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Le Coq Sportif: Guide to Hockey
Player of the Week #25

by
Matthew Secosky
Chimp B

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Winner: Brendan Shanahan, Hartford Whalers

This weeks POW comes from the Insurance Capital of the World. He plays in an arena that's shopping mall/ice rink all in one, and for a team that's often associated with those gentle giants of the sea. But unfortunately for Brendan Shanahan, things may not be so swank come next season. This is because the Whale has fallen on some tough times of late, missing the playoffs for 6 consecutive years. Needless to say, in the not-so-economically stable metropolis that is Hartford, this means trouble with a capital T. There are some bright spots for the Whale though. The brightest being Shanahan. Shanahan gave a valiant effort with 3 goals and 6 points as the Whale went 2-2 in their final games of the season. Despite missing 8 games due to injury, Shanahan, a one-time 50 goal scorer, still finished up the season with 44 goals, good for 13th overall in the league. With players like Shanahan, Sanderson, and Nikolishin on the roster, the Whale's day is going to come. Let's just hope it come in the confines of the engineering marvel that is the Hartford Civic Center and not some place where Dolly Parton has a theme park and Kenny Rogers sells roasted chicken. Whales are hardy creatures but they can't stand country music, so for the love of god, SAVE THE WHALE! Please, oh please, oh please, save the Whale. We must unite. Sing with me now. We shall overcome...we shall overcome...we shall overcome some day.

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Runner-up: Darren Puppa, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning have made the playoffs for the first time and most thanks should go to goalie supreme Darren Puppa. Puppa led the lightnin' bolt crew to a 3-0-0 record the final week of the season to capture the eighth and final playoff spot in the East and to make the New Jersey Devils participate in the playoffs like the rest of us - from your favorite easychair. In the three victories, Puppa's GAA waa 2.00.

For the season, Darren Puppa had a 29-16-9 record and a 2.46 GAA. He had the second best save percentage in the league at 92.1% and was third in shutouts with five.

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