Riding on a three game winning streak the Phoenix Coyotes clinched a playoff spot last night, as the 6th team in the leauge. After a mixed start under new GM Mårten Eriksson, the team seem to finally have been able to leave all non-hockey related news behind them, and concentrate on winning again. Outscoring opponents 16-4 during those games, the team has been solid in both ends.
Even though Dwayne Roloson has played no small part in this effort, the offense with centers Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin in particular stand out. Forsberg is currently on a six game point streak in which he has scored 2 goals and assisted on 9 others. He will have to try and continue his streak without linemate Näslund though, who is listed as day-to-day with a groin injury. Sundin with 4 multi-point games during the same period, has been able to put up the exact same numbers as Forsberg.
As a result Forsberg has pulled ahead in the scoring race, and is now 5 points ahead of fellow swede Daniel Alfredsson playing for the Ottawa Senators. Mats Sundin, another swede, has thanks to his last few games advanced to the third place, only a point behind Alfredsson. With only a handful games left in the season, it seems safe to predict that the next Art Ross winner will represent a certain northern country.