Bluelines: Evaluating the 'Great 8' Alex Ovechkin

Stan Fischler's Friday report discusses Alex Ovechkin, the San Jose Sharks, a story about Ray Bourque handing over No. 7 to Esposito and more.

1. Rangers would beat Toronto in any best-of-7 series. Exhibit A: last night's MSG win. New York has the goaltending: Murray is no Shesterkin. Neither is Samsonov for that matter.

2. Kris Letang's astonishing comeback and goal last night should give him the Masterton trophy. I mean right now. Maybe the Hart later on. Talk about heart, K's got it!

3. How about Jordan Binnington stopping the Connor and Leon show last night in the Blues’ shootout win? How about the Oil Cans finding some defensemen who can defend?

4. I hope the Canucks keep winning for Cousin Brucie Boudreau. Oooh! Wouldn't it be neat if it got too tough for Jim Rutherford to can a good coach.

5. Some skeptics sneered when Bill Guerin nabbed Ryan Reaves from the Rangers. On Wednesday, Reaves hit Detroit’s Filip Hronek so hard, it inspired a Wild win.

6. Give Jake Markstrom credit – it's only taken him two months to answer his wake-up call.

Alex Ovechkin's record-breaking crusade demands a comparison with aces of  yesteryear. So, I shall oblige especially since The Maven saw Maurice Richard, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, et. al. in their respective primes.

Howe? No. Gordie was too smooth and, temperamentally, unexcitable.

Hull? No. The Golden Jet wasn't much of a hitter. Didn't have to be one either.

Rocket? For sure. Explosive, hitter, leader; the works.

Only difference – Rocket couldn't speak Russian – and Ovi wouldn't pass French 101 with or without Professor Bobe. (He gave me a "C.")

Our Gus Vic has been watching hockey since Hector – not Toe Blake – was a pup. His take on the current Toronto Murderer's Row began four years ago on Yonge Street. Listen to Vic's latest tale of triumph.

Toronto's recent game with Calgary was a hot mess – yet the Leafs were able to cover a lot of warts – including Wayne Simmonds' continued penalties – and prevailed late on Mitch Marner’s PPG in OT.

Teams on losing streaks start to show signs of breaking out before they actually win. Conversely, teams on hot runs – as the Leafs have been – begin to show their slip before losing.

Games beyond the 2-1 loss at MSG, Washington and home against Tampa – will provide a better read as to whether this team is fact or fiction. I lean with the former, as much of the current streak has been attained with a pretty ravaged defense. It stands to reason this team will get stronger heading into the second half.

"(As for the playoffs. The answer lies on 2,450 Ouija Boards, safely hidden in a cove on Prince Edward Island. The password is swordfish.)

WHO SAID IT? "I slept like a baby. Every two hours, I woke up and started crying." (ANSWER BELOW).

It's a new era of NHL hockey in San Jose with more downs so far than ups. Our resident critic, Sean McCaffrey, has the bait and fished these facts.

Both a new GM (Mike Grier) and coach (David Quinn) are tasked to get the team swimming again. Unfortunately, more times than not – they've been fish food themselves – as San Jose's 10-16-5 (.403 points percentage) record proves.

It's challenging to get a read on the job that Grier's done. After all, the rookie GM was saddled with long-term deals made by Doug Wilson. Not only is team captain Logan Couture signed through the 2026-27 season at $8 million per; but alternate captain, Tomas Hertl, is signed through the 2027-28 campaign at $8,137,500 per.

Despite the resurgence of defenseman Erik Karlsson, the Swede possesses one of the NHL's worst contracts. The Sharks are still on the hook for four more years after this one. Egad! Karlsson takes up a staggering 13.9 percent of the team's cap.

Grier is open to trading Karlsson despite the 32-year-old flirting with Norris contention this season. It's tough to see any team wanting to absorb Karlsson's cap hit.

(It can be argued that Grier's trade of Brent Burns to Carolina opened the door for Karlsson. With Burns no longer around, Karlsson gets more time with the puck – and even more time on the power play as well.)

As for Quinn, he once again finds himself with a team at rock bottom and looking to climb its way up. One word that Quinn has frequently repeated this season – whenever asked about his team during his daily media chats – is an uninspiring fragile.

DQ's goalies, James Reimer (6-8-2, 2.93 GAA, .903 save percentage), and Kaapo Kahkonen (3-6-2, 3.71 GAA, .877 SP), haven't exactly been lights-out either. That duo is the complete opposite of his previous trio – Henrik Lundqvist, Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin.

The toothless Sharks missed the playoffs the past three seasons. And that streak will increase to four this spring.

Bruins fans will have a field day with George Falkowski's upcoming work. It's called Just Like I Drew It Up and is filled with Beantown hockey gems. Here's an exclusive sample from Georgie Boy, who tells us that Ray Bourque, GM Harry Sinden and Bruins equipment manager Larry Ness were not the only three people who knew Bourque was giving up his No. 7 to former Bruins great, Phil Esposito.

Here's an excerpt about the famous number retirement on "Espo Night" at Boston Garden, Dec. 3, 1987. Take it away, George:

"I had attended the morning skate before that night's clash between the Bruins and Esposito's then-current team, the Rangers. We asked multiple Bruins about that night's ceremony and 'What do you think Ray is going to do?' and nobody had any idea. Ray played it straight and said something about looking forward to the ceremony, as we all were.

"After the interview concluded, I asked Bourque, 'Can we get you for the first intermission interview tonight?'

"Ray agreed, and by 4 p.m., I was back at 'The Gahden.'

"I ducked into the Bruins dressing room and Bourque’s No. 7 was waiting for him. Then I found coach Terry O'Reilly in the weight room.

"Now, roughly three hours from the Esposito ceremony, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the Big Question. 'So,' I began, 'I have to ask if Ray’s going to give up the number?' O’Reilly stopped in mid-crunch.

“ 'Why should I tell you?' he asked in a very polite tone.

“'Well, if he’s going to do it, we want to be 100 percent ready. We don’t want to miss this, it’s too important.'

"His hands still locked behind his head, O’Reilly asked me a question. 'What do you think he’s going to do?'”

“ 'I think he’s going to do it.'

"O’Reilly looked at me for a long second, smiled and nodded his head. It was happening! The only problem I had now was that my director wanted me to get Harry Sinden to comment on it. If I did that, I'd betray O'Reilly's trust. If I didn't, my job might be in jeopardy.

"I had caved to the pressure but stopped to see O'Reilly who came to see my producers and explain the rules of life and bail me out of a huge pickle. I suggested we get Harry 'live' after Bourque's interview. They agreed and my honor was saved."

* Mats Zuccarello is the poster boy for the tune, "Young At Heart."

* He was beloved on Broadway and is now a heartthrob of the Wild.

* I'm reading Jerry 'Teabag' Hack's book, 'Memoir Of A Hockey Nobody.'

* At this rate, it looms as the best book ever written about Beer League Hockey.

* Historically, the most colorful Beer League team in North America was Gitler's Gorillas who thrived in the Met New York area late last century.

* Note jazz (bebop) critic, Ira Gitler, tripled as a defenseman, coach and GM.

* Granted that the wingless Ducks are a mess. But the fact that rookie GM Pat Verbeek inherited coach Dallas Eakins, it figures that – sooner or later – Patty will want his own guy behind the bench.

* I ask you, is there a coach with a better nickname than Donny 'Meatballs' Granato? And, please, don't tell me 'Turk' Gallant.

* Any time Anaheim wins – 5-2 over Habs last night – I feel better, especially when my old buddy, Adam Henrique, scores.

* Good for Barry Trotz deciding to take the season off to take care of family business. The guy has his values in the right order.

* If – as the Edmonton sages say – Darnell Nurse is the Oilers' top D-man, then GM Ken Holland has issues.

* Bo Horvat belongs in Vancouver and nowhere else.

* If the NHL's Situation Room asserts that a play is "offside," then that should be the end of the discussion.

* Or, to put it more bluntly, that's why there's a Situation Room.

* Two likeable teams that are for real happen to be Dallas and Tampa Bay. Credit GMs Jim Nill and Julien BriseBois.

* Here's yet another reason why Gary Bettman can be commissioner forever. The last two expansion teams – Vegas and Seattle are among the NHL's most $ucce$$ful.

Over the years, few members of the Rangers general staff were as revered as Emile Francis; both as GM and coach. At a recent ceremony in Long Beach, Long Island, the city's rink was renamed "The Emile Francis Memorial Arena." Rangers' historians and authors, George Grimm and Sean McCaffrey – The Maven as well – agree that the event was belated but well-deserved.

The rink naming was appropriate since Francis brought the Rangers to the beach town and made it comfortable for them. As Walt Tkaczuk said in 1972, "I used to pay $250 a month rent, now I pay $276 for a house that's mine."

Over the years, most players and staff (including dentists, doctors, trainers, etc) all lived just blocks away from the Atlantic Ocean. Rangers fans on the south shore of Long Island would constantly bump into their favorite players.

Needing an adequate practice rink, Francis inspired Long Beach officials to build one for his players, and they complied.

Former Rangers Peter Stemkowski, Gilles Villemure, Brian Mullen, Steve Vickers, Nick Fotiu, and the Cat's son, Bobby Francis, attended the ceremony.

Stemkowski emphasized Francis' dedication to the community and as the driving force behind the arena and the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League, where Brian Mullen made his bones.

YAY TO ZACH HYMAN who has the time to be the guts of the Oilers while also knocking off yet another children's book. (His pen name is "Zachary.")

BOO TO BO HORVAT TRADE RUMORS. Enough already. Just play hard hockey for Cousin Brucie.

YAY TO WAYNE FISH. The longtime Flyers' beat writer has a hot book on the shelves. It's all about ex-NHLer Chris Therien's successful battle with demon rum. I call it a must-read.

BIG QUESTION: What's the best way to handle controversial officiating?

BIG ANSWER: Stay calm and figure that it all evens out in the long run.

(That's what the sage Jack Capuano told The Maven when he coached the Islanders.)

Monday: Wild, 2-1 over Oilers. Connor McDavid does not score a goal, forget about it!

Tuesday: Sabres, 6-0 over Kings. Craig Anderson again proves that he's the best old NHL goalie since Les Binkley. The Kings fired 40 shots, and Andy turned them to blanks.

Wednesday: Wild, 4-1 over Wings. The tailspin in Hockeytown was expected. But I like Derek Lalonde's chances of pulling them out of it before a total crash.

Thursday: The Devils' 2-1 loss to Philly last night tells you two things: New Jersey has come down from the stratosphere, and Carter Hart has found his game.

Friday: Game to Watch: St. Louis at Calgary. The Sutter-ites should burn the Blues.

ANSWER TO WHO SAID IT? Tom McVie, coaching the hapless expansion Washington Capitals, was asked if he slept well at night after a loss.