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Inside The NHL
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Published: October 28, 2007
GREAT BEGINNINGS
There's no Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, like in 2005-06. But the rookies are OK (especially in Chicago), and here are a dozen first-year players who have begun to make a mark:
| Name | Pos. | Team | Comment |
| Nicklas Backstrom | C | Capitals | Five assists in first eight games |
| Andrew Cogliano | C | Oilers | '05 first-rounder has seven points |
| Tobias Enstrom | D | Thrashers | '03 eighth-round pick averaging 20-plus minutes |
| Sam Gagner | C | Oilers | 18-year-old '07 first-rounder has seven points |
| Andy Greene | D | Devils | Leads rookies with 21-plus minutes per game |
| Josh Harding | G | Wild | Shutout, two victories in three starts |
| Jack Johnson | D | Kings | '05 first-rounder averaging 19-plus minutes |
| Patrick Kane | RW | Blackhawks | '07 No. 1 overall pick leads rooks with 13 points |
| Mike Lundin | D | Lightning | Has played valuable minutes in Dan Boyle's absence |
| Carey Price | G | Canadiens | Gaining public support to replace Cristobal Huet |
| Jonathan Toews | C | Blackhawks | '06 first-rounder leads rooks with four goals |
| Steve Wagner | D | Blues | Averaging 19-plus minutes, plus-4 |
Can the Ducks' slow start be attributed more to their ongoing London fog or a full-blown Stanley Cup hangover? If recent history is an indication, winning it all isn't a guarantee of success the next season. Here's a look at how the defending Cup champions have fared the year after over the past decade:
| Cup Season | Team | The Year After |
| 2006-07 | Ducks | Nine points in 12 games |
| 2005-06 | Hurricanes | Missed playoffs |
| 2003-04 | Lightning | Eighth seed, lost first round |
| 2002-03 | Devils | Lost first round |
| 2001-02 | Red Wings | Lost first round |
| 2000-01 | Avalanche | Lost conference final |
| 1999-00 | Devils | Lost Stanley Cup final |
| 1998-99 | Stars | Lost Stanley Cup final |
| 1997-98 | Red Wings | Lost conference semifinal |
| 1996-97 | Red Wings | Won Stanley Cup |
Some teams make it all too obvious. Others choose the pithy, esoteric path. Still others adopt marketing slogans so obscure in meaning, it's unclear whether they're promoting a hockey team, a Vin Diesel movie (pre-'The Pacifier') or a bus tour of Branson, Mo. Anyway, see if you can make heads or tails of the unofficial NHL marketing match game:
| Teams | Slogans |
| 1. Blackhawks | A. Welcome To the State of Hockey |
| 2. Blue Jackets | B. Experience the Evolution |
| 3. Blues | C. Believe In Blueland |
| 4. Coyotes | D. See It. Get It. Love It. |
| 5. Flyers | E. The Passion That Unites Us All |
| 6. Hurricanes | F. Fire On Ice |
| 7. Islanders | G. Red Rising |
| 8. Kings | H. We Are All Canucks |
| 9. Oilers | I. All Things Hockey |
| 10. Panthers | J. Back With a Vengeance |
| 11. Penguins | K. Carry the Flag |
| 12. Red Wings | L. Our Team. Our Tradition. |
| 13. Stars | M. Come Into the Cold |
| 14. Thrashers | N. Whatever It Takes |
| 15. Bruins | O. Hockey Bay USA |
| 16. Wild | P. We're All Islanders: Grit. Character. Heart. |
| 17. Canadiens | Q. You're In Oil Country |
| 18. Sharks | R. We Play For L.A. |
| 19. Lightning | S. The Hub of Hockey |
| 20. Maple Leafs | T. Champions De 24 Coupes Stanley |
| 21. Canucks | U. This Is Sharks Territory |
1-G; 2-K;3-N;4-I;5-J;6-L;7-P;8-R;9-Q;10-D;11-B;12-F;13-M;14-C;15-S;16-A;17-T;18-U;19-O;20-E;21-H.
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