from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,

Hands up who figured Buffalo Sabres centre Zemgus Girgensons would be 141st in NHL scoring but first in player votes for the NHL All-Star Game?

The Latvian has garnered more than 1.5-million nods because it seems everyone in Riga, population 700,000, voted twice.

How many figured more NHLers would be on injured reserve the first three months with the mumps than sprained knees, with Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby looking like Alvin, the most famous of the singing Chipmunks?

Did anybody see Philadelphia Flyers winger Jakub Voracek leading the league in scoring at the halfway point? Or Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano having more points than New York Islanders captain John Tavares and San Jose Sharks centre Jumbo Joe Thornton?

How about the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Tyler Johnson, the undrafted centre who is third in league scoring, with only nine of his 45 points on the power play and leading in plus/minus (plus-26)?

continued