Fischler Report: Why Patrick Kane is the All-Time Best American Player

SIX MONDAY MUSINGS OVER A MAMMOTH WEEKEND

1. Not much more time for the likes of captain Ryan O'Reilly to be blaming himself for the genuine blues in St. Louis. You know where the finger points next. The Blues better win tonight in Boston or Barry Trotz’s phone may be ringing.

2. When it comes to Matt Tkachuk versus Jonathan Huberdeau, so far, it's Matty all the way.

3. Give Jack (How Did I Get All This Dough) Campbell points for honesty. He calls his netminding for Edmonton so far "pathetic." (He's being too kind.)

4. One reason for the Devils winning nine of their last 10 games: You can't hit what you can't catch. Second Reason: Nico Hischier coming into his own as captain.

5. The demotion to the fourth line of Rangers ace Chris Kreider coincides with my finding a 2020 The Hockey News article with the headline, “Should Rangers Trade Chris Kreider?” My answer now, as then, is never. New York’s mistake was giving the captaincy to Jacob Trouba and not the more deserving Kreider.

6. The SOS white flags can now be removed from the Scotiabank Arena roof. But save them for playoff time. That's when Kyle (I'm Still Not Punch Imlach) Dubas will be the flag-bearer.

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WHY PATRICK KANE IS THE ALL-TIME BEST AMERICAN-BORN PLAYER

Our veteran analyst Alan Greenberg has been watching hockey longer than most critics. That's why we asked him to go back in time and pick the 10 greatest American players. Last Monday, he selected six through 10 (Frank Brimsek, Neal Broten, Joe Mullen, Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick in that order.) Now, Greenberg brings us to the final five. You can bet that ‘Big Al’ will get some arguments about Brian Leetch. See if you agree.

5. Keith Tkachuk is worthy of a spot near the top of the list for being one of only four Americans to exceed 500 goals and, more than all others, to have played with a high level of snarl. In his 18 seasons, he played for few outstanding teams, which makes his accomplishments more noteworthy. In his years in Phoenix, after the Jets relocated from Winnipeg, he helped to establish the credibility of hockey in Arizona.

4. Phil Housley is the highest-scoring American defenseman. When he entered the league, he was billed as the second coming of Bobby Orr. He didn’t disappoint, registering 1,232 points in 1,495 games, putting him second to Mike Modano for most points in a career by an American-born player. (Brett Hull was born in Belleville, Ont.)

3. Brian Leetch was as smooth as they come as a two-way defender. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, playoff MVP, Calder Trophy-winner and two-time Norris winner, Leetch played 1,205 NHL games over 18 seasons. His defining moment was to register 11 goals and 34 points in 23 playoff games in 1994 en route to the Rangers’ Stanley Cup.

2. Mike Modano, who grew up in Michigan, is the all-time American-born NHL point and goal leader, with 561 goals and 1,374 points in 1,499 NHL regular season games. He did almost all for the Dallas Stars, including leading them to their 1999 Stanley Cup en route to earning his Hockey Hall of Fame selection.

1. Patrick Kane is No. 1 even though he is still playing. Kane still has a few productive years ahead of him and, if traded, may add another Stanley Cup to his resumé. When he hangs them up, he will more than likely lead all American-born players in games, goals and points.

Honorable mentions: There are many. It’s hard to talk about top American players without mentioning Tom Barrasso, Mike Richter, Doug Weight and Tony Amonte. When they retire, Joe Pavelski and Phil Kessel will also be high on the list. There are others worthy of consideration. My apologies in advance if I missed a favorite.

(Note: Alan Greenberg is a lifetime hockey junkie. He is the author of Confessions of a Government Man in which he discusses his lengthy public service career and reveals many hilarious stories about "funny happenings in high places of government." Alan has dealt with presidents, congressional representatives, federal judges and industry leaders as well as garden variety con artists, all with a New York-style sense of humor. The digital edition is available for free download on Amazon through Nov. 8 where it says $0 to buy. Proceeds from the print edition are donated to cancer charities.)

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DISASTER AREAS IN THE EAST

It's not Glenn (I've Got No Shrink's Degree) Dreyfuss' job to send care packages to Washington or Pittsburgh, but he does have a right to worry. Here goes:

Within minutes on Saturday, Nov. 5, the Cup chances for both the Capitals and Penguins appear to have flatlined.

The evening started off magically for those intertwined generational talents, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. In Pittsburgh, Crosby notched his 900th assist, adding to a goal he'd scored earlier in the game. At the same time in Washington, Ovechkin scored his 787th goal, the most by any NHL player with one team.

By 10 p.m. eastern, though, both teams had fallen by eerily parallel circumstances, 3-2, at home, on very late goals by supposedly inferior opponents. The Penguins' loss to the Kraken was their seventh-straight defeat. The Caps' surrender to the Coyotes stretched their winless streak to four.

Management in Pittsburgh and Washington, as they should have, sacrificed the future to keep their Cup windows open. However, super sidekicks Evgeni Malkin and Nicklas Backstrom's best days are behind them. And to paraphrase Simon & Garfunkel, Cup-winning goalies Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury have left and gone away.

Oh, ‘Sid the Kid’ and the ‘Great Eight’ may yet drag their teams into this year's playoffs. No doubt, those two superstars aren't done amazing us. But their teams are.

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A BARRY TROTZ FAN WONDERS ABOUT HIS FUTURE.

The Maven's vision of Barry Trotz someday standing behind an NHL bench is as clear as the Statue of Liberty on a sunny day. The only questions in my mind are where and when?

Suddenly, the guy I once loved on Long Island is making himself apparent. He's doing interviews and saying arresting things such as his "intrigue" about coaching an Original Six team.

Trotz calculates every word he utters. He knows that the Original Six also includes Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Montreal and New York. He knows that each is coach-solid in one way or another.

Except, of course, in Toronto, where Sheldon Keefe is holding tight to his raft.

My roving correspondent Gus Vic solved Barry's "eventually Toronto" equation by the process of elimination. No analytics needed, thank you.

"Check what's happened in five cities," said Vic, "and then notice how Sheldon Keefe's shelf life is beginning to shorten. Then figure it out. First year in Beantown and Jim Montgomery has the Bruins with the NHL's best record.

"Rookie coach Luke Richardson has the Blackhawks better than expected. In Detroit, Derek Lalonde is moving the team where Jeff Blashill could not. Marty St. Louis has the Habs playing surprisingly well, and the Rangers' Gerard Gallant isn't going anywhere soon.

"The bottom line is that Trotz is the perfect fit for the structure the Leafs have lost and can get back with Trotz behind their bench."

(Perhaps, but the Leafs' ownership reportedly won't make a move until after the playoffs.)

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WHO SAID IT? "I will match them insult for insult. I was just waving them on." (ANSWER BELOW)

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THE KRAKEN – SAME AS LAST YEAR OR SURPRISINGLY BETTER

Tearing himself away from the Pike Street Fish Market, our Seattle Seer, Glenn (Don't Call Me Salmon) Dreyfuss, analyzes another big fish that's spelled Kraken:

No one who saw Seattle look lifeless in early home losses to Vegas (5-2) and Carolina (5-1) could have imagined that three weeks later, they'd be shouting, "Break up the Kraken!"

Saturday's 3-2 win in Pittsburgh completed a perfect three-game road trip, following a 4-0 shutout of the Wild and rallying for three goals in the third period to beat the Flames 5-4. Added to an earlier 3-1 home win against the Pens, Seattle is riding the franchise's first-ever four game winning streak.

Most eye-popping of all was downing the defending champs in Denver 3-2. Seattle blunted the Avs' speed, allowing just one shot on goal in the game's final nine minutes. Combined with a 5-1 home dismantling of the rejuvenated Sabres, the Kraken have fashioned a 7-4-2 record, good for second in the Pacific Division.

"We're playing as a team, and everybody's contributing," said Yanni Gourde after Saturday's victory. "Taking the middle of the ice in the D-zone. We give up a lot of shots from the outside, but in the middle as of late, we've been doing a pretty good job."

The Kraken have used the NHL's seventh-ranked power play (26.1 percent) to bolster the league's No. 7 offense. Four of Jaden Schwartz's five goals have come with the man advantage. Schwartz and free-agent addition Andre Burakovsky lead Seattle scoring with 10 points apiece.

To be sure, there's work still to be done, made clear by unexpected losses to Vancouver and Anaheim. Seattle ranks 23rd in goals-against, 24th on the penalty kill, and last in faceoffs.

It's too early to say off-season acquisition Martin Jones (2.61 GAA, .901 SP) has brought stability between the pipes, though he's won his last three starts, allowing just three goals. Jones has shouldered the goaltending load since Philipp Grubauer (3.77 GAA, .860 SP) joined Chris Driedger on the injured list on Oct. 25.