Gone Streakin'

Time for the weekly hockey post.

The theme of this week is streaks. Not the kind you found on your college girlfriend's underwear shortly before breaking up with her. Winning and losing streaks. It seems everybody in the league has some sort of streak going right now:

The winners

Washington: 8 games
Ottawa: 7 games
Vancouver: 6 games
Colorado: 6 games
San Jose: 5 games
Los Angeles: 3 games
Tampa Bay: 3 games

The losers (damn you new nhl.com format)

Calgary: 8 games
Boston: 5 games
New York Rangers: 4 games
New York Islanders: 4 games
Toronto: 4 games
Nashville: 4 games
Detroit: 3 games
Philadelphia: always losers in my book

and the Big Kahuna:

Edmonton: 11 game losing streak


So what's up with half the teams in the league having streaks of 3 games or more? Well, the shootout, for one. Call the end of overtime a tie and I think most of these streaks disappear. Second, the NHL is a streaky league. It just seems more pronounced when two teams lose 8 or more games in a row. Edmonton has had problems winning in regulation for years, but now I guess they just can't keep the score close enough to get a win in the skills competition.

That's really all I've got for this week. Tough to tie any deep meaning to late January games, even the playoff picture is still very muddled. Onto the game of the night:


Chicago Blackhawks @ San Jose Sharks

WHY TO WATCH: These are the number 1 and number 2 teams in the league right now, and they have enough talent to make Pierre McGuire forget about Mike Richards (almost). This might be as close to a heavyweight matchup in the regular season as we can get. Or the postseason, considering the Sharks' annual playoff failures and the Capitals' allergy to playing past the second round.

WHY NOT TO WATCH: You live on the East Coast and you have to be in bed before 1:30? Just a guess. Doesn't keep me from recommending this game, though. Center Ice that shit if you're unemployed.

PREDICTION: Sharks 6, Hawks 5 (OT). Dany Heatley gets 2 goals and doesn't kill anyone somehow, Marian Hossa leads Chi-town with 2 goals of his own. I was an empty net goal away from being exactly right last week, so you should listen to me.


Alternative Game: Ottawa @ Pittsburgh. This game has actual implications in the standings too! And Ottawa is a bunch of douches.

- Matt