Friday, February 16, 2007

Burnaby Joe nets his six hundredth goal


Since the day he entered the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques, Joe Sakic has been the poster boy for a team player. He rarely revels in his achievements, dedicated as he is to the goal of the team coming first.

Thursday night, Sakic once again contributed as he always does, with tenacious play and a timely goal, though even he would admit that number six hundred probably is not the thing of the highlight reels.

Yet when a goal is needed, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, as long as it finds the back of the net. Sakic picked up two goals in the match with the flames Thursday, a first period goal that cut the Flames lead in the period.

He ended the night with an empty net goal leading the Avs to a 7-5 victory over the Flames and putting them in the thick of the playoff hunt, just like he has year after year after year. He’s on a scoring streak in his last six games, collecting five goals and four assists, beyond the points it’s his presence on the ice that keeps the Avs in the hunt once again for a playoff spot.

His is a quiet, confident leadership, a player who leads by example and exemplifies work ethic with every shift of every game.

His achievement Thursday, moves him into the top echelons of NHL scorers, holding down 17th place and counting, he’ll no doubt be climbing that list a bit more before he finally wraps up a most successful career.

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