Bruins set the record for most games won in a single season today. And we now have 2 60-goal scorers.
Eric Karlson is looking to have a 100-point season. First for a defenseman in a while. However, I don’t get the comparisons to the greats in the game. There were talks that he is was going to be the next Lidstrom (of Detroit), for example. Sure, there are some similarities: both come from Sweden and both can rake up points. However, this is right about where it ends, imo. While the latter is one of the best (if not the best) defenseman the game had ever seen, Karlson is -19 on the season and something like -100 in his career. Lidstrom is about +450 and had only scored a negative (-2) once in his entire career. And I don’t mean to downplay his accomplishment(s), but we are talking about d-men here, not forwards playing on the backend. Bobby Orr raked up a whooping +124 (?) when he scored 130 (?) points in a season, for example.
Speaking of Lidstrom… Damn, that Detroit team was something to look up to for a couple of decades. I sure was a fan. Most of anyone they signed would become a much better player for it. They sure knew how to pick them as well - 3-4+ round picks would retire as some of the hockey greats. Datsyuk was 6th round pick; Zetterberg was selected in the 7th round; Lidstrom - 3rd; Fedorov - 4th; etc. And the grinders? Maltby - Draper - McCarty? Just an epic team, really, that had it all put and work together for many years. Almost surprising that they only got 4 cups out of those “golden years”. No team comes close in terms of longevity and consistency, imo. Tampa reminded of it at times (lead by none other but Stevie Y) and so did/does Boston. Ironically, it was the Wings and the Lightning that held the record season wins at 62 games before Boston got their 63rd today.
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