By Rob Ficiur

As the 2009-2010 NHL season passes the half-way point there are number of surprises that no expert would have predicted.  However, that is why the games are played on ice not on the paper the experts made their predictions on.
1.  Henrik Sedin leads the NHL with 76 points followed (as expected) by Ovechkin and Crosby.  Last year the Canucks centre had 82 points in 82 games.  What is more surprising is that Henrik brought his game to a new level the year that his brother Hank was out with an injury for a few weeks.  The Canucks are about to embark on a 14 game road trip (because the Olympics are taking over Vancouver).  Because of this long road trip, I expect that Sedin’s scoring pace will slacken.  It will still be his best season ever but he won’t be number one.
2.  Patrick Marleau leads the NHL with 36 goals.  Over the summer the Sharks stripped Marleau of the captaincy.  All the experts expected him to pout.  Instead he is only three goals off of his personal best in goals and there is still more than two months to play.  No doubt the acquisition of  sniper Dany Heatley has helped Marleau.  With Joe Thorton in the middle, teams have three elite scorers to cover.  So far no one has been effective and the result is the San Jose Sharks are in first place overall.
3.  As I write this Alberta is going through a 19 game losing streak.  The Edmonton Oilers have lost 11 in a row and the Calgary Flames have lost eight in  a row.  Even the most loyal Oilers fan did not plan a Stanley Cup parade for this year.  However, in November this group of Oilers won five road games in a row.  No Oilers team in history, even the Wayne Gretzky Oilers, won five road games in a row.  The Oilers surprised everyone with that winning streak.  However, since returning home from that trip, the Oilers began working on this 11 game losing streak.  How can a team set a record for most road wins in a row and then turn around and begin a franchise high losing streak?
The Calgary Flames must have an on/off switch.  In November they were 12-2 and within one point of being first overall.  At the time I am writing this the team has lost eight in a row.  The Flames have out played their opponent and lost several games I have seen in this streak.  Before Flames fans jump off the band wagon, the 1985-86 Flames had an 11 game losing / winless streak from December 14, 1985–January 7, 1986.  That version of the Flames went on the Stanley Cup finals.
4.  The Ottawa Senators are in a playoff spot.  Experts “knew” the Senators were on a free fall. They missed the playoffs last year and no big names were brought in to revive the team.  Even with only average goaltending the team is on a seven game winning steak and seven points ahead of the ninth place Montreal Canadiens.
5.  When will the upstart Colorado Avalanche and Phoenix Coyotes fade out of a playoff spot?  Last year both teams finished out of the post season.  When the teams started strong, “everyone” knew that the would eventually fall apart.  At the 51 and 53 game juncture both teams are holding their own.  Colorado has been led by former back up goalie Craig Anderson.  Last season Anderson was 15-7 with the out of playoff Florida Panthers.  Colorado has given him a chance to play and with the team following the coach’s system Anderson is having his bet year ever.
During the off season the ownership and future of the Coyotes got more media attention than a Coyote player has ever had.  The Coyotes are currently fifth in the Western Conference.  Last year at the all star break the team was also in a playoff spot. However, the young team fell off in the last few months.  This year with more veterans and less off ice distractions, will the Coyotes make the playoffs for only the second time in their history?
Important – Read this column in February.  If you wait until March there will be other surprises that will out-do these surprises.