-game run), and Washington's won six in a row twice since Dec. 5. The Rangers have managed a five-game win streak once, but have won three in a row six times.
On Wednesday, the Pens and Caps collide in D.C., in another Metro showdown. One streak's going to end, and one's going to continue. The division's never been better.
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Jakob Silfverberg isn't terribly well-known outside Anaheim, where Ducks fans love his scintillating two-way game.
Silfverberg is playing far too well to stay a secret this year.
John Gibson made 34 saves in his third shutout of the season, and Silfverberg had a goal and an assist in the Ducks' 2-0 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night.
Silfverberg scored a power-play goal in the second period, and the surging Swedish forward set up Andrew Cogliano's top-shelf shot with 5:18 to play. Their line with center Ryan Kesler combined for 17 shots and largely dominated play for the Ducks, who wrapped up their five-game homestand with four wins.
''He's on another level right now,'' Cogliano said of Silfverberg. ''I've always thought he was one of the most underrated in the league. When you play with him, you appreciate him more about what he does with his stick battles and how hard he is on pucks. When he's playing well, he's usually the best player on the ice.''
The Ducks stayed even with San Jose atop the Pacific Division with their fifth win in seven games overall.
Anaheim finally snapped its 0-for-16 drought on the power play when Silfverberg pounced on a fat rebound of Corey Perry's shot in the slot for his 12th goal.
Late in the third period, Silfverberg surged ahead on a rush and threaded a cross-ice pass for an exceptional top-shelf shot by Cogliano, who ended his eight-game goal drought.
''Our line has been doing pretty good as of lately,'' Silfverberg said. ''I've always said we do the job defensively, but we have the aspects to produce and help the team score goals. We've been getting bounces lately. We're shooting pucks and going hard to the net. We're getting rewarded for that.''
Both teams played without their injured captains. Dallas' Jamie Benn missed his fourth straight game with a foot injury, and Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf also missed his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury.
Dallas also lost defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to an upper-body injury shortly before Patrick Eaves went to the dressing room with an undisclosed problem in the third period. Stars coach Lindy Ruff said Oleksiak could be out ''for a little bit of time,'' while Eaves' injury doesn't appear serious.
''We've been (dealing with injuries) all year, since the start of the year,'' Ruff said. ''I thought the guys worked hard. It's a tough back-to-back. Last night was a tough game (in Los Angeles). I thought we were right there to at least tie the game.''
Antti Niemi stopped 36 shots for the Stars, who wrapped up their three-game road trip with their fourth loss in five games overall.
''They weren't going to give us much off the rush,'' Dallas' Jason Spezza said. ''To get that power play goal, it forced us to open the game up a little bit. I think that's when they scored the last one.''
Gibson played in his ninth consecutive game for the Ducks and earned his ninth career shutout - his second in four starts. After sharing the Jennings Trophy with Frederik Andersen last year, Gibson has been increasingly solid following a slow start to his first season as Anaheim's unquestioned No. 1 netminder.
Earlier on Tuesday, Toronto added Curtis McElhinney to its roster off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets, paving the way for this deal. McElhinney will take over the backup duties behind No. 1 Frederik Andersen, who's played a lot through the first half of the season.
Enroth was awful in six games and four starts for Toronto, ending his short Maple Leafs career with no wins and an .872 save percentage.
The 28-year-old was signed in the offseason to a one-year, $750,000 contract, but sent to the minors after his early-season struggles, with Antoine Bibeau playing two games as Toronto's backup.
The deal continues a trend of Toronto and Anaheim trading goalies. Andersen joined Toronto in a trade from the Ducks in late June, as he was approaching restricted free agency, and was immediately signed to a five-year contract extension. In early July, Toronto dealt Jonathan Bernier to Anaheim, where he now serves as John Gibson's backup.
