Of all the unlikely heroes an NHL team can have, it would be tough to find one more unlikely than Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Ty Conklin. The 31-year-old journeyman is riding an amazing hot streak that has helped propel the Penguins to a first place tie for the Atlantic Division lead. In 11 games, Conklin is 10-0-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage that would be tops in the league if Conklin had enough games played to qualify for the league leaders. These stats are even more amazing when you consider that the Penguins are known as an offense-first type team, and don’t have a reputation as being very strong defensively.

Conklin seemed to come out of nowhere. The 6’0”, 184 pound native of Anchorage, Alaska, started the season in the AHL and was third on the team’s depth chart. When starter Marc-Andre Fleury went down with a sprained ankle, the Pens turned to backup Dany Sabourin who was inconsistent and did not appear ready to take on the starting spot over the long haul.

Conklin hardly had the credentials that would lead one to expect he would produce results like these. Prior to this season, he had played in all of 88 NHL games and never had more than 35 starts or 17 wins in a season. He had already played for four teams before the Penguins signed him as an afterthought/insurance policy before this season began.

Nobody can deny what Conklin has meant to the Penguins who have won nine of their last 10 and 10 of their last 12 games.

“He's just been fantastic,” Pens’ defenseman Ryan Whitney said. “You can't say anything else.”

Conklin himself remains modest about his accomplishments and realizes that he has to continue to play well for a lot longer than this short span to truly resurrect his career. Still, without Conklin’s strong play, there is no way that the Pens would be tied for first place with the Devils in the tight Atlantic Division race. And rest assured, even if the Penguins turn back to Marc-Andre Fleury when he regains his health, Conklin has guaranteed himself a job somewhere in the NHL next season.

Avs Riddled With Injuries

When it comes to injuries, when it rains it pours for the Colorado Avalanche. The team had already lost Ryan Smyth with a broken ankle and Joe Sakic due to hernia surgery. Now, the team’s leading scorer, Paul Stastny, is out 2-3 weeks after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. Stastny will miss the All-Star Game but the Avs are fortunate that the All-Star break will cause him to miss fewer games. The Avalanche are in the midst of a tough, five-team race in the Northwest Division where eight points separates the first place Wild from the last place Oilers. These injuries could very well cost the Avs a playoff spot.

Willie O’Ree 50th Anniversary Celebration

The NHL is doing a good job of commemorating the 50th anniversary of Willie O’Ree becoming the first Black player to reach the NHL. O’Ree has always handled himself with class and dignity and his accomplishment deserves recognition. He overcame racial prejudice and some ill treatment by opposing fans and opponents to blaze a trail for Blacks in hockey. O’Ree was good enough to play in the NHL when there were only six teams in the league and was also an effective hockey player despite only having sight in only one eye. Today, he serves as a good will ambassador for the league to promote diversity within the sport.

Maurice & Ferguson Handle Tough Situation With Class

Say what you want about the mess that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in and believe me, it’s quite a mess and there is plenty of blame to go around, but credit must be given to both coach Paul Maurice and GM John Ferguson, Jr., for handling themselves with class and dignity while the press has been acting like sharks at a feeding frenzy waiting for them to be fired. You have to feel for Maurice during some post game interviews because you know his heart is in his job and he is hurting but he hasn’t been ducking interviews or trying to cast blame on his players. Maurice and Ferguson continue to press ahead in what has become be a thankless situation. If they are going to be fired, the Leafs should do it already and not let these two men dangle in the wind.

The Leafs do need to rebuild their team from the ground up. Hockey fans in Toronto have to give management the time to do that and have to show some patience. Look, the Leafs may lose 45-50 games next season with a group of young players but they will probably do that anyway with a group of overpriced and underachieving veterans. Rebuilding shouldn’t be a dirty word for Leafs fans as long as there is a plan and a purpose behind it and it leads to a better future.

Cujo Lands in Calgary

The Flames made a good move by signing veteran goalie, Curtis Joseph, to back up Miikka Kiprusoff. Kipper had started every game this season except one and at times it was clear the heavy work load was taking its toll. Cujo is still capable of playing every other game once he gets back into shape and he can give Kiprusoff some much needed rest down the stretch without mailing in two points. Coach Mike Keenan also loves to pull his goalies and this will allow him to do that with a lot more confidence. It also gives Cujo one more chance to play at the NHL level. The Flames unquestionably improved their team with this signing.

Ramage Sentence Handed Down

Finally, former NHL defenseman, Rob Ramage has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the death of former Blackhawks defenseman Keith Magnuson. Ramage was driving Magnuson back from the funeral of former NHL player, Keith McCreary, when he got into an accident, killing Magnuson. Ramage was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Ramage played 15 years in the NHL for eight teams and won two Stanley Cups.

In addition to his prison sentence, Ramage will not be permitted to drive for five years after his release. The judge admitted that Ramage was an “exemplary citizen” and had expressed true remorse over his actions, but he felt that a message needs to be sent about drunk driving which causes too many deaths throughout Canada. This is a sad story all the way around. Ramage plans to appeal and remains free on bail at this time. You can be certain that December 15, 2003, is one day he would like to have back.