Stan Fischler discusses Connor McDavid, compares Alex Ovechkin and Gordie Howe and much more.

SIX SHOTS INTO THE POST-CHRISTMAS NET

1. Cousin Brucie Boudreau’s Christmas present to himself is that he’s still coaching the Canucks.

2. Lindy Ruff’s gift from his Devils is that, while they’re still in a tailspin, their record is a comforting 22-10-2.

3. Zach Hyman’s “it’s unacceptable” crack, after Edmonton lost to Vancouver on Friday, sounds like the kids’ book author is ready to refund fans their loonie.

4. Apart from Alex Ovechkin’s record-breaking 802nd goal, the next best thing about it was Mark Howe’s from-the-heart congratulations on behalf of his Dad.

5. Given the results so far, would Columbus make that Johnny Gaudreau deal all over again, assuming John Davidson had the chance? I think not!

6. At this point, Jim Montgomery has to be head and shoulders over everyone for coach of the year. (Rod Brind’Amour is runner-up.)

PUTTING OVECHKIN AND HOWE IN PERSPECTIVE

Enough wonderful things have been said about Alex Ovechkin that anything more would be like gilding the rose or painting the lily.

Having watched Gordie Howe since his rookie year and ditto for Rocket Richard, I’d say that Ovechkin is a latter-day Rocket because of his explosive nature and ability to scuttle foes with mighty checks. Ovechkin is to the NHL what Babe Ruth was to baseball, while Sidney Crosby reminds me of the Yankees’ Lou Gehrig.

As for comparisons, Emile ‘The Cat’ Francis, when playing goal for Chicago, said the Rocket carried two Black Hawks on his back while scoring against him. ‘Ovie’ certainly has the strength to do the same.

In 1950, Howe nearly died after crashing into the boards – Detroit’s GM Jack Adams claimed that Toronto’s Ted Kennedy “butt-ended him,” but that claim was refuted by NHL president Clarence Campbell. During a 1950 playoff game, Gordie never let anyone get the best of him. No one. Period!

Mr. Hockey’s IQ (Intensity Quotient) was the highest of all-time when he came to get even for an elbow or any other infraction against him. I believe that Gordie’s Hall of Fame son, Mark, would second that motion.

Ovie surpassing Gordie in no way diminishes the greatness of the man I consider the greatest forward I ever had the good fortune to see through his entire NHL and WHA careers: Mr. Hockey. Ovie is an able successor but in a different, contemporary way.

WHY CONNOR MCDAVID IS NOT THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD

I love reading Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, especially since he’s a no-nonsense journalist. But the other day, Spector wrote something that I felt I should – in all fairness – challenge. He called Connor McDavid “The Best Player in the World.”

Of course, that’s easy to say, especially since a lot of people agree with that assessment – but that doesn’t mean that they’re right.

Frankly, they are not.

What McDavid happens to be is the most spectacular player, which is not nearly the same as being the best.

When you talk best, you’re talking about multi-purpose winners such as Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, players who have done it all. No half-baked stuff with them.

McDavid is best at putting on a show – dipsy-doodling around an enemy defense, scoring and/or setting up Leon Draisaitl across the way.

But being “the best” means doing other things like playing defense – and winning Stanley Cups as Ovechkin, Crosby and Steven Stamkos have done.

Right this minute, there’s a better all-around player roaming the NHL than McDavid. That happens to be Jason Robertson of Dallas, a fellow who does what McDavid does not.

At the moment, Robertson is a plus-19. McDavid is a mediocre plus-3.

That tells you that Robertson (26 goals, 50 points) understands what complete hockey is all about – it’s not just highlight-reel hockey.

A good case could still be made for Crosby, Ovechkin and Stamkos for “Best Player In The World.” They play the 200-foot game the way it’s supposed to be played. They are also captains who genuinely lead their teams.

Furthermore, these players have won Cups. The spectacular McDavid has done nothing of the kind yet.

I’d put my money on Robertson to sip Cup champagne before the guy who’s just barely above the plus mark.

BOOK REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A HOCKEY NOBODY

Author Jerry ‘Teabag’ Hack has a wonderful sub-title, “They said I couldn’t make the NHL, so I went out and proved them right.”

Right off the bat, Hack’s title made me smile – as did most of the 212 pages too.

‘Teabag’ makes no bones about being a writer, but he’s wrong. The guy can write – it’s just that he’s not writing for The Athletic or one of those pseudo-intellectual websites.

The memoir has to be one of the best books ever written about beer league hockey. It’s an even better book about a guy (Jerry) who chases his dream to be a paid goaltender – and who actually finds some money at the end of his rainbow.

Who cares if it’s chump change? Hack played before real crowds, in real arenas, against real hockey players and lived to tell tales and drink the beer.

The legendary author Jimmy Breslin was once asked to define good writing.

His simple answer was this: “is it a good read?”

Frankly, I couldn’t put Hack’s book down – it’s that good. My only complaint was that it came to an end, and I wanted more.

If you like hockey, you’ll love Memoirs of a Hockey Nobody.

I’M JUST SAYIN

* Sabres fans should not forget that Jason Botterill was the smart fellow who obtained Tage Thompson back in 2018.

* At the time, it seemed like a one-sided trade with Ryan O’Reilly, but who knew? Time marched on, and now, it can be said that this was a super steal for Buffalo.

*The Metro Division playoff race is a terrific testimonial to NHL parity.

* Look at the arithmetic: Only 10 points separate the leading Canes and the sixth-seeded Isles.

*And how about Ovie leading his Caps to wins in nine of their last 10 games? It puts once-forlorn Washington right back into the playoff picture.

* The Oil Cans would be better off with the Mike Smith-Mikko Koskinen duet than the Jack Campbell-Stu Skinner jokers.

* The Bruins have been so good that we tend to forget that the Maple Leafs have not been doing too badly, either.

* Say what you will, but I’ll take Jean Sheperd’s Christmas Story over any Hollywood Yuletide flick. The original Miracle On 34th Street is my runner-up.

CHECKING OUT BUFFALO’S BENCH BOSS

Our Max Borsuk takes an objective look at Don Granato. See if you agree. Take it away, Maxie:

After Lindy Ruff was relieved as Buffalo’s coach in 2013, finding consistency behind the bench was an issue for the Sabres. Enter Don Granato. As the Sabres trend up this season, have the Sabres finally found what they’ve been searching for in a coach?

With the Sabres having over a .500 winning percentage, the second-highest scoring offense in the league and continued growth of their young core, the answer is affirmative.

Since 2013, the Sabres have had five different head coaches, none finishing with a winning record and none lasting more than three seasons with the team.

Taking over as interim coach during the 2020-21 season, then getting the interim tag removed and eventually signing a contract extension, Granato is keeping his team afloat after years of plumbing the depths.

Entering the 2022-23 season, the Sabres had the youngest roster, with an average age of just over 25 years. For a coach who specializes in developing youth, Granato is in the perfect spot.

Before joining the Sabres, Don’s bench work included the USHL, ECHL, AHL and the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, where he worked with players including Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk and others before they became NHL stars.

Looking at a roster already featuring Tage Thompson, Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Jack Quinn, Peyton Krebs and JJ Peterka, along with other high draft picks in the minors – you think one thing – they are on the verge of jumping to the big club.

Granato has a surplus of talent ready to be molded into a success story that fans have been yearning for over the past decade. Good job, Donny Boy!

PASSING OF DON MCKENNEY

The Maven was saddened by the news that one of my old-time favorites, Don McKenney, passed away. Don was a slick, playmaking center – sometimes a first-liner and sometimes second – who played a clean and smart game. Sort of a Poor Man’s Wayne Gretzky.

Mac was eventually traded to the Rangers, during which time I got to appreciate his game and his personality even more so. In good time, he was then dealt to the Maple Leafs in the blockbuster deal in which Andy Bathgate also moved on to Punch Imlach-ville.

It was a good trade all around. Don and Andy helped Imlach win his third straight Stanley Cup – and still managed to keep their sanity under the nut clubhouse run by Punch. R.I.P. Don.

A NO-NONSENSE VIEW OF THE PANTHERS PLIGHT

Whether you’re from Miami, Clearwater, or any other Florida points, east or west, you have to agree that the Panthers have been a disappointment. But why? Our Minister of Sheltering Palms, Gus Vic, has the answer:

It’s one thing to overreact after a losing effort. It’s another when there’s enough sample size to have some conviction in making the point. Such is the case with the Florida Panthers, who lost on Friday night to the Islanders, 5-1.

Here’s a team celebrated a season ago for surviving the mess surrounding then-coach Joel Quenneville and winning the Presidents’ Trophy anyway with Andrew Brunette at the helm. Of course, when the rubber met the road come playoff time – Tampa Bay fed the Panthers a tough lesson in the form of a four-game, second-round sweep.

There are two parts to the story here. First, while there are expectations which come as the defending regular season champions, it’s important to note that Florida wore the moniker “Cardiac Cats” last season for good reason. The team authored numerous multi-goal comebacks in 2021-22. Exciting as it may have been, the Lightning badly exposed the thought they could win that way in the playoffs. Further, to believe they could win again this season with so little margin has proven to be foolhardy.

Second, despite the high-wire act on many a night last season, Brunette did a highly commendable job considering the circumstances in which he was elevated to head coach. He managed to win a playoff round and – in this opinion – deserved the opportunity to build on his work.

Cue Bill Zito, thinking he’d swing for the fences by sending Brunette packing and bringing in Paul Maurice to get the Cats to the next level. The argument here is that this move didn’t need to happen.

Maurice is a solid coach. Know what else? He’s coached 25 NHL seasons and has made the final once. He's not exactly a game-changer.

Although Matthew Tkachuk isn’t the reason why the Panthers are struggling, I also don’t believe they are better off long-term with him than Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.

The bigger issue here is under Maurice’s leadership, the team has little structure. They don’t strike much fear into opponents and, by the way, they have $10.5M committed to mediocre goaltending between Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight.

Almost a half-season of sample size, and this body of work shows proves nightly that the Panthers will play 82 games and no more this season.

USHL MAKES OUTDOOR HISTORY

Bill Robertson has done wonders since becoming USHL commissioner. He continues to innovate and lift the quality of junior hockey in America.

Here’s Billy Rob’s latest:

The Youngstown Phantoms, in conjunction with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders and United States Hockey League, will stage the first outdoor game in team history.

The “USHL Cleveland Classic – presented by Winmark” will be played at First Energy Stadium, home of the Cleveland Browns, on Feb. 23.

“Growing Hockey in Ohio has always been a huge initiative for us in Youngstown, and we are thrilled to be hosting the USHL Cleveland Classic in February,” said Phantoms coach Ryan Ward. “Not only is this going to be a once or twice in a lifetime experience for our players, it is going to bring visibility to the state of hockey in Ohio. We are excited to drop the puck at First Energy Stadium.”

“We want to thank the Youngstown Phantoms for inviting us,” added Cedar Rapids coach-GM Mark Carlson. “It’s going to be a historic game and experience.”

Added Robertson: “The USHL is excited to have both Youngstown and Cedar Rapids competing in this unique outdoor hockey event, Cleveland will be an outstanding host and market for this contest as the USHL will again be able to showcase our wonderful league and member clubs on a national stage. We are also looking forward to all the pregame festivities that support the growth of hockey in Ohio and the surrounding areas.”

WE DON’T NEED A WORLD CUP, BUT SOCCER DOES

No question, Argentina’s World Cup win was a once-in-a-lifetime sports pearl. Good for soccer – “football,” as they say worldwide. But that does not mean that the NHL has to follow suit.

The 82-game marathon is exciting enough, and major league hockey’s playoffs will match the best that baseball, basketball or the Super Bowl have to offer.

So, please, stop with the time-wasting (hockey) World Cup lobbying. The NHL is just fine the way it is now.

WHO SAID IT? “It starts off looking like a small pea and then disappears altogether.” (ANSWER BELOW.)

BIG QUESTION: IS THE BRUINS' PLAY SUSTAINABLE?

BIG ANSWER: The Beantowners are playing way over their heads. Come the new year, Jim Montgomery’s leaders will come down to NHL earth.

YAYS AND BOOS:

YAY TO ALEX OVECHKIN who will break Wayne Gretzky’s record next. And, if it doesn’t, congrats on a valiant effort.

YAY TO ALL MY READERS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON and retroactive Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day and happy, healthy New Year.

THAT WAS THE WEEKEND THAT WAS:

FRIDAY: One revival and one needed. The Islanders’ 5-1 revival win over Florida puts them five wins over .500. By contrast, the Panthers need a revival big-time. Maybe the Christmas break will help them, but it’s a big maybe.

SATURDAY: Make some eggnog.

SUNDAY: Merry Christmas.

MONDAY: Happy Boxing Day.

ANSWER TO WHO SAID IT? Penguins goalie Les Binkley commenting on Bobby Hull’s shot.