Florida Panthers rookie Jonathan Huberdeau dominated the Philadelphia Flyers in a 5-2 victory on Thursday night that helped proved why the 19-year-old forward is leading the race for the Calder Trophy in 2013.
St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Cory Conacher have also been impressive this season, and both are worthy of being finalists for the Calder, but Huberdeau is the favorite to win the award right now.
Huberdeau earned four points (two goals, two assists) and a plus-three rating against the Flyers. He also made a spectacular move (video below) to beat Philadelphia goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov on the first penalty shot of his young career. It was the first four-point game by a rookie this season.
The Panthers forward ranks second in scoring among all NHL rookies with 13 points, first in goals (eight), fifth in shots (34) and fifth in power-play points (three). Huberdeau is also the only rookie leading his team in goals and points.
More importantly, Huberdeau is playing a lead role on a team that needs someone to step up and contribute offensively on a consistent basis.
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Article written by Nicholas Goss
NHL Awards Race 2013: Why Panthers’ Jonathan Huberdeau Is Calder Trophy Leader
February 22nd, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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