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spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","","Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson led the NHL in scoring at the All-Star break","http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080129/080129-%20alfredsson-vmed-1a.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Bill Wippert", "NHLI via Getty Images", "298", "201", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "It used to be that like some sort of secret society, the Art Ross Trophy was a closed shop. Oh, we knew who won it. We also knew that the list of winners was shorter than Gary Bettman’s inseam.From 1951-2001, there were just 14 men who could call themselves Art Ross Trophy holders. Eleven players combined to win 48 of the 51 NHL scoring titles up for grabs over that span.
Fast forward a bit further into the 21st century. It’s a new game, so they tell us, and from the myriad of top scorers in the hunt for the title this season, it’s hard to argue the point. With reigning scoring champion Sidney Crosby expected to be out until at least March, it’s conceivable that the National Hockey League could have its fifth different Art Ross winner in as many seasons, an occurrence unheard of since 1947-51.
Instead of the Art Ross Trophy, they ought to call this season’s scoring chase the Art Race Trophy.
It’s a real horse race, so let’s handicap the horses. Follow along as msnbc.com contributor Bob Duff reviews the field.";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","1) Vincent Lecavalier","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070405/070405_VincentLecavalier_vmed_6p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Mike Carlson", "AP", "298", "259", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Center
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
Points through All-Star break: 66 (30 goals, 36 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 3-1
The Skinny: Lecavalier has recorded a point in 34 of his team's 50 games ... He has recorded nine one-point games, 20 two-point games, four three-point games and one five-point game ... Lecavalier has 25 multi-point games in his 50 played this season.
Why he’ll win: Lecavalier is on pace to surpass his club record-setting season of 108 points in 2007-08.
Why he won’t win: An Eastern Conference player hasn’t won the scoring title in a season in which his team missed the playoffs since Pittsburgh’s Mario Lemieux in 1987-88.
Quote: \"When I get in front of a goalie, it's all about confidence. Once you start scoring, it seems like you can really see the net.\"";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","2) Jarome Iginla","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/040525/040525_jaromeIginla_vmed_7p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Ryan Remiorz", "AP", "298", "233", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Right wing
Team: Calgary Flames
Points through All-Star break: 63 (32 goals, 31 assists)
Previous titles: 1 (2001-02)
Odds to win scoring title: 5-1
The Skinny: Has recorded a team-high 16 multi-point games this season, including five three and two four-point nights ... Unit of Iginla, Kristian Huselius and Daymond Langkow are the third-most productive forward line in the NHL (157 points) ... Entered the All-Star break on a seven-game goalless skid, his longest in two seasons.
Why he’ll win: Has scored 18 goals in the past 22 games.
Why he won’t win: Has collected just nine assists in the past 22 games.
Quote: \"The consistency that he plays with every night is an example of how well he gets himself ready and is able to play in any situation at any time in any building.\" -- Flames coach Mike Keenan
";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","3) Joe Thornton","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060414/060414_thornton_vmed_7p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Paul Connors", "AP", "298", "231", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "Position: Center
Team: San Jose Sharks
Points through All-Star break: 60 (15 goals, 45 assists)
Previous titles: 1 (2005-06)
Odds to win scoring title: 7-1
The Skinny: Leads all NHL shooters since the start of the 2002-03 season with 473 points ... Of all NHL players who started the season 28 years of younger, his 720 points are also No. 1 ... One of only three players (Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky) in NHL history to post back-to-back 90-assist seasons.
Why he’ll win: Has figured in 46.5 percent of San Jose’s goals, highest ratio of any Western Conference player.
Why he won’t win: Has scored the fewest goals of any of the contenders.
Quote: \"Individually, I'd like to think I've gotten better each and every year.\"";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","4) Daniel Alfredsson","","http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo_StoryLevel/080129/080129-%20alfredsson-vmed-1a.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Bill Wippert", "NHLI via Getty Images", "298", "201", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Right wing
Team: Ottawa Senators
Points through All-Star break: 67 (32 goals, 35 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 10-1
The Skinny: Entered the All-Star break on an extreme high, collecting a club-record seven points in an 8-4 win over Tampa Bay to move into the league scoring lead ... Has points in 27 of his last 31 games ... Has 19 multi-point games, an eight-game scoring streak from Nov. 19-Dec. 4 and a seven-game scoring streak from Dec. 7-22.
Why he’ll win: The Senators lead the league in average goals per game (3.48).
Why he won’t win: Is too responsible of an all-around player to ratchet up the points chase in pursuit of a title.
Quote: \"People talk about (Vincent) Lecavalier and (Sidney) Crosby, and we don't see (Jarome) Iginla on the other side, but he has been as good as any player in the league, from the last half of last year through the playoffs and this year.\" -- Senators coach John Paddock ";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","5) Alexander Ovechkin","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/ap/1bffae24-4967-4d6c-b81a-e2bc3767bb43.widec.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Paul Chiasson", "AP", "321", "298", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Left wing
Team: Washington Capitals
Points through All-Star break: 65 (39 goals, 26 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 12-1
The Skinny: His 39 goals in the first 50 games of the season are a club record ... Comes out of the All-Star break riding a seven-game scoring streak with 7-7-14 totals over that span ... Has a goal in six of seven games since he signed his new 13-year contract ... Has 15 goals in his last 15 games.
Why he’ll win: Has record 25-17-42 numbers in 29 games since Bruce Boudreau took over as Caps coach.
Why he won’t win: No Russian-trained NHLer has ever led the league in scoring.
Quote: \"My goal is to make the playoffs and I have to score goals and everybody has to score goals. So my goal is to score goals and try to win games.\"";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","6) Jason Spezza","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/apmegasports/200801242007724526429-pf.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Steve Nesius", "AP", "298", "240", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Center
Team: Ottawa Senators
Points through All-Star break: 58 (18 goals, 40 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 15-1
The Skinny: Spezza was named the NHL's first star of the month for December ... He led all NHL scorers in December with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) and recorded a plus-14 rating as the Senators went 9-3-2 ... Spezza recorded points in 13 of 14 games, including nine multiple-point games ... He also notched a 10-game point streak from Dec. 12-29, tallying 20 points (9-11) in that span.
Why he’ll win: Is on pace for a career-high 96 points.
Why he won’t win: Loss of trigger-man Dany Heatley for four-six weeks with a shoulder injury will slow his accumulation of points.
Quote: \"I look at (Daniel) Alfredsson and (Dany) Heatley and (Jason) Spezza as all very good goal scorers.\" -- Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","7) Ilya Kovalchuk","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/getty/gyi0051279570.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jamie Squire", "Getty Images", "298", "203", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Left wing
Team: Atlanta Thrashers
Points through All-Star break: 63 (37 goals, 26 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 17-1
The Skinny: Has recorded 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in his last 34 games, including 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in his last 15 games . . . Has registered at least one point in 35 of 52 games this season and scored at least one goal in 29 of those contests ... He leads the Thrashers with 17 multi-point effort.
Why he’ll win: Defensively-challenged Thrashers have to play a wide-open game to win.
Why he won’t win: Doesn’t share the puck with his teammates to get enough assists to top the scoring race.
Quote: \"I never think how many goals or how many points I'm going to score. I just go there and play my hardest and play my best. To score goals and make good plays and help my teammates for a good chance, so that's my job to do.\"";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","8) Henrik Zetterberg","","http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070221/070221_zetterberg_vmed_8p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Jerry S. Mendoza", "AP", "298", "246", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Left wing
Team: Detroit Red Wings
Points through All-Star break: 61 (28 goals, 33 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 20-1
The Skinny: Set a new Red Wings record for consecutive games with a point to start a season (17). The previous mark was set by Norm Ullman (14 in 1960-61). Zetterberg’s 17-game streak to start the season ranks as the second-longest in the NHL since 1993-94 (22, Ottawa’s Dany Heatley, 2005-06) ... Has recorded a point in 38 of 44 games he’s played this season ... Has missed six games this season with a recurring back injury.
Why he’ll win: Is second in the NHL with 225 shots on goal.
Why he won’t win: No Red Wing has won an NHL scoring title since Gordie Howe in 1962-63.
Quote: \"I thought Zetterberg was the best player in the NHL in the first six weeks of the season.\" -- Red Wings coach Mike Babcock";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","9) Evgeni Malkin","","http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061031/061031_malkin_vmed_2p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Mike Stobe", "Getty Images", "298", "213", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Center
Team: Pittsburgh Penguins
Points through All-Star break: 57 (27 goals, 30 assists)
Previous titles: None
Odds to win scoring title: 25-1
The Skinny: Has scored 16 goals over his past 16 games and has 16 points (12-4-16) in 11 games during the month of January ... Scored just 11 goals through the first 33 games of the season ... Netted his second career hat trick Jan. 14th and his second in a span of six games.
Why he’ll win: Must step up his game to fill the void left by the absence of teammate Sidney Crosby, out until mid-March with a high ankle sprain.
Why he won’t win: Hasn’t displayed the consistency required to be a scoring champion.
Quote: \"He scores a lot of beautiful goals, a lot of high goals, but he's dangerous every time he's out there.\" -- Teammate Sidney Crosby";
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i++] = new Array("","10) Martin St. Louis","","http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/getty/gyi0051279581.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Bruce Bennett", "Getty Images", "298", "199", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "
Position: Right wing
Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
Points through All-Star break: 59 (19 goals, 40 assists)
Previous titles: 1 (2003-04)
Odds to win scoring title: 30-1
The Skinny: Vermont product is the only NCAA-trained player to win an NHL scoring title ... St. Louis and linemates Vincent Lecavalier and Vaclav Prospal have combined for 170 points, making them the second-most productive trio in the league ... Has points in 12 of Tampa Bay’s last 16 games.
Why he’ll win: Logs more ice time per game than any other contender (24:34).
Why he won’t win: It’s likely Lecavalier, who is seven points ahead of St. Louis, will continue to collect points on most occasions when St. Louis does.
Quote: \"He's so fast, he's so aggressive, you've got no choice but to play like him when you're with him. He really brought a lot of consistency into my game.\" -- Teammate Vincent Lecavalier";
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spt_NHL_ScoringRace[i-1].body = "Sidney Crosby
Points through All-Star break: 63 (20 goals, 43 assists)
The Pittsburgh Penguins center is the reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, but a high ankle sprain that will keep him out until at least mid-March will see him plummet from the scoring leaders and drop out of the race.
Ryan Getzlaf
Points through All-Star break: 58 (19 goals, 39 assists)
The Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf is enjoying a breakout season, but isn’t ready yet to ascend into the elite of the scoring chase.
Pavel Datsyuk
Points through All-Star break: 58 (17 goals, 41 assists)
The Detroit Red Wings center generally picks up the pace in the second half, but never seems to score enough goals or play with enough consistency to contend for the crown.";
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// END editorial data