It may take only two to tango, but more than a pair is required for any extended team success in the NHL. There's no refuting that Michael Cammalleri and Jarome Iginla are playing phenomenally these days, contributing heavily to Calgary's win column, but they aren't the only ones. Along with a couple of superstars, a solid supporting cast is an equally valuable element to ongoing prosperity. The Flames have as much, and that's why they've averaged 3.55 goals per game in January and have only three regulation losses since Dec. 9.
Front and center, Adrian Aucoin deserves a gold star for his contributions of late. He scored a power-play goal in Calgary's 3-1 victory over Nashville on Friday night and has, somewhat quietly, strung together a six-game point streak. In fact, the 35-year-old veteran has nine points in his past eight contests. Those numbers are impressive for any player, never mind a defenseman.
Coach Mike Keenan deserves a good deal of credit for this recent outburst. He's given Aucoin the freedom to jump up into the play on offense whenever the blueliner feels comfortable. The guy is getting a ton of ice time as well, both at even strength and with the man advantage. He is averaging almost 27 minutes in his past four games, and we're talking quality minutes. It seems Aucoin is involved in the action, at both ends of the ice, all the time. You'd swear he was out there for more than half the game.
Now for the best and most incredible news of all: Aucoin is owned in less than 30 percent of ESPN leagues. It's mind-boggling. In terms of Calgary defensemen, he sits second in scoring only to his power-play partner, Dion Phaneuf, yet Phaneuf holds 100 percent ownership. Honestly, if Aucoin is available, just pick him up before someone else does. As trade fodder, if for no other reason.
Ice Chips
No one has benefited more from the All-Star break than Jamie Langenbrunner. The New Jersey winger has six goals, seven points and 17 shots in his past three games, all Devils victories. And he's scored the deciding goal in all three as well, including the OT winner in Friday's 4-3 contest versus Pittsburgh. Ensuring Langenbrunner is active is obvious, but his partner at center should be exploited as well. Travis Zajac has a six assists in the past three contests. … On the Penguins' side of the puck, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin had a goal and assist each in the loss. … Mike Richards broke out of his goal drought in grand fashion with a couple of goals in Philadelphia's 6-1 drubbing of Tampa Bay. He also contributed an assist and extended his point streak to four consecutive games. But before Friday night, Richards hadn't put one between the pipes himself since Jan. 10. And from the "you may not know" category: He's appreciated more for his helpers than anything else, but Richards also leads the team in hits with 89. Not bad for a guy listed (generously) at 5-11 and 195 lbs. … In net for the Flyers, Antero Niittymaki held down the fort exceptionally well, stopping 40 of 41 shots. … For the Lightning, Ryan Malone provided the most fantasy upside, racking up 11 penalty minutes for a variety of offenses. … As expected, the Oilers rebounded well from Tuesday's 10-2 loss to Buffalo with a solid 3-1 victory over Minnesota. Veteran Dwayne Roloson made proper amends, stopping all but one of the 30 shots he faced. … For the Wild, Niklas Backstrom had another off night and was pulled after allowing three goals on only 11 shots. It's the second time in three games that Backstrom has been yanked. Is this merely a mild rough patch? Everyone has them. Keep an eye on Josh Harding and have him ready to go, if necessary. … To give Brian Elliott a break after seven straight starts, Alex Auld was in goal for Ottawa against the Blue Jackets. Auld already had a good record against Columbus and put in another solid performance in the 1-0 loss. It's not his fault the rest of the Senators couldn't score, or even hit the net, for that matter. Steve Mason earned his seventh shutout of the season by stopping only 18 shots. … A gentle reminder, if you haven't heard the news already: Peter Forsberg will not play in the NHL this season. He says so himself. Forsberg is still owned in 4.7 percent of ESPN leagues, so some are either in denial, or simply not paying attention.
