T1B

Forsberg:
30 assists in 19 games...On Pace For: 129 assists (Career High: '95-96--86 assists in 82 games)
36 points in 19 games...On Pace For: 155 points (Career High: '95-96--116 points in 82 games)

Gagne:
20 goals in 19 games...On Pace For 86 goals (Career High: '01-02--33 goals in 79 games)

I think it's safe to say we'll see a 50 goal scorer and a 100 point player this year after there were neither in '03-04. Is this a trend of the new NHL or just players off to hot starts? What heights will players reach this year?

I was on the Forsberg bandwagon from the get-go and I'm not shocked he leads the league in scoring. I can see him eclipsing his previous high on points but it would a stretch to think he'll break 100 assists, let alone 129. He's averaged 1.27 points a game going into this year. I envisioned he'd put up over 100 points this year with a more wide-open game. He was one of the biggest critics of the clutch and grab style from before and threatened to leave the NHL and never come back.

Gagne on the other hand, he should be able to put in 50 given Forsberg is his linemate but no way will he touch the numbers Hull, Bossy, Selanne or Gretzky posted. I think a player could take a run at 60, just don't think it'll be Gagne. I'd put my money on either Jagr, Ovechkin or Kovalchuk to net 60.

If we get through the playoffs with the current way the game is called/played I think that we will see the 80's type numbers. The culture will eventually shift and it will turn to an Offence first game. It of course helps when we have a very promising group of young talent hitting the league.

This whole experiment will be tested during the playoffs, just think about it...game 7 overtime and there's a loose hand tugging on somebody. An automatic penalty now...then? Not that I agree with some of the weak calls but it still remains to be seen how this game will shape out after the playoffs.

As for this year...for sure we will see some big numbers. I expect this pace to continue. I certainly hope so, for Sens sake

That line of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson is flat out scary. Could it be possible that all 3 guys hit 100 points each? At the very least, they'll have 80-90 points each. Spezza is living up to the hype that surrounded him when he was in juniors...sort of like Crosby. He and Bouwmeester were being compared to Gretzky and Orr. Bouwmeester has yet to reach his potential but Spezza looks like he has arrived on the NHL level.

stealth wrote: The culture will eventually shift and it will turn to an Offence first game.

Eventually? It has already arrived.

Cicatrix wrote:

stealth wrote: The culture will eventually shift and it will turn to an Offence first game.

Eventually? It has already arrived.

Yea the scoring is here now but we still have to have the Coaches/GMs to buy in and start drafting the type of player for an offensive game, hence change the "Culture" of the game

As for Spezza, he has done well getting out from under o'l jug ears. Also I'm sure we would have never seen the likes of Neil doing PP work and Havlat doing PK work, wich btw is realy a beauty thing to watch...dude is ready to spring on every side to side pass.