If the Pittsburgh Penguins are indeed suffering without Sidney Crosby in the lineup, they’re doing a very good job of hiding it – and a very good job at making up for it.
Going into Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Penguins have gone 7-3-1, thanks in large part to a four-game winning streak, without Crosby. What makes the Penguins run even more impressive is they won four of five games without both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup.
But as well as they have played, the Penguins were in first place in the Eastern Conference when Crosby went down and now sit as the No. 4 seed. The injury will almost certainly be costly for Crosby personally, likely scuttling his chances for the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies, as well as perhaps the Hart Trophy.
In fact, in our Hart Trophy watch, Crosby has been usurped by Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins, whose comeback season has been one of Hasekian proportions.
GAME OF THE MONTH: There were two, actually. Thomas stopped 74 of 76 shots, including 43 in a 3-2 victory, as the Bruins picked up back-to-back wins against the Carolina Hurricanes in mid-January.
RISING: Goalie Jonas Hiller has been hugely responsible for the defensively deficient Ducks’ rise to playoff contender status.
FALLING: Dustin Byfuglien has watched his scoring totals wane in a big way, along with the once-robust playoff hopes of the Atlanta Thrashers.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: We’re still waiting for Alex Ovechkin to barge his way into the Hart Trophy conversation, but time is a factor. There are those who say he’s saving himself for the playoffs and is concentrating more on his defensive game, but we’re not convinced on either count.
DROPPED OUT:Nicklas Lidstrom, Ondrej Pavelec, Dustin Byfuglien.
THN.com's Hart Trophy Watch will appear monthly throughout the season and don't miss out as we'll also track the Vezina, Norris and Jack Adams.
Ken Campbell, author of the book Habs Heroes, is a senior writer for The Hockey News and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog will appear every Monday throughout the season.
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