More Notable Preseason Players (Sep 16)

It's great to have hockey back on TV again. TSN broadcast the game between the Leafs and the Bruins in Toronto and we (meaning those who watched the game) got to learn a little bit more about the Leafs new prospects that they picked up from the NCAA in the Spring. It looks as though Brian Burke has really done a good job with this start. If you're also curious about the Flames or the Oilers, you can watch their preseason games online from their own website. I watched the Islanders/Oilers game last night online. It was alright.

Well, now to some of the notable players, shall we?

On the telecast last night, the comment was made that Patrice Bergeron was coming oh so close to returning to his old playmaking self (to which I responded on Twitter) and he didn't prove anyone wrong. Bergeron finished the 3-2 win with a pair of assists to lead the way and he really did look good out on the ice. I have upgraded his point projections on my sheet already, but I am not going overboard here, as he does come with a bit of a 'glass jaw' tag to him.

On the Maple Leafs side of the ledger, there were a number of players that looked really good, but only Francois Beauchemin hit the scoresheet more than once with a pair of assists as well. It sounds like there are some high expectations on the defenseman that followed Burke from Anaheim to Toronto and he doesn't want to disappoint. With only playing 20 games last season, you know that he'll want to raise his game up pretty high this year.

The Panthers took on the Senators last night in Ottawa and they managed to hold onto a 2-1 win over the veteran-laden home team. Showing his stuff was Dimitri Kulikov, the Panthers first round pick, 14th overall, who scored a goal and an assist in the win. Kulikov was noted before the draft as a very offensive defenseman and obviously he seems to be up to the task. In the QMJHL last season, he was very well decorated, with six different honours, and had a whale of a season scoring 12 goals and 50 assists in only 57 games. This could be a good keeper pick here.

The Devils ended up beating the Rangers in a shootout on Wednesday night, 3-2. In that game, a pair of veterans ended up with multiple-point nights. David Clarkson scored a pair of goals in the game, while Dainius Zubrus picked up a pair of assists. Clarkson scored 17 goals last season for the Devils and seems to have regained his touch or possibly even made it a little bit better. Zubrus finished last season with only 25 assists, a number that is well-below average for his normal output. These two have room for improvement in their play this season.

The Stars and Lightning also went to a shootout last night, with the Stars prevailing, 4-3, in the end. Of the three regulation time goals, the Stars relied on only four players to do the work, all of which finished with a pair of points each. Brad Richards, Loui Eriksson and James Neal all finished with a goal and an assist, while Mike Modano had a pair of assists. The Stars are going to want to generate a lot of offense this season, as the questions about their goaltending still linger from last season. This isn't a bad start to that at all.

The Lightning did a little bit better to share the wealth around the scoring in their three regulation time goals. There was only one player to crack the multiple-point barrier and he is a training camp invite, Brett McLean. McLean had a goal and an assist in the game to help earn himself a spot on the Lightning. The Lightning have already seen a fair chunk of McLean already in his career, as he was playing with the Panthers for the past couple seasons.

The Oilers went out and spoiled a preseason debut for John Tavares with a 3-2 win over the Islanders on Wednesday night. Leading the way for the Oilers were Sheldon Souray and Sam Gagner, who both had a goal and an assist in the game. Without a doubt, Souray made the most noise in the game, breaking two panes of glass within minutes of each other with his booming slap shot. It looks like he's really ready to go this year.

The Ducks and Coyotes played to a 3-2 shootout decision for Anaheim last night on the Pond. Rookie phenom from last season, Bobby Ryan, picked up the two regulation time goals for the Ducks in that game, while free agent rookie, Dan Sexton assisted on both goals. Ryan, we know a great deal about, but his linemate has sort of popped up out of nowhere for the Ducks. Sexton played his last couple seasons with Bowling Green, picking up 60 points in 76 games between the two seasons. He was signed to a deal in April and is looking for a full-time job in the big leagues.

Well, there you have it. All the multiple-point players from Wednesday night. Adjust your lists accordingly.