<
        >

          Cross Checks Blog

          Tavares and Voracek put on a show; Penguins and Blue Jackets hurting out East

          • Katie Strang, ESPN.comJan 26, 2015, 10:57 AM ET
            Close
              Katie Strang covers the Detroit Tigers for ESPN.com. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
            Follow on X

          Trending up

          • City of Columbus: By all accounts, the 2015 NHL All-Star Game festivities could not have been done any better than by the hospitality of Columbus, Ohio, as its host city (OK, actually, it sounds as if we could have all done without that damn cannon). What a great way to celebrate what has become a burgeoning hockey market and one of the league’s most rowdy, raucous fan bases. Considering what a buzz we saw with the Blue Jackets’ crowds in the playoffs last spring, it’s nice to know they’ll at least have this past weekend to savor in the (likely) event Columbus misses out on a postseason berth this year.

          • John Tavares, New York Islanders: One of the game’s brightest young stars continues to wow with his talent and skill and, man, do I wish Team Custrang would’ve drafted the Islanders phenom in our writers' fantasy draft. Tavares led all players with four goals in the All-Star Game, fueling Team Toews to a 17-12 victory over Team Foligno and becoming the sixth player in NHL history to record such a performance. In doing so, Tavares joined the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux -- pretty good company, to say the least.

          • Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers: Let's also not overlook the contributions of Voracek, who had a rather historic night at the All-Star Game with a spectacular six-point performance that included a hat trick and three assists. Fitting that it came in Columbus, where Voracek was drafted and played from 2008-11 before being traded to the Flyers. Voracek’s big night highlights what has been a sensational first half of the season for the Czech winger, who leads the league in scoring with 56 points.

          Trending down

          • Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: Why do goaltenders even want to play in All-Star Games? I mean, honestly. Poor Fleury was lit up for seven goals in the second period for Team Foligno. Though he has been terrific this season for the Penguins, he was hung out to dry and told reporters afterward that it felt like the longest 20 minutes of his career.

          • Chances of Isles-Rangers playing: Though the Islanders are set to host the rival New York Rangers in a bitter divisional clash Tuesday, it's pretty likely that game will be postponed by a monumental blizzard threatening to dump up to three feet of snow on the New York area over the next few days. A league spokesperson told ESPN.com early Monday morning that no decision had been made yet about the fate of the game.

          Injury report

          • Pens reeling: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin missed the All-Star Game with injuries, and the former will be required to miss Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, per league rules. And while Crosby is expected to return at some point this week, his team's health continues to be an issue with Pascal Dupuis and Olli Maatta both done for the season and Kris Letang, Patric Hornqvist, Blake Comeau and Simon Despres all ailing.

          • Bob’s out: Jimmy Howard and Pekka Rinne were not the only goaltenders who required injury replacements this past weekend. Former Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky was forced from the Blue Jackets' 4-0 blanking Wednesday, which prevented him from playing in his adopted hometown’s big showcase. Bobrovsky could miss significant time with the reported groin injury, just another costly blow in what has been a disastrous season healthwise for the Blue Jackets.

          What to watch for

          • Rangers rising: With the Pens ailing and the Blueshirts riding a three-game winning streak, New York has a chance to gain ground this week in the Metropolitan Division standings. Rick Nash is rolling with 28 goals -- he’s tied with the Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin for the league lead -- and it doesn't hurt that the Rangers play the next five games in New York, either.

          • Toronto tailspin: Expect the level of hysteria and histrionics to only intensify if the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stumble out of the All-Star break. A coaching change has yielded a more structured, defensively sound playing style under Peter Horachek, but that hasn't translated into wins as the Leafs are teetering dangerously close to falling off the proverbial cliff and missing out on the playoffs once again.