Some players have been smoking hot of late and others colder than a streaker on Portage and Main in the middle of January.  Here are some quick flashes on the hot and cold streaks that have caught my eye this week:

Hot Stuff

Ilya Kovalchuk has scored 17 goals and 26 points in his last 15 games and is on pace for a 115 point season!

The Senators may have been slumping lately, but not Jason Spezza.  He currently has a 16 point, nine game scoring streak on the go. When he plays, he puts up points.

Marc Savard has quietly put up 19 points during a 12 game point streak.

Martin Brodeur’s resurgence is one of the major reasons why the Devils are on an eight game winning streak. During the streak, he has allowed more than two goals in a game only once and has two shutouts.  It really was only a matter of time before the coach and team got into synch.  New Jersey was a very good match for Coach Sutter’s preferred style of play.

Tobias Enstrom has nine points in his last ten games. Don Waddell has certainly shown plenty of confidence in the 23 year old rookie, as evidenced by his team leading 23:26 of ice time.

After Marc-Andre Fleury’s inconsistent and disappointing start this season, it looks like he might be turning it around.  Prior to last nights game, Fleury had three wins, one shutout, a goals against average of 0.67 and a save percentage of 0.971 in his last three starts.  His overall goals against average is now under 3.00 and save percentage is over 0.900.  Better team defence is a big part of the reason for Fleury’s better play of late, allowing only 28, 23 and 18 shots in the last three games.

Cold Cuts

What happened to Bill Guerin?  Everything was sailing along nicely with 11 points in 10 games and then goose eggs for the next 14 games, before recording an assist Wednesday night. What’s interesting is that he’s still getting power play time and is averaging over three shots a game.  He is on pace for 263 shots on goal, which is exactly the same number that he had in 2003-04 when he scored a career high 69 points.  One explanation may be the power play.  The Islanders went 5 for 56 (8.9%) in November. 

Alexei Zhitnik has been a shocker for fantasy owners this season.  After netting 14 points in 18 contests for the Thrashers last season, many expected at least 40 points this season.  Tobias Enstrom has become the go to defenseman on the power play.  This season Zhitnik has recorded only two points, is an awful minus-11 and has not scored a point in 22 straight games.

Martin Gerber has been the main victim (or is that culprit?) in an Ottawa Senators meltdown.  After a 13-1 start to the season, the Sens lost their last seven games, prior to Wednesday nights 5-4 victory over Florida. In Gerber’s last four appearances, he’s yielded 17 goals against. Clearly a 5.93 goals against average and 0.825 save percentage aren’t confidence inspiring numbers.

It appears that Chris Campoli’s slump may be over.  On Monday, he recorded his first point after going 11 straight games without one and followed that up with an assist on Wednesday night.

Beast from the East

One guy who’s been habernero hot lately is New Jersey’s Zach Parise.  He has been the offensive catalyst for the Devils during their eight game winning streak. He’s scored 17 points in those eight games.  Parise has helped spark Gionta by assisting or scoring on nine of the little big man’s ten points over a recent six game stretch.  Parise’s on pace for 328 shots on goal, which would better last year’s 247 in 82 games and 133 in 81 games the year before that. 

He is starting to realize his vast potential and his confidence is soaring.  He wants to be out there when the game is on the line.  He is a competitor and will only get better, just don’t expect 100 point seasons, especially in New Jersey.