Vanek Cuts Ice

Thomas Vanek is a name in Austrian hockey these days.  The 23 year old Viennese left wing, know for his goal scoring abilities is currently playing in the second round of the NHL playoffs in his second NHL season with his Buffalo Sabers.

The team, after having dismissed the New York Islanders four games to one in a first round best of seven game series, is now playing the New York Rangers in the second playoff stage.

Vanek scored 43 goals in the regular season with an impressive +/- of 47 –

compared to all-star Wayne Gretsky’s second season of 41. The +/-  is the number of goals scored minus the number of goals conceded while the player is on the ice. Vanek has also scored the winning goals in both of his last games giving his team a 2/0 advantage after the first two games of the second round series.

The chances of Vanek and his Sabers losing to the Rangers looks slim, but exactly how far the team can go is still to be seen. In any case, Vanek is a valuable winning joker card, and a valuable asset to his team.