Morozov – not Lemieux – is NHL scoring leader
PITTSBURGH (AP) – As usual, the Pittsburgh Penguins have the NHL’s scoring leader. The surprise is that it’s not Mario Lemieux – it’s Aleksey Morozov. Upon learning Morozov was the league’s scoring leader, Lemieux responded with a laugh.
“Not for long,” the Penguins player-owner said.
Still, Morozov figures to fill the scoresheet as long as Lemieux is healthy.
Through three games, Morozov has eight points (four goals, four assists) and a shooting percentage of 57.1. Lemieux was second in the league with seven points (four goals, three assists) going into Tuesday’s NHL games. The Penguins play again Wednesday night, at home against Atlanta.
“It’s fun, but it’s only three games,” Morozov said. “If you show me at the end of the season and it’s the same, it’ll mean more.”
Morozov might be the luckiest man in the NHL. He is playing left wing on a line with two skilled players – Lemieux and right winger Alexei Kovalev. Those three have combined for 18 points in the past two games, both Penguins victories. The Penguins bounced back from a 6-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the season opener to beat the New York Rangers 6-0 and the Maple Leafs 5-4 on Monday in Toronto.
Morozov scored twice Monday. On both plays, he gained possession in the corner and skated untouched into the slot, where he beat goalie Trevor Kidd – once with a backhand, once with a high wrist shot.
Morozov has used Lemieux and Kovalev to his advantage.
“It opens space for me, because they get so much respect,” Morozov said. “It works nice. I try to be in front of the net all the time now.”
Morozov, 24, a Moscow native, was regarded as the best player in the world outside North America when the Penguins lured him across the Atlantic in 1997.
But he proceeded to average a little more than eight goals in his first four seasons. His two main problems: He rarely played with skilled linemates and he rarely shot the puck.
Morozov showed a spark midway through last season, during a three-week stretch on Lemieux’s line, but Lemieux wound up missing 58 games with injuries. Even so, Morozov finished last season with career-high totals of 20 goals, 29 assists and 49 points.
He came to training camp with added confidence and with the opportunity to team with a healthy Lemieux. Kovalev was added to the mix after the season opener.
Kovalev figures his countryman had some hard lessons to learn.
“I always told him, ‘When you have a chance, shoot it,”‘ Kovalev said. “It looks like he’s a good learner.”
Meanwhile, Johan Hedberg will start in goal Wednesday against the Atlanta Thrashers because Jean-Sebastien Aubin has a sore knee. Aubin was pulled during the first period Monday because of the injury.