Around the rinks: Aho on a hot streak
ON A STREAK: Sebastian Aho has points in all nine of Carolina’s games, inching closer to the franchise record of 11 games set by Ron Francis. ... Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are tied for the franchise’s longest point streak to start a season (nine games) with Joe Sakic and Anton Stastny, who did it in 1988. STICKING WITH IT: Ottawa sniper Mark Stone switched sticks and it paid off with a two-goal performance against Montreal over the weekend. “I’ve always wanted to use a bigger curve to help my shot,” he told Ottawa reporters. “I think, if you look at all the guys that are sharpshooters, they’re using pretty big curves, so I thought I’d give it a try. It’s a bit of a toe curve, but it’s just a bit bigger. I usually use a relatively straight curve and I handle the puck better, but I like this one. Everything is the same. Just the blade is different.”
ON THE REBOUND: Dallas goaltending coach Jeff Reese said the team keeps internal numbers which say goalie Ben Bishop — off to his best start in a Stars uniform — has been good at redirecting rebounds and limiting opportunities. Reese also makes the distinction between a good rebound and a bad rebound. A good one heads out of harm’s way, likely to the corner. A bad one bounces back to the slot for another scoring chance. “When you throw a puck at the net, if we’re going to kick them right back out in the slot, it makes it really tough on your defence to find it,” Reese told the Dallas Morning News. “When you’re boxing out, they don’t know where it is. It makes it tough on the D. The better you can control your rebounds, obviously, the better it is for everybody.”
BOWER POWER: Meadowvale Four Rinks in Mississauga will dedicate Rink 1 to Maple Leafs great Johnny Bower. It is the rink closest to where the late goalie lived. He wore No. 1 during four-time Stanley Cup winning careers. “It is an honour to recognize Johnny Bower at the arena where he was well known as a mentor to many young hockey players and where his grandchildren skated,” said Pat Saito, Councillor, Ward 9. Bower died on Dec. 26.