from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

- Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley says forward Johnny Gaudreau reminds him of Drury, who Hartley coached with the Cup-champion Avalanche. “You talk to Johnny, you talk to Chris Drury, you see the spark in their eyes. Both were self-driven. They love to be in the clutch, that’s when they rise to the occasion. Personality-wise, they look a lot alike,” Hartley said.

- Has anybody noticed that San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau has three goals in his last 33 games? That’s the definition of stone-cold. He had four goals in his first five games.

- A former NHL GM on Anaheim’s propensity for defencemen who can play: “Where do they find all these guys? Who’s making the draft decisions? (Hampus) Lindholm, (Sami) Vatanen, (Cam) Fowler, Dave Manson’s boy (Josh). There’s some good work there.”

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Also from Matheson,

Is this the season a goalie is named the National Hockey League’s most valuable player?

Is Pekka Rinne the ‘Hart’ of the Nashville Predators? Where would the injury- and mumps-riddled Pittsburgh Penguins be if they didn’t have Marc-Andre Fleury in net?

You can certainly make a case for two captains — defenceman Mark Giordano in Calgary, who is out in every situation for the Flames, or centre Ryan Getzlaf in Anaheim, who has continued to rack up points for the Ducks minus sidekick winger Corey Perry.

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